Donald Prentice Booth Explained
Donald Prentice Booth (December 21, 1902 – October 30, 1993) was a lieutenant general in the United States Army. During World War II he was the US Army's youngest theater commander. After World War II he was known for his commands of the 28th Infantry Division, the 9th Infantry Division and the Fourth United States Army. In addition, he served as High Commissioner of the Ryukyu Islands from 1958 to 1961.
Early life
Donald Prentice Booth was the son of Colonel Alfred James Booth (1875–1937), a career Army officer and veteran of the Spanish–American War and World War I. Donald Booth attended Hawaii's Punahou School, and high schools in San Antonio, Texas, Albany, New York, and Patchogue, New York before graduating from Leavenworth High School in Leavenworth, Kansas in 1921.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1926 and was commissioned a second lieutenant of Engineers.[7] [8]
Early military career
After receiving his commission Booth pursued graduate studies in engineering at Cornell University.[9]
Booth graduated from the Army Engineer Officer Course in 1930.[10]
From 1935 to 1939 he was an instructor at the US Military Academy.[11]
Booth graduated from the Command and General Staff School in 1940. Later that year, he served with the 2nd Engineers at Fort Sam Houston, Texas and was then transferred to be Assistant to the District Engineer in Seattle from 1940–1942.[12]
World War II
From 1942 to 1944, Booth served as Director of Ports for the Persian Gulf Command, receiving promotion to brigadier general in May 1944. The Persian Gulf Command was responsible for transporting supplies to the U.S.S.R. after it joined the Allied war effort.[13] Booth served as Chief of Staff from 1944 to 1945, and commanded the organization from early 1945 until the end of the war.[14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19]
Post World War II
Following World War II Booth served in positions of increasing visibility and responsibility, including a posting as Executive Assistant to the Undersecretary of War[20]
From 1953 to 1954 General Booth was commander of the 28th Infantry Division in Germany when this National Guard organization was activated to replace active duty units sent to Asia during the Korean War.[21]
Booth commanded the 9th Infantry Division, also in Germany, from May to November, 1954.[22] [23]
From 1955 to 1957 Booth was the Army's Assistant Chief of Staff for Personnel, G-1.[24] [25] [26]
Promoted to lieutenant general in 1957, he served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel until 1958.[27]
Booth served as US High Commissioner of the Ryukyu Islands from 1958 to 1961.[28] [29]
From 1961 to 1962 Booth was commander of the Fourth United States Army.[30] [31] [32]
Awards and decorations
Booth's awards included multiple presentations of the Distinguished Service Medal. In 1961 he received the Order of the Rising Sun, Second Class to recognize his efforts as High Commissioner for the Ryukyu Islands.[33] [34]
Retirement and death
In retirement, Booth lived in Santa Barbara, California, where he died on October 30, 1993.[35] [36] [37] He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Section 3-HH, Row 2, Site 3.[38]
External links
Notes and References
- https://books.google.com/books?id=8XItAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22Booth,+Alfred+J%22+spanish+american+war&pg=PA356 New York in the Spanish–American War 1898
- https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1901/04/25/117962267.pdf "Lieutenants in the Army"
- http://militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=17284 Distinguished Service Medal citation, Alfred James Booth
- https://books.google.com/books?id=Z-nUAAAAMAAJ&dq=%22booth,+donald+prentice%22+punahou+school&pg=PA66 1914–1915 Catalogue
- http://freepages.family.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~glory/1921.htm The 1921 June Bug
- https://books.google.com/books?id=QpsFAAAAMAAJ&q=%22booth,+donald+prentice%22 American Men in Government: A Biographical Dictionary and Directory of Federal Officials
- https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1922/06/06/99027429.pdf "Military Cadets Named
- Who's Who in Engineering, by John William Leonard, Winfield Scott Downs, and M.M. Lewis, Volume 6, 1948
- http://cdsun.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/newscornell?a=d&d=CDS19271028.2.5.4&cl=&srpos=0&st=1&e=--------20--1-----all Calendar, Cornell Daily Sun
- https://archive.org/stream/officialarmyregi1949unit/officialarmyregi1949unit_djvu.txt Official US Army Register
- Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the U.S. Military Academy, by George Washington Cullum, updated by Charles Braden and Edward Singleton Holden, 1891, Volume 8, Part 2, page 672
- Who's Who in the South and Southwest, Marquis Who's Who LLC, 1954, page 80
- https://www.nytimes.com/1944/06/09/archives/youths-win-place-among-generals-one-28-another-29-among-63.html "Youths Win Place Among Generals One 28 Another 29 Among 63 Brigadiers -- 2 Stars for 21 Others"
- https://www.nytimes.com/1945/01/08/archives/gen-connolly-replaced-gen-booth-takes-charge-of-persian-gulf.html "Gen. Connolly Replaced; Gen. Booth Takes Charge of Persian Gulf Command"
- News: Russian Medals for Americans . . 11 . March 13, 1947 . 2022-12-31 . Newspapers.com.
