Remembering a Veteran: Colonel Troy H. Middleton, 4th Division, AEF

 

Colonel Troy H. Middleton at the End of WWI

As a Lieutenant General, Troy Middleton (1989-1976) was one of America's most successful commanders of the Second World War.  His army career had begun 35 years earlier when he enlisted in the Army as 20-year old private.  Within two years, Middleton had earned a commission and led troops on the Vera Cruz Expedition and the Mexican Border episode.  Then came the Great War during which he was promoted to full colonel, the youngest in the United States Army and Expeditionary Force. Much of his life was centered around  Louisiana and Louisiana State University (where he eventually became its president) and is well-remembered in the area.  In 2020, a newspaper in the Baton Rouge area published a long tribute to him covering his entire career.  Here are some selections covering his military service.

During World War I. . .  he commanded the First Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment in the most important and decisive battle of the war late in 1918 — the Second Battle of the Marne. His men faced the battle-hardened Prussian Fourth Guard Division, which had just returned from a month’s rest, in a four-day battle where the fate of the war was at stake! Middleton’s men pushed the Germans back 12 miles, and the victory was won! From the Marne, Colonel Middleton led the 4th Division to attack the Germans near Verdun. His men broke through German defenses, pushing them back five miles. On October 11, 1918, he was given command of the 39th Infantry Regiment. Overnight he had to prepare to lead his men into enemy territory using a tactic called “marching fire,” where all of the troops constantly fire their weapons while moving through the woods. This caused the dug in Germans to surrender and Middleton’s men’s moved to the edge of the Meuse River. Then, as Colonel Middleton [now commander of the 47th Infantry of the 4th Division] was preparing to chase German defenders down the Moselle River, the Germans signed the surrender, and the war was over.   He also received the Army Distinguished Service Medal for his exemplary service.

Generals Eisenhower and Middleton

 Following World War I, Middleton served at the U.S. Army School of Infantry, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff School, the U.S. Army War College, and as commandant of cadets at LSU. He retired from the army in 1937 to become dean of administration and later comptroller and acting vice president at LSU. His tenure at LSU was fraught with difficulty, as Middleton became one of the key players in helping the university recover from a major scandal where nearly a million dollars had been embezzled.

Recalled to service in early 1942, upon American entry into World War II, Middleton became commanding general of the 45th Infantry Division during the Sicily and Salerno battles in Italy, and then in March 1944 moved up to command the VIII Corps. His leadership in Operation Cobra during the Battle of Normandy led to the capture of the important port city of Brest, France, and for his success he was awarded a second Distinguished Service Medal by General George Patton. 

President Middleton, Louisiana State University

His greatest World War II achievement, however, was in his decision to hold the important city of Bastogne, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge. Following this battle, and his corps' relentless push across Germany until reaching Czechoslovakia, he was recognized by both General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander, and Patton as being a corps commander of extraordinary abilities. Middleton logged 480 days in combat during World War II, more than any other American general officer. 

Baton Rouge National Cemetery

Retiring from the army again in 1945, Middleton returned to LSU and in 1951 was appointed to the university presidency, a position he held for 11 years, while continuing to serve the army in numerous consultative capacities. He resided in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, until his death in 1976 and was buried in Baton Rouge National Cemetery. 

Sources: Wikipedia; Central City News, 15 June 2020