Harry J. Malony
Harry James Malony | |
---|---|
Born | Lakemont, New York, United States | August 24, 1889
Died | March 23, 1971 Washington, D.C., United States | (aged 81)
Buried | Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, United States |
Allegiance | United States |
Service/ | United States Army |
Years of service | 1912−1949 |
Rank | Major General |
Service number | 0-3385 |
Unit | Infantry Branch |
Commands held | 94th Infantry Division |
Battles/wars | Pancho Villa Expedition World War I World War II |
Awards | Army Distinguished Service Medal (2) Silver Star Bronze Star |
Major General Harry James Malony (August 24, 1889 – March 23, 1971) was a decorated United States Army officer who, after seeing distinguished service overseas on the Western Front during World War I, commanded the 94th Infantry Division throughout most of World War II.[1]
Early years
Harry James Malony was born on August 24, 1889, in Lakemont, New York. Malony attended the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York, and graduated on June 12, 1912. He was also commissioned a second lieutenant in the infantry on that date. Some of his West Point classmates later became general officers either during or after World War II as he did, such as Wade H. Haislip, John Shirley Wood, Walton Walker, Raymond O. Barton, Walter M. Robertson, William H. Wilbur, Franklin C. Sibert, Robert McGowan Littlejohn, Stephen J. Chamberlin, Archibald Vincent Arnold, Albert E. Brown, Gilbert R. Cook and Millard Harmon.[2]
He was then assigned to the
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Lieutenant Colonel (Ordnance Corps) Harry James Malony, United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility during World War I. Lieutenant Colonel Malony successfully organized and administered the many complex and difficult operations connected with the arming and equipping of airplanes for service at the front, displaying sound judgment and acting with energy and initiative in times of emergency. He worked self-sacrificing and devotedly that there might be no delays, overcoming serious obstacles by the exercise of good judgment and through understanding of conditions in the American Expeditionary Forces.[3]
Between the wars
In the
Malony also attended the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas from August 1925 to June 1926.[4] In June 1931, Malony was appointed the professor of Military Science & Tactics at University of Oklahoma. In 1935, he attended the Army War College and subsequently became a Member of the Field Artillery Board.[1]
In 1937, Malony was transferred back to the Army War College, where he was appointed an instructor. He subsequently served a brief period attached to the War Plans Division at War Department General Staff.
In September 1940, Malony was assigned to the Greenslade-Denver's board, which solved the Selection of Naval Bases in British Trans-Atlantic possessions. He subsequently became a member of the President's Base Lease Commission, which negotiated acquisition of Atlantic Bases.[1] He was also promoted to the rank of brigadier general on January 29, 1941.
World War II
He completed the tour in the United Kingdom during the negotiation of Atlantic Bases and was attached to the War Department in Washington, D.C., where he was appointed Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations (G-3). He headed the operations sections until the beginning of March 1942, when he was attached to the Munitions Assignment Board for a brief period. Malony was promoted to the rank of major general in July 1942 and appointed commanding general of the newly activated 94th Infantry Division at Fort Custer, Michigan. He directed division's training until the beginning of August 1944, when he sailed for Europe. Throughout this period his assistant division commander (ADC) was Brigadier General Henry B. Cheadle
Following a brief stay in England, the 94th landed on Utah Beach, France on D-Day + 94, September 8, 1944, and moved into Brittany to relieve the 6th Armored Division and assume responsibility for containing some 60,000 German troops besieged in their garrisons at the Channel ports of Lorient and Saint-Nazaire. The 94th inflicted over 2,700 casualties on the enemy and took 566 prisoners before being relieved by the 66th Infantry Division on New Year's Day 1945.
Malony subsequently led the 94th Division during the combats in the
By April 3, Malony commanded his division during the assuming responsibility for containing the western side of the
For his service with 94th Infantry Division during the European campaign, Malony was decorated with his second
Postwar life
In November 1945, Malony was assigned as a Representative on International Group to observe Greek elections and stayed in this capacity until May of the next year. He was subsequently appointed a Director of the Historical Division within Department of the Army and served in this capacity until March 31, 1949, when he finally retired from the Army. He was succeeded by Major General Orlando Ward.[1]
Major General Harry James Malony died on March 23, 1971, in Washington, D.C., at the age of 81 and is buried together with his wife Dorothy Fitch Thurman Malony (1893–1984) in Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia.[5]
Decorations
Here is the ribbon bar of Major General Harry J. Malony:[3]
1st Row | Oak Leaf Cluster
|
Silver Star | Bronze Star Medal | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2nd Row | Army Commendation Medal | Mexican Border Service Medal | World War I Victory Medal with three battle clasps | American Defense Service Medal | ||||||||||||||||
3rd Row | American Campaign Medal | European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four service stars
|
World War II Victory Medal
|
Army of Occupation Medal | ||||||||||||||||
4th Row | Officer of the Legion of Honor (France) | Officer of the Order of the Black Star | French Croix de guerre 1939-1945 with Palm
|
Belgian Croix de guerre 1940-1945 with Palm | ||||||||||||||||
Presidential Unit Citation |
References
- ^ a b c d "Biography of Major-General Harry James Malony (1889 - 1971), USA". generals.dk. July 4, 2010. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
- ^ "United States Military Academy, Class of 1912" (PDF). digital-library.usma.edu. July 4, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 17, 2013. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
- ^ a b "Valor awards for Harry J. Malony". militarytimes.com. July 4, 2010. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
- ^ https://digital-library.usma.edu/digital/collection/p16919coll3/id/23275/rec/6
- TracesOfWar.com. July 4, 2010. Retrieved September 23, 2013.