Colonel Lansing McVickar | |
---|---|
Born | New London, Connecticut, US | September 20, 1895
Died | February 24, 1945 Luxembourg | (aged 49)
Buried | |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Service/ | United States Army |
Years of service | 1918 - 1945 |
Rank | Colonel |
Service number | O-061537 |
Unit | 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery, 1st Division 44th Infantry Division Headquarters 80th Infantry Division |
Commands held | 156th Field Artillery Regiment 318th Infantry Regiment |
Battles/wars |
Mexican Border War
|
Awards |
|
Alma mater |
St. Mark's School Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Other work | stockbroker with Henry L. McVikar |
Lansing McVickar (September 20, 1895 – January 14, 1945) was a career officer with the United States Army. [1] He was highly decorated for his service in World War II, World War I, and the Mexican Border War, including receiving a Bronze Star Medal and the Distinguished Service Cross. [2] [3]
McVickar was born in New London, Connecticut, the son of Janet Lansing and Henry Goelet McVickar. [3] [4] The family also lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Suffolk County, New York. [1] His maternal grandfather was Captain A. Breeze Lansing. [4] His paternal grandfather was William Henry McVickar, a former commodore of the New York Yacht Club. [5] His father died in 1919, followed by his mother in 1929. [4]
He attended St. Mark's School, graduating in 1914. [6] Next he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, graduating in 1918. [3] There, he was a member of the Fraternity of Delta Psi ( St. Anthony Hall). [3]
McVickar joined Battery A of the Massachusetts National Guard and participated in the Mexican Border War. [3] He then began Army training at Plattsburgh Military Base. [3] He served as a second lieutenant in the 7th Field Artillery, 1st Division; he was later promoted to first lieutenant in the Headquarters, 1st Battalion, 1st Division, American Expeditionary Forces. [3] [7] [8] During World War I, he was severely wounded in August 1918. [9] On October 14, 1918, near Véry, France, he volunteered to take a gun to aid the infantry under "hazardous circumstances." [7] [10] He persisted despite the loss of two horses and several wounded men. [7] [10] When the group was under a barrage from the enemy, he came out from protective cover five times to move wounded comrades to safety. [10] [7] As a result, he received the Distinguished Service Cross "for extraordinary heroism." [7] During World War I, he also received the Purple Heart and the Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Croix de Guerre. [3] [5]
Through the National Guard, he reached the rank of colonel. [3] In September 1940, he was named commander of the 156th Field Artillery of the New York National Guard. [11] The 156th was inducted into federal service at that time, with an assignment for Fort Dix in New Jersey. [11] In October 1941, McVickar was assigned to the 44th Division Headquarters. [12]
In 1944, he was in command of the 318th Regiment which spearheaded General George S. Patton's battles in France. [13] In the Battle of Falaise Gap, the 318th played a prominent role. On November 11, 1944, under his leadership, the 318th was one of two regiments that captured Delme Ridge in the Nancy-Metz area. [3] [13] As a result, the 318th received a unit citation and he received the Bronze Star in December 1944. [3] [13] They received another citation for breaking through the Maginot Line in Saarbrücken, Germany in December 1944. [13] In late December 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge, Patton's 80th division relieved Bastogne, Belgium, spearheaded by the 318th under McVickar. [14] This relieved the 101st Airborne Division which was encircled by the Germans. [13]
In December 1944, the Americans were in continuous action west and southwest of Ettelbruck, Luxembourg. [1] Under the leadership of McVickar, they freed Ettlebruck from Nazi occupation on Christmas Day 1944. [1] A few weeks later, McVickar was shot and killed while on a scouting mission. [1]
After World War I, McVickar became a stockbroker in New York City with his brother's firm Henry L. McVikar of 11 Wall Street. [2] [16] [17] He was a member of the Racquet and Tennis Club of New York. [3]
In Paris on October 17, 1925, McVickar married Frederika Peterson Jessup of New York. [16] [5] She was the daughter of Dr. Frederick Peterson, president of the Neurological Association of America, and had divorced Theodore Jessup in Paris in July 1925. [17] [5] She had one son and one daughter (Peter Jessup and Cecily Jessup) from her prior marriage. [5] No announcement was made before the wedding and only a few close friends attended. [5] However, a secret service man was on duty during the wedding to guard the jewels and gifts that were on display. [16] The couple took a driving tour of the Italian lake district for their honeymoon and returned to New York City on November 3 aboard the SS Leviathan. [16] They had two children: John Anthony McVickar and Louise Madeleine McVickar. [18] They lived in Southampton, Long Island and Palm Beach, Florida. [18]
In 1926, he was a groomsman for Louis Gordon Hamersley, the richest bachelor in New York, when he married Hilles Morris. [19] However, his marriage failed by 1932 when he was living in Southampton, Long Island and Palm Beach, Florida without Frederika. [18]
In December 1930, McVickar was sued for $25,000 by dancer Elizabeth Furst who claimed she had been injured when he moved his car while she was leaning on it on August 15, 1928. [17] She said that McVickar and banker Harding Woodall kept her at the latter's hotel apartment overnight instead of taking her to the hospital. [17] Furst sustained cuts, bruises, and a broken wrist which she said ruined her dancing career. [17] She waited to sue because she thought McVickar would eventually pay for her ruined dress and hospital bill. [17] McVickar denied the charges, indicating that Furst caused her own injuries. [17] At the same time, she sued Frederick D. Underwood, former president of the Erie Railroad and father of her former fiancé, for $100,000 for slander. [17]
McVickar later married Erna-Marie Ahrens. [3] They lived in Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island. [14] After his death in combat in 1945, McVickar was buried at the Luxembourg American Cemetery in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. [1]
Colonel Lansing McVickar | |
---|---|
Born | New London, Connecticut, US | September 20, 1895
Died | February 24, 1945 Luxembourg | (aged 49)
Buried | |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Service/ | United States Army |
Years of service | 1918 - 1945 |
Rank | Colonel |
Service number | O-061537 |
Unit | 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery, 1st Division 44th Infantry Division Headquarters 80th Infantry Division |
Commands held | 156th Field Artillery Regiment 318th Infantry Regiment |
Battles/wars |
Mexican Border War
|
Awards |
|
Alma mater |
St. Mark's School Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Other work | stockbroker with Henry L. McVikar |
Lansing McVickar (September 20, 1895 – January 14, 1945) was a career officer with the United States Army. [1] He was highly decorated for his service in World War II, World War I, and the Mexican Border War, including receiving a Bronze Star Medal and the Distinguished Service Cross. [2] [3]
McVickar was born in New London, Connecticut, the son of Janet Lansing and Henry Goelet McVickar. [3] [4] The family also lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Suffolk County, New York. [1] His maternal grandfather was Captain A. Breeze Lansing. [4] His paternal grandfather was William Henry McVickar, a former commodore of the New York Yacht Club. [5] His father died in 1919, followed by his mother in 1929. [4]
He attended St. Mark's School, graduating in 1914. [6] Next he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, graduating in 1918. [3] There, he was a member of the Fraternity of Delta Psi ( St. Anthony Hall). [3]
McVickar joined Battery A of the Massachusetts National Guard and participated in the Mexican Border War. [3] He then began Army training at Plattsburgh Military Base. [3] He served as a second lieutenant in the 7th Field Artillery, 1st Division; he was later promoted to first lieutenant in the Headquarters, 1st Battalion, 1st Division, American Expeditionary Forces. [3] [7] [8] During World War I, he was severely wounded in August 1918. [9] On October 14, 1918, near Véry, France, he volunteered to take a gun to aid the infantry under "hazardous circumstances." [7] [10] He persisted despite the loss of two horses and several wounded men. [7] [10] When the group was under a barrage from the enemy, he came out from protective cover five times to move wounded comrades to safety. [10] [7] As a result, he received the Distinguished Service Cross "for extraordinary heroism." [7] During World War I, he also received the Purple Heart and the Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Croix de Guerre. [3] [5]
Through the National Guard, he reached the rank of colonel. [3] In September 1940, he was named commander of the 156th Field Artillery of the New York National Guard. [11] The 156th was inducted into federal service at that time, with an assignment for Fort Dix in New Jersey. [11] In October 1941, McVickar was assigned to the 44th Division Headquarters. [12]
In 1944, he was in command of the 318th Regiment which spearheaded General George S. Patton's battles in France. [13] In the Battle of Falaise Gap, the 318th played a prominent role. On November 11, 1944, under his leadership, the 318th was one of two regiments that captured Delme Ridge in the Nancy-Metz area. [3] [13] As a result, the 318th received a unit citation and he received the Bronze Star in December 1944. [3] [13] They received another citation for breaking through the Maginot Line in Saarbrücken, Germany in December 1944. [13] In late December 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge, Patton's 80th division relieved Bastogne, Belgium, spearheaded by the 318th under McVickar. [14] This relieved the 101st Airborne Division which was encircled by the Germans. [13]
In December 1944, the Americans were in continuous action west and southwest of Ettelbruck, Luxembourg. [1] Under the leadership of McVickar, they freed Ettlebruck from Nazi occupation on Christmas Day 1944. [1] A few weeks later, McVickar was shot and killed while on a scouting mission. [1]
After World War I, McVickar became a stockbroker in New York City with his brother's firm Henry L. McVikar of 11 Wall Street. [2] [16] [17] He was a member of the Racquet and Tennis Club of New York. [3]
In Paris on October 17, 1925, McVickar married Frederika Peterson Jessup of New York. [16] [5] She was the daughter of Dr. Frederick Peterson, president of the Neurological Association of America, and had divorced Theodore Jessup in Paris in July 1925. [17] [5] She had one son and one daughter (Peter Jessup and Cecily Jessup) from her prior marriage. [5] No announcement was made before the wedding and only a few close friends attended. [5] However, a secret service man was on duty during the wedding to guard the jewels and gifts that were on display. [16] The couple took a driving tour of the Italian lake district for their honeymoon and returned to New York City on November 3 aboard the SS Leviathan. [16] They had two children: John Anthony McVickar and Louise Madeleine McVickar. [18] They lived in Southampton, Long Island and Palm Beach, Florida. [18]
In 1926, he was a groomsman for Louis Gordon Hamersley, the richest bachelor in New York, when he married Hilles Morris. [19] However, his marriage failed by 1932 when he was living in Southampton, Long Island and Palm Beach, Florida without Frederika. [18]
In December 1930, McVickar was sued for $25,000 by dancer Elizabeth Furst who claimed she had been injured when he moved his car while she was leaning on it on August 15, 1928. [17] She said that McVickar and banker Harding Woodall kept her at the latter's hotel apartment overnight instead of taking her to the hospital. [17] Furst sustained cuts, bruises, and a broken wrist which she said ruined her dancing career. [17] She waited to sue because she thought McVickar would eventually pay for her ruined dress and hospital bill. [17] McVickar denied the charges, indicating that Furst caused her own injuries. [17] At the same time, she sued Frederick D. Underwood, former president of the Erie Railroad and father of her former fiancé, for $100,000 for slander. [17]
McVickar later married Erna-Marie Ahrens. [3] They lived in Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island. [14] After his death in combat in 1945, McVickar was buried at the Luxembourg American Cemetery in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. [1]