Edward J. O’Neill
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| Edward Joseph O'Neill | |
|---|---|
| March 24, 1902 – January 1979 | |
| Place of birth | St. Albans, Vermont |
| Place of death | Arlington, Virginia |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | U.S. Army |
| Years of service | 1924-1962 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Commands held | Battalion Cmdr., 1st Infantry Division U.S. First Army |
| Battles/wars | World War II: North Africa, Salerno, Anzio |
Edward J. O'Neill was a career U.S. Army officer. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Regular Army in 1924 after his graduation from the University of Vermont. He served in a variety of infantry commands and staff positions in the years between the World Wars, with a tour in Hawaii and attendance at the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia and the Command and General Staff School.
At the onset of World War II, he was a battalion commander in the 1st Infantry Division. O'Neill later played a key role in supplies and logistical support for VI Corps in the North Africa and Italian campaigns, ending his wartime service with U.S. Fifth Army. After the war, he commanded the U.S. Army Communication Zone, Europe, the logistics and support organization for the U.S. Army in Europe. In that position on May 12, 1958, he selected from 13 casketed remains of unknown U.S. soldiers from American cemeteries, one to represent the unknowns from the European Theater of Operations. After a further selection of unknowns from the Atlantic and Pacific theaters, the Unknown Solider of World War II was interred in the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, 1958.
He served as Army Chief of Staff in Europe in 1959.
He was promoted to Lieutenant General and assumed his final command of U.S. First Army at Fort Jay, Governors Island, New York on March 1, 1960 and also served as senior U.S. Army representative to the United Nations Military Staff Committee. He retired after 31 years of active duty on March 31, 1962.
O'Neill died in January 1979 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
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[edit] External links
- American Battle Monuments Commission Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial Selection of Unknown Soldier for European Theater of Operations
- Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers from The Quartermaster Review January-February 1964 In depth article on selection of World War II & Korean War Unknown Soldiers
- Mossman, B.C. & Stark, Warner (1971), The Last Salute: Civil and Military Funerals 1921-1969, Washington, D.C.: Department of the Army, pp. 93-98, <http://www.history.army.mil/books/Last_Salute/>. Retrieved on 2008 March 19
- “First Army to Get New Commander”, New York Times, January 31, 1960, <http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F20815FD3A591A7A93C3AA178AD85F448685F>
- “New Chief for the First Army”, New York Times, March 2, 1960, <http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F60816FC35591A7A93C0A91788D85F448685F9>