- The Papers of George Catlett Marshall: "The finest soldier," January 1, 1945 – January 7, 1947, by George Catlett Marshall, edited by Larry I. Bland and Sharon Ritenour Stevens, 2003, page 780
- News: Persian Gulf Command Ends Red Supply Job . . Tehran . Reuters . 8 . June 2, 1945 . 2022-12-31 . Newspapers.com.
- https://www.nytimes.com/1945/06/02/archives/us-persian-gulf-unit-quits.html "U.S. Persian Gulf Unit Quits"
- https://www.nytimes.com/1948/07/24/archives/britain-decorates-more-us-officers-gen-wheeler-receives-high-award.html "Britain Decorates More U.S. Officers; Gen. Wheeler Receives High Award -- Underground Work Wins Medals for Three"
- News: Leave Denied 3 West Point Grid Players . Gerald . Griffin . . Washington . 1, 2 . February 1, 1947 . 2022-12-31 . Newspapers.com.
- https://www.nytimes.com/1953/11/07/archives/12-generals-promoted-president-advances-brigadiers-to-temporary.html "12 Generals Promoted; President Advances Brigadiers to Temporary 2-Star Rank"
- http://www.9thinfdivsociety.org/9thcomm.html List of commanders
- https://books.google.com/books?id=rKNN3PV2kX8C&dq=%22donald+p.+booth%22+9th+infantry+division&pg=PA23 9th Infantry Division: Old Reliables
- News: End of Draft Again is Urged by Stevenson . Chesly . Manly . . Youngstown, Ohio . 9 . October 19, 1956 . 2022-12-31 . Newspapers.com.
- News: Ex-Nazi Rocket Expert Honored by U.S. Army . . Washington . 6 . October 31, 1957 . 2022-12-31 . Newspapers.com.
- Book: United States Government Organization Manual 1955-56 . June 1, 1955 . 136 . Federal Register Division, National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration . Washington, D.C. . 2021-10-03.
- Book: United States Government Organization Manual 1957-58 . June 1, 1957 . 140 . Federal Register Division, National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration . Washington, D.C. . 2021-10-03.
- https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0710F8355E127A93C5AB1789D85F4C8585F9 "Gen. Booth Gets Posts; Named High Commissioner of Ryukyus, Okinawa Leader"
- News: US Army's Wise Policies Win Friends In Okinawa . William J. . Clew . . 35 . June 19, 1960 . 2022-12-31 . Newspapers.com.
- https://www.nytimes.com/1962/01/17/archives/head-of-fourth-army-named.html "Head of Fourth Army Named"
- News: Fourth Army Chief Arrives at Sill . . 6 . April 12, 1961 . 2022-12-31 . Newspapers.com.
- News: Gen. Booth to End Long Army Career . . 5 . February 16, 1962 . 2022-12-31 . Newspapers.com.
- Official US Army Register, published by US Army Adjutant General, 1962, page 53
- "2,500 Bid Farewell to Booth," Pacific Stars and Stripes, February 9, 1961
- https://books.google.com/books?id=HSzcAAAAMAAJ&q=%22donald+prentice+booth%22+high+school Register of Graduates and Former Cadets of the United States Military Academy
- California Death Index
- Social Security Death Index
- http://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/j2ee/servlet/NGL_v1 Nationwide Gravesite Locator
United States