Edward J. O'Neill

Infobox Military Person
name=Edward Joseph O'Neill


caption=
born=March 24, 1902
died=January 1979
placeofbirth=St. Albans, Vermont
placeofdeath=Arlington, Virginia
nickname=
allegiance=United States of America
branch=U.S. Army
serviceyears=1924-1962
rank=Lieutenant General
unit=
commands=Battalion Cmdr., 1st Infantry Division (United States)
First United States Army
battles=World War II: North Africa, Salerno, Anzio
awards=
relations=
laterwork=

Edward J. O'Neill was a career U.S. Army officer. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Regular Army in 1924 after his graduation from the University of Vermont. He served in a variety of infantry commands and staff positions in the years between the World Wars, with a tour in Hawaii and attendance at the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia and the Command and General Staff School.

At the onset of World War II, he was a battalion commander in the 1st Infantry Division (United States). O'Neill later played a key role in supplies and logistical support for VI Corps (United States) in the North Africa and Italian campaigns, ending his wartime service with Fifth United States Army.

After the war, he commanded the U.S. Army Communication Zone, Europe, the logistics and support organization for the U.S. Army in Europe. In that position on May 12, 1958, he selected one of 13 casketed remains of unknown U.S. soldiers from American military cemeteries in Europe to represent the unknowns from the European Theater of Operations. After a further selection of unknowns from the Atlantic and Pacific theaters, the Unknown Soldier of World War II was interred in the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, 1958. O’Neill next served as Army Chief of Staff in Europe in 1959.

In March 1960, he was promoted to Lieutenant General and assumed his final command of First United States Army at Fort Jay, Governors Island, New York. While there, he also served as senior U.S. Army representative to the United Nations Military Staff Committee. He retired after 31 years of active duty on March 31, 1962.

O'Neill died in January 1979 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

External links

* [http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries/ep.php American Battle Monuments Commission Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial] Selection of Unknown Soldier for European Theater of Operations
* [http://www.qmfound.com/tomb_of_the_unknown_soldiers_1964.htm Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers from The Quartermaster Review January-February 1964] In depth article on selection of World War II & Korean War Unknown Soldiers

*Citation
last =Mossman
first =B.C.
author-link =
last2 =Stark
first2 =Warner
author2-link =
publication-date =
date =1971
year =
title =The Last Salute: Civil and Military Funerals 1921-1969
edition =
volume =
series =
publication-place =Washington, D.C.
place =
publisher =Department of the Army
pages =93-98
page =
id =
isbn =
doi =
oclc =
url =http://www.history.army.mil/books/Last_Salute/
accessdate =2008 March 19
* [http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/ejoneill.htm Edward J. O'Neill at Arlington National Cemetery]

*Citation
last =
first =
author-link =
title =First Army to Get New Commander
newspaper =New York Times
pages =
year =1960
date=January 31, 1960
url =http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F20815FD3A591A7A93C3AA178AD85F448685F

*Citation
last =
first =
author-link =
title =New Chief for the First Army
newspaper =New York Times
pages =
year =1960
date=March 2, 1960
url =http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F60816FC35591A7A93C0A91788D85F448685F9