Ralph Edward Haines Jr. (August 21, 1913 – November 23, 2011) was a United States Army four-star general who served as Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1967 to 1968, Commander, United States Army, Pacific from August 1968 to October 1970, and Commanding General, United States Continental Army Command from 1970 to 1973. At his death he was the army's oldest living four-star general and its senior retired officer.[2]
Ralph E. Haines Jr. | |
|---|---|
 Haines as Commander, United States Army, Pacific | |
| Born | August 21, 1913 Fort Mott, New Jersey[1] |
| Died | November 23, 2011 (aged 98) San Antonio, Texas |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1935–1973 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | Continental Army Command United States Army, Pacific III Corps 1st Armored Division |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Awards | Army Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit (3) Bronze Star Medal |
Military career
editHaines attended Texas Military Institute and graduated in 1930 as his class valedictorian.[3] He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1935 with a commission in the Cavalry. He later attended the Armed Forces Staff College, the Army War College, the National War College and the Army Management School. Prior to World War II he served in the Philippine Scouts and, during the war, he served in Italy.
Haines served as Commanding General of the 1st Armored Division at Fort Hood, Texas, from 1962 to 1963. He served as Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Force Development in Washington from 1963 to 1965. From 1965 to 1967, he commanded the III Corps. He was successively Acting Vice Chief of Staff and then Vice Chief of Staff for the United States Army and during this period he commanded the army forces assisting the suppression of the 1968 Washington, D.C. riots.[4]: 282–5 He then served as Commanding General, Continental Army Command, at Fort Monroe, Virginia, until his retirement on January 31, 1973.
Haines' awards include the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star Medal.[5]
Post military career
editThe Ralph E. Haines Jr. Award, presented to the United States Army Reserve Drill Sergeant of the Year, is named in his honor.[6] Haines was member of the Advisory Committee of the U.S. Cavalry Association.[7] He retired to San Antonio, Texas, with his wife, the former Sally Swift, who died in 2003.[8] Haines had two sons, both West Point alumni.[3] One son, Palmer Swift Haines, died in an aircraft crash in 2004 when the Cessna 421 he was piloting suffered dual engine failure near Austin, Texas.[9]
Haines died in November 2011 at the San Antonio Military Medical Center of natural causes.[10]
References
edit- ^ Department of Defense appropriations
- ^ Ramon, Robert R. (February 17, 2010), "Army's oldest living four-star general visits Army South Headquarters", U.S. Army South Public Affairs
- ^ a b Texas Military Institute bio Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Scheips, Paul (2005). The Role of Federal Military Forces in Domestic Disorders, 1945–1992 (PDF). US Army Center of Military History. ISBN 9781517253783.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Huddleston, Scott, "San Antonian Celebrating Long Gray Line", San Antonio Express-News, May 16, 2010.
- ^ Ralph E. Haines Jr. Award
- ^ U.S. Cavalry Association Officers Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Obituary of Ralph Haines' son, Palmer Swift Haines[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Catkiller Newsletter August 2004". Archived from the original on February 19, 2005. Retrieved 2007-08-29.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Oldest living 4-star Army general Ralph Haines dies - Yahoo! News". Archived from the original on 2011-12-24. Retrieved 2017-01-15.
This article incorporates public domain material from United States Army, Pacific – History of General Ralph E. Haines Jr. United States Army.