View source for Lionel C. McGarr

{{Short description|US Army general (1904–1988)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox military person
|name=Lionel Charles McGarr
|birth_date={{birth date text|March 5, 1904}}
|death_date={{death-date and age|November 3, 1988|March 5, 1904}}
|image=McGarr.jpg
|caption=McGarr in 1960, shortly before his promotion to lieutenant general
|birth_place=[[Yuma, Arizona]]
|death_place=[[San Francisco, California]]
|placeofburial=[[San Francisco National Cemetery]]
|allegiance=[[United States of America]]
|branch=[[File:United States Department of the Army Seal.svg|25px]] [[United States Army]]
|serviceyears=1928–1962
|rank=[[File:US-O9 insignia.svg|30px]] [[Lieutenant General (United States)|Lieutenant General]]
|commands=[[30th Infantry Regiment (United States)|30th Infantry Regiment]]<br>[[U.S. 350th Infantry Regiment|350th Infantry Regiment]]<br>[[Korean War#Prisoners of War (POWs)|Allied Prisoner of War Command – Korea]]<br>[[7th Infantry Division (United States)|7th Infantry Division]]<br>[[United States Southern Command|US Army Caribbean Command]]<br>[[Army Command and General Staff College]]<br>[[Military Assistance Advisory Group#MAAG Indochina; MAAG Vietnam|Military Assistance Advisory Group – Vietnam]]
|battles=[[World War II]]<br>[[Korean War]]<br>[[Vietnam War]]
|awards=[[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]]<br>[[Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army)|Distinguished Service Medal]]<br>[[Silver Star]]<br>[[Legion of Merit]]<br>[[Bronze Star]]<br>[[Purple Heart]]
|laterwork=
}}
'''Lionel Charles McGarr''' (March 5, 1904 – November 3, 1988) was a [[Lieutenant general (United States)|lieutenant general]] in the [[United States Army]]. He was the last commander of [[Military Assistance Advisory Group#MAAG Indochina; MAAG Vietnam|Military Assistance Advisory Group – Vietnam]].
==Early life and start of military career==
[[File:Lionel Charles McGarr (1904–1988) at West Point in 1928.png|thumb|right|150px|At West Point in 1928]]
McGarr was born in [[Yuma, Arizona]] on March 5, 1904, and graduated from the [[United States Military Academy]] in 1928.<ref>Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the U.S. Military Academy, published by the Association of Graduates, 1930, p. 2115</ref> After receiving his commission as a [[Second Lieutenant#United States|second lieutenant]] of [[infantry]] he served in command and staff positions of increasing rank and responsibility, including assignments in [[Hawaii]], [[California]] and [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]].<ref>Official Army Directory, published by U.S. Army Adjutant General, 1939, p. 36</ref><ref>''Amslers of Austin's Colony'', Amanda Howze Amsler, 1976, p. 77</ref>
==World War II==
McGarr saw extensive combat in [[North African Campaign|North Africa]] and [[European Theatre of World War II|Europe]] during [[World War II]] as commander of the [[30th Infantry Regiment (United States)|30th Infantry Regiment]] from October 1943 to December 1944, acting assistant division commander of the [[3rd Infantry Division (United States)|3rd Infantry Division]] from December 1944 to January 1945, and again commander of the [[30th Infantry Regiment (United States)|30th Infantry Regiment]] from January to May 1945.<ref>''History of the 30th Infantry Regiment in World War II'', Rupert Prohme, 1947, p. 371</ref><ref>''History of the Third Infantry Division in World War II'', Donald Gilbert Taggart, 1947, p. 94</ref><ref>
''Third Infantry Division'', Philip St John, 1994, p. 31</ref>
==Post World War II==
McGarr was assistant division commander of the 3rd Infantry Division from 1945 to 1946,<ref>''The 2nd United States Infantry Division in Korea'', Clark C. Munroe, 1954, Volume 2, p. 24</ref> and he graduated from the [[National War College]] in 1947, afterwards serving in the intelligence section of the Army General Staff.<ref>''Amslers of Austin's Colony'', p. 77</ref>
In 1948 he was named commander of the [[U.S. 350th Infantry Regiment|350th Infantry Regiment]] in [[Austria]], in 1949 he became tactical inspector for [[U.S. Tactical Command]] in [[Austria]], and from 1950 to 1951 he was U.S. Tactical Command's chief of staff.<ref name="ReferenceA">''The 2nd United States Infantry Division in Korea''</ref>
==Korean War==
McGarr served in the  [[Korean War]] as assistant division commander of the [[2nd Infantry Division (United States)|2nd Infantry Division]] in 1951<ref name="ReferenceA"/> and later commander of [[Korean War#Prisoners of War (POWs)|Allied Prisoner of War Command – Korea]].<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jDIrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VpkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6017,2693571&dq=lionel+mcgarr+allied+prisoner+of+war&hl=en Newspaper article, Screen for Activities on Packed Roads, Montreal Gazette, April 16, 1953]</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1953/05/25/archives/korea-truce-talks-resumed-in-secret-recess-for-a-week-allies-said.html Newspaper article, Korea Truce Talks Resumed In Secret, ''New York Times'', May 25, 1953]</ref><ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=R2EoAAAAIBAJ&sjid=odYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1921,3836859&dq=lionel+mcgarr+allied+prisoner+of+war&hl=en Newspaper article, Rhee Orders Their Release, ''Southeast Missourian'', June 18, 1953]</ref> From October 1953 to May 1954 he was commander of the [[7th Infantry Division (United States)|7th Infantry Division]].<ref>[http://www.carson.army.mil/UNITS/F7ID/F7ID_Historylong.htm Web site, History of the 7th Infantry Division] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090419032817/http://www.carson.army.mil/UNITS/F7ID/F7ID_Historylong.htm |date=2009-04-19 }}</ref>
==Post Korean War==
From June 1954 to June 1956 McGarr commanded the [[United States Southern Command|US Army Caribbean Command]].<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1954/10/31/archives/us-army-school-is-training-latins-canal-zone-setup-now-offers-field.html Newspaper article, U.S. Army School is Training Latins, ''New York Times'', October 31, 1954]</ref><ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pHgcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5GQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3584,6328586&dq=lionel+mcgarr+caribbean+command&hl=en Newspaper article, Guatemala President Arrives In Miami, ''Sarasota Herald-Tribune'', October 31, 1955]</ref> He was then appointed commandant of the [[Army Command and General Staff College]].<ref>[https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0B11F93858157B93C5A9178FD85F428585F9 Newspaper article, Caribbean Commander Shifted, ''New York Times'', April 7, 1956]</ref>
==Service in South Vietnam==
In September 1960 he was promoted to [[Lieutenant General (United States)|Lieutenant General]] and named commander of [[Military Assistance Advisory Group#MAAG Indochina; MAAG Vietnam|Military Assistance Advisory Group – Vietnam]].<ref>[https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0D13FC395A1A7A93C3A9178DD85F448685F9 Newspaper article, Aide in Vietnam Promoted, ''New York Times'', June 1, 1960]</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1960/11/12/archives/attack-by-rebels-in-south-vietnam-appears-crushed-loyalist-infantry.html Newspaper article, Attack by Rebels in South Vietnam Appears Crushed]</ref> He served at this post until July 1962 when, against McGarr's advice,<ref>[http://www.dailynexus.com/2003-11-04/gunn-ing-for-the-globe-giles-gunn/ Gunn-ing for the Globe: Giles Gunn], by Ruben Brosbe and Stephanie Tavares, ''Daily Nexus'', University of California – Santa Barbara, November 4, 2003</ref> U.S. military escalation began and he was succeeded by [[General (United States)|General]] [[Paul Harkins]], who commanded MAAG-V's successor unit, [[Military Assistance Command Vietnam|Military Assistance Command – Vietnam]].<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1962/04/11/archives/gen-trudeau-retiring-aide-to-succeed-him.html Newspaper article, Gen. Trudeau Retiring; Aide to Succeed Him, New York Times, April 11, 1962]</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1962/07/03/archives/general-mcgarr-is-honored.html Newspaper article, General McGarr is Honored, New York Times, July 3, 1962]</ref>
==Awards and decorations==
His awards include the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]], two [[Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army)|Distinguished Service Medals]], three [[Silver Star]]s, three [[Legion of Merit|Legions of Merit]], five [[Bronze Star]]s and seven [[Purple Heart]]s.<ref>[http://www.homeofheroes.com/valor/02_awards/index_dsc/index-DSCm.html Military Times Hall of Valor, Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.homeofheroes.com/valor/02_awards/index_dsm/00_armyDSM-index.html |title=Military Times, Hall of Valor, Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal |access-date=2010-02-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120525055629/http://homeofheroes.com/valor/02_awards/index_dsm/00_armyDSM-index.html |archive-date=2012-05-25 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[http://www.homeofheroes.com/verify/recipients_mc.html Military Times, Hall of Valor, Index of Recipients of U.S. Major Military Awards]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.history.army.mil/ |title=Center of Military History Online |access-date=2010-02-15 |archive-date=1997-06-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970607003407/http://www.history.army.mil/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
===Citation for Distinguished Service Cross===
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Lionel C. McGarr, Colonel (Infantry), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with the 30th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division, in action against enemy forces on 6 September 1944. Colonel McGarr's outstanding leadership, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, the 3d Infantry Division, and the United States Army.
'''Headquarters, Seventh U.S. Army, General Orders No. 107 (1944)'''<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.homeofheroes.com/members/02_DSC/citatons/03_wwii-dsc/army_m.html#Mc |title=Military Times, Hall of Valor, Full Text Citations For Award of The Distinguished Service Cross, U.S. Army Recipients, World War II |access-date=2010-02-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090721113134/http://www.homeofheroes.com/members/02_DSC/citatons/03_wwii-dsc/army_m.html#Mc |archive-date=2009-07-21 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Retirement and death==
After leaving Vietnam McGarr retired at the [[Presidio of San Francisco|Presidio]],<ref>Newspaper article, General McGarr is Honored</ref> afterwards living in [[Lafayette, California]] until his death in [[San Francisco]] on November 3, 1988.<ref>California Death Index, 1940–1997</ref><ref>Social Security Death Index</ref> He was buried at [[San Francisco National Cemetery]], Section B, Site 1606A.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/j2ee/servlet/NGL_v1 |title=U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Nationwide Gravesite Locator |access-date=2010-02-15 |archive-date=2020-10-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027040932/https://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/j2ee/servlet/NGL_v1 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
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[[Category:1904 births]]
[[Category:1988 deaths]]
[[Category:United States Army Infantry Branch personnel]]
[[Category:United States Army generals]]
[[Category:United States Army personnel of the Korean War]]
[[Category:United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War]]
[[Category:United States Military Academy alumni]]
[[Category:United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni]]
[[Category:National War College alumni]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Silver Star]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit]]
[[Category:People from Yuma, Arizona]]
[[Category:United States Army generals of World War II]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Arizona]]