Wade H. Haislip

General Wade Hampton Haislip (July 9, 1889 – December 23, 1971) was a senior United States Army officer who served in both World War I and World War II, where he led XV Corps on the Western Front from 1944 to 1945. He later became a four-star general, serving as Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army (VCSA) from 1949 to 1951.

Wade H. Haislip
Nickname(s)	"Ham"
Born	(1889-07-09)July 9, 1889 Woodstock, Virginia, United States
Died	December 23, 1971(1971-12-23) (aged 82) Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., United States
Buried	Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, United States
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	United States Army
Years of service	1912–1951
Rank	General
Service number	O-3374
Unit	Infantry Branch
Commands	85th Infantry Division XV Corps Seventh Army Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army
Battles / wars	Pancho Villa Expedition World War I World War II
Awards	Army Distinguished Service Medal (4) Legion of Merit Bronze Star (2)
Other work	Governor, Soldiers Home

Military career

At West Point in 1912

Haislip was born in Woodstock, Virginia, on July 9, 1889, and moved at age two to Staunton, Virginia. He was commissioned a second lieutenant of infantry upon graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1912. Among his fellow graduates included several future general officers like Walton Walker, John Shirley Wood, Gilbert R. Cook, Harry J. Malony, William H. Wilbur, Walter M. Robertson, Franklin C. Sibert and Raymond O. Barton.

Haislip served in Vera Cruz, Mexico, in 1914 after the Tampico Affair. From 1917 to 1921, he served with the American Expeditionary Forces, first in World War I, then in the occupation of Germany. During his time overseas his assignments included being on the General Staff of V Corps; Division Machine Gun Officer for the 3rd Division, and General Staff, U.S. Forces in Germany. During World War I he participated in the Battle of Saint-Mihiel and the Meuse–Argonne Offensive.

Lieutenant General George S. Patton delivering an address, quite possibly his famous speech, to men of the 2nd Infantry Division, at Armagh, Northern Ireland, April 1, 1944. In the front are Patton, Major General Walter M. Robertson, and Major General Wade H. Haislip. In the back far left is Brigadier General Hobart R. Gay.

He returned to West Point as an instructor from 1921 to 1923. He next attended a series of schools, beginning with the U.S. Army Infantry School from 1923 to 1924, then the Command and General Staff School from 1924 to 1925, and finally going back overseas to attend the French École supérieure de guerre from 1925 to 1927. He returned to the United States as assistant executive in the office of Assistant Secretary of War from 1928 to 1931, followed by the Army War College from 1931 to 1932, and an assignment as an instructor at the Command and General Staff School from 1932 to 1936.

Prior to World War II he held a series of staff assignments, including time in the Budget and Legislative Planning Branch of the War Department General Staff from 1938 to 1941, and Assistant Chief-of-Staff for personnel.

In World War II he served very briefly as assistant division commander (ADC) of the 4th Infantry Division. He organized the 85th Infantry Division and served as commander from April 1942 to February 1943 until he was succeeded by Brigadier General John B. Coulter, his ADC. He next took command of XV Corps and served with it through Normandy, France, Rhineland, and Central Europe campaigns. He became commander of Seventh United States Army, and was in that billet when World War II ended in August 1945.

Lieutenant General Wade H. Haislip congratulates Technical Sergeant Charles H. Coolidge after presenting him with the Medal of Honor, Germany, June 18, 1945.

Following the war he was on the Secretary of War's Personnel Board from September 1945 to April 1946, and a senior member of the Chief-of-Staff's Advisory Group from 1946 to 1948. Prior to his selection in 1949 as Vice Chief of Staff he was Deputy Chief-of-Staff for administration, 1948–49. He retired in 1951.

Haislip is responsible for introducing Dwight D. Eisenhower to Mamie Doud. Eisenhower was a second lieutenant and Haislip a first lieutenant at Fort Sam Houston at the time. At Eisenhower's funeral, he served as a pall-bearer.

Major assignments

• Assistant Chief-of-Staff for personnel – February 9, 1941 to January 19, 1942
• Assistant Division Commander, 4th Motorized Division – January 20, 1942 to March 9, 1942
• Commander, 85th Infantry Division – March 9, 1942 to February 22, 1943
• Commander, XV Corps – February 23, 1943 to June 1, 1945
• Commander, Seventh United States Army – June 2, 1945 to September 7, 1945
• President, Secretary of War's Personnel Board – September 1945 to April 30, 1946
• Senior member of the Chief-of-Staff's Advisory Group – May 15, 1946 to June 1, 1948
• Special Assistant to the Chief-of-Staff, U.S. Army – June 1, 1948 to November 15, 1948
• Deputy Chief-of-Staff for Administration – November 15, 1948 to August 23, 1949.
• Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army – August 23, 1949 to July 31, 1951

Post military career

After retiring from active duty in 1951, Haislip went on to become Governor of the Soldier's Home in Washington, D.C., a position he filled from 1951 to 1966.

Haislip died on December 23, 1971, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center after suffering a stroke, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. His wife, the former Alice Jennings Shepherd (1897–1987), whom he had married on July 14, 1932, was later buried beside him.

Dates of rank

Insignia	Rank	Component	Date
No insignia	Cadet	United States Military Academy	March 2, 1908
No insignia in 1912	Second lieutenant	Regular Army	June 12, 1912
	First lieutenant	Regular Army	July 1, 1916
	Captain	Regular Army	May 15, 1917
	Major	National Army	June 7, 1918
	Lieutenant colonel	National Army	May 6, 1919
	Captain	Regular Army	March 10, 1920
	Major	Regular Army	July 1, 1920
	Lieutenant colonel	Regular Army	August 1, 1935
	Colonel	Army of the United States	November 16, 1940
	Brigadier general	Army of the United States	January 29, 1941
	Colonel	Regular Army	February 1, 1942
	Major general	Army of the United States	March 9, 1942
	Brigadier general	Regular Army	June 3, 1944
	Lieutenant general	Army of the United States	April 15, 1945
	Major general	Regular Army	July 1, 1947
	General	Army of the United States	October 1, 1949
	General	Retired List	July 31, 1951

Source:

Bibliography

• Taaffe, Stephen R. (2013). Marshall and His Generals: U.S. Army Commanders in World War II. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. ISBN 978-0-7006-1942-9. OCLC 840162019.

External links

• Generals of World War II
• United States Army Officers 1939–1945