Major General Albert Eger Brown
(June 13, 1889 - October 12, 1984)

(O3409) Born on June 13, 1889 in Charleston, South Carolina.  A - Military Academy from South Carolina, Cadet, 2 March 1908; Bachelor of Science, United States Military Academy, West Point 1912.  Commissioned in the infantry from West Point in 1912. 2nd Lieutenant of Infantry, 12 June 1912. Served at Vera Cruz, Mexico in 1914 and with the 8th and 183rd Brigades, AEF 1918-1919, including the Aisne-Marne offensive.  1st Lieutenant, 1 July 1916; Captain, 15 May 1917.  Major of Infantry, National Army 7 June 1918; accepted 19 June 1918; honorably discharged 22 January 1920.  Major, 1 July 1920.  Professor of military science and tactics at the University of North Dakota 1919-1923.  Infantry School, Advanced Course, 1924.  Graduated from the Command and General Staff School in 1925.  General Staff Corps, 30 June 1926 to 13 June 1929., Graduated from the Army War College in 1930 and the Naval War College in 1931.  Duty at the War Department General Staff 21 August 1931 to 20 August 1935.  Lieutenant Colonel, 1 August 1935.  Member of the Infantry Board 1935-1938.  Again at the War Department General Staff, 7 September 1940 to 15 November 1941.  Colonel, Army of the United States, 14 February 1941; accepted 17 February 1941.  Brigadier General Army of the United States, 4 August 1941; accepted 5 August 1941, Major General in May 1942.  Commanding General of Infantