View source for Thomas T. Handy

{{Short description|United States Army general}}
{{Refimprove|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox military person
| name          = Thomas T. Handy
| image         = GEN Thomas T. Handy, USA.jpg
| image_size    =
| alt           =
| caption       =
| nickname      =
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1892|3|11}}
| birth_place   = [[Spring City, Tennessee]]
| death_date    = {{death date and age|1982|4|12|1892|3|11}}
| death_place   =
| placeofburial = [[Arlington National Cemetery]]
| allegiance    = United States
| branch        = [[United States Army]]
| serviceyears  = 1916–1954
| rank          = [[General (United States)|General]]
| servicenumber = 0-4665
| unit          =
| commands      = [[United States Army Europe]]<br/>[[Deputy Chief of Staff of the United States Army]]<br/>[[United States European Command]]<br/>[[Fourth United States Army]]<br/>78th Field Artillery Battalion
| battles       = [[World War I]]<br/>[[World War II]]
| awards        = [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]]<br/>{{nowrap|[[Army Distinguished Service Medal]] (3)}}<br/>[[Legion of Merit]]
| signature     = [[File:Thomas. T. Handy signature.svg|150px]]
| relations     =
| laterwork     =
}}
'''Thomas Troy Handy''' (March 11, 1892 – April 12, 1982) was a [[United States Army]] four-star [[General (United States)|general]] who served as [[Deputy Chief of Staff of the United States Army|Deputy Chief of Staff, United States Army]] from 1944 to 1947; Commanding General, [[Fourth United States Army]] from 1947 to 1949; Commander in Chief, [[United States European Command]] from 1949 to 1952; Commander in Chief, [[United States Army Europe]]/Commander, Central Army Group in 1952; and Deputy Commander in Chief, United States European Command from 1952 to 1954.
==Biography==
Handy was born on March 11, 1892, in [[Spring City, Tennessee]], and attended the [[Virginia Military Institute]], graduating in 1914. He did not receive an army commission until two years later, in the Field Artillery. Handy deployed with the 5th Field Artillery Regiment to France in August 1917, four months after the [[American entry into World War I]], moving to the [[42nd Infantry Division (United States)|42nd Division]] in 1918. On February 26, 1918, he accompanied Colonel [[Douglas MacArthur]], the 42nd Division's [[chief of staff]], on a trench raid. Later that year was assigned to the 151st Field Artillery Regiment. Following World War I and [[Occupation of the Rhineland|occupation duty in Germany]] he went to [[Fort Sill]], [[Oklahoma]]. During the war, he was awarded the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)]].
CITATION:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Major (Field Artillery) Thomas Troy Handy, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 7th Field Artillery, 1st Division, A.E.F., in the Salient-du-Feys, France, 9 March 1918. When Company D, 168th Infantry was under severe attack in the salient du Feys, France, Major Handy voluntarily joined it upon finding that he could do so without interfering with his normal duties, and by his coolness and conspicuous courage aided materially in its success.(https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/100173)
Handy returned to his alma mater in 1921, serving as an instructor until 1925. After graduating from the [[Command and General Staff School]] at [[Fort Leavenworth]], Kansas, he assumed duties as Executive Officer of the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade in 1928. He served in various staff assignments from 1929 to 1931 in Panama, then returned to Fort Sill as an instructor at the [[United States Army Field Artillery School]] until 1934. His time there was followed as a student at the [[United States Army War College]], and after graduating in 1935 he went to the [[Naval War College]]. His schooling was followed by assignment to the General Staff until 1940, interrupted for a year by taking command of the 78th Field Artillery Battalion at [[Fort Benning]].
[[File:Handy to spaatz 1945.gif|thumb|left|Letter from Handy to General [[Carl Spaatz]] authorizing the dropping of the first atomic bomb, July 25, 1945]]
In December 1941 Handy was promoted to temporary brigadier general, and temporary major general in June 1942 when he became Assistant Chief-of-Staff in charge of Operations Division, succeeding [[Dwight D. Eisenhower|Dwight Eisenhower]]. In September 1944 he was promoted to temporary lieutenant general. In October 1944 he became Deputy Chief-of-Staff of the Army, receiving his fourth star in March 1945. In August 1945 he was acting Chief-of-Staff, due to [[George C. Marshall]]'s absence, and transmitted the order for use of the atomic bomb.
Following the war, Handy remained Deputy Chief of Staff, and in September 1947 he assumed command of [[Fourth United States Army]] at [[Fort Sam Houston]], Texas. Two years later, in September 1949, he was [[Lucius D. Clay]]'s successor as Commander-in-Chief of [[United States Army Europe and Africa|European Command]] (EUCOM). He moved to Deputy Supreme Allied Commander in 1952 when [[Matthew Ridgway]] was named [[Supreme Allied Commander Europe]]. Handy retired from the army in 1954 to Washington, D.C., later residing in San Antonio, Texas.
Handy died on April 12, 1982, and was buried in [[Arlington National Cemetery]] next to his wife, Alma Hudson Handy (1890–1970).<ref>[https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/#/arlington-national/search/results/1/CgVoYW5keRIGdGhvbWFzGgF0/ Burial Detail: Handy, Thomas T] – ANC Explorer</ref>
==Awards and decorations==
Handy's awards and decorations included the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]], [[Army Distinguished Service Medal]] with two oak leaf clusters, [[Legion of Merit]], [[National Defense Service Medal]], [[Croix de Guerre]] (France), the [[Commander of the Legion of Honor]] (France), the [[Croix de guerre (Belgium)|Croix de Guerre with Palm]] (Belgium), Honorary [[Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (United Kingdom), [[Order of Leopold (Belgium)|Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold]] (Belgium), [[Order of the Cloud and Banner|Grand Cordon of the Order of Cloud and Banner (Yun Hui)]] (China), the [[Order of Abdon Calderon]] 1st Class (Ecuador), and the [[Distinguished Civilian Service Medal]].
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|colspan="4"|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Distinguished Service Cross ribbon.svg|width=106}} {{Ribbon devices|number=2|type=oak|ribbon=Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Legion of Merit ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|[[File:USA - DoD Distinguished Civilian Service Award.svg|106px]]
|{{Ribbon devices|number=4|type=service-star|ribbon=World War I Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Army of Occupation of Germany ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=American Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=4|type=service-star|ribbon=European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Army of Occupation ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Order of the British Empire (Military) Ribbon.png|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=award-star|ribbon=Croix de Guerre 1914-1918 ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Legion Honneur Commandeur ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Grand Officer Ordre de Leopold.png|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Croix de Guerre 1940-1945 with palm (Belgium) - ribbon bar.png|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Order of Abdon Calderon First Class.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Order of the Cloud and Banner 2nd.gif|width=106}}
|}
==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
==External links==
*[https://generals.dk/general/Handy/Thomas_Troy/USA.html Generals of World War II]
*[https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/100173]
{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{succession box
| title=[[United States Army Europe|Commanding General United States Army Europe]]
| before= [[Clarence R. Huebner]]
| years= 1949–1952
| after= [[Manton S. Eddy]]
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Handy, Thomas T.}}
[[Category:1892 births]]
[[Category:1982 deaths]]
[[Category:United States Army Field Artillery Branch personnel]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Tennessee]]
[[Category:People from Spring City, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit]]
[[Category:American recipients of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Croix de Guerre (France)]]
[[Category:United States Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery]]
[[Category:Virginia Military Institute alumni]]
[[Category:United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni]]
[[Category:United States Army War College alumni]]
[[Category:United States Army generals of World War II]]
[[Category:United States Army generals]]
[[Category:Naval War College alumni]]