Withers A. Burress

Infobox Military Person
name=Withers Alexander Burress
born= birth date|1894|11|24
died= death date and age|1977|6|13|1894|11|24


caption=Major General Withers Burress as commander of 100th Infantry Division, 1944.
nickname="Pinky"
placeofbirth= Richmond, Virginia
placeofdeath= Arlington, Virginia
placeofburial=
allegiance= United States of America
branch= United States Army
serviceyears= 1916-1954
rank= Lieutenant General
unit=
commands= Virginia Military Institute 100th Infantry Division U.S. Constabulary U.S. Army Infantry School VI Corps VII Corps - NATO First United States Army
battles=World War I World War II
awards=Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster Silver Star Croix de Guerre Legion of Merit Distinguished Service Medal
relations=
laterwork=

Withers A. Burress was a graduate and commandant of the Virginia Military Institute as well as a career U.S. Army officer and combat commander in World War I and World War II.

Education and Early Career

Born in Richmond, Virginia in 1894, Burress attended and graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1914. In November 1916, he was commissioned a lieutenant in the U.S. Army. In World War I, he saw combat with the 23rd Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Infantry Division.

He attended the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia, the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth and the Army War College at Washington Barracks in Washington, D.C.

From 1935 to 1940, Burress was a professor of military science and served as commandant of the Virginia Military Institute. In 1940, he was assigned to the War Department General Staff in Washington, D.C.

World War II and Cold War

In 1941, with the outbreak of World War II, Burress had returned to Fort Benning as Assistant Commandant of the Infantry School. He then he assigned to the Puerto Rican Department. He was given command of the 100th Division (United States) upon its mobilization at Fort Jackson, South Carolina in November 1942.

Burress continued in his command, taking the division to France in October 1944. As part of Seventh United States Army's VI Corps, the division went into combat in the Vosges Mountains of northeastern France then through the Rhineland, Ardennes, and Central European campaigns until November, 1945, making Burress one of eleven generals to command one of the U.S. Army's 90 divisions from mobilization to the end of the war. After the war, he was promoted to command of the 100th Division's corps, the VI Corps (United States) then served as Inspector General for European Command [EURCOM] .

In May 1947, he was one of three commanders of the U.S. Constabulary, the post-war occupation police force in West Germany. In 1949, he returned to EURCOM as its intelligence director, then later took command of VII Corps (United States) .

In 1952, his final posting was as commander of First United States Army at Fort Jay at Governors Island in New York, New York. In November 1954, he retired from the U.S. Army after 38 years of active duty.

He died in an Arlington, Virginia nursing home at age 83 on June 13, 1977.

References

Citation
last=Hofmann
first=George F.
author-link=
publication-date=September-October 2007
date=
year=2007
title=Cold War Mounted Warriors: U.S. Constabulary in Occupied Germany
periodical=Armor: Professional Journal of Mounted Warfare
series=
publication-place=
place=
publisher=
volume=
issue=
pages=
url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PAB/is_5_116/ai_n21041574/pg_1
issn=
doi=
oclc=
accessdate= 2008-02-24.

Citation
last=
first=
author-link=
publication-date= October 11, 1952
date=
year=1952
title= Maj. Gen. W. A. Burress to Succeed Crittenberger as First Army Chief
periodical=New York Times
series=
publication-place=New York
place=
publisher=
volume=
issue=
pages=1
url=http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F60E11FF3558107A93C3A8178BD95F468585F9
issn=
doi=
oclc=
accessdate=2008-02-24.

Citation
last=
first=
author-link=
publication-date= June 14, 1977
date=
year=1977
title= Gen. Withers A. Burress, Head Of First Army During 1950s
periodical=The Washington Post
series=
publication-place=Washington, D.C.
place=
publisher=
volume=
issue=
pages=C6
url=
issn=
doi=
oclc=
accessdate=.

External links

* [http://www.lonesentry.com/gi_stories_booklets/100thinfantry/index.html Story of the Century The 100th Division]
* [http://www.coldwar.org/articles/40s/usconstabulary.asp Coldwar.org U.S. Constabulary, 1946-1952]

Persondata
NAME = Withers Alexander Burress
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Lieutenant General, United States Army
DATE OF BIRTH = November 24, 1894
PLACE OF BIRTH = Richmond, Virginia
DATE OF DEATH = June 13, 1977
PLACE OF DEATH = Arlington, Virginia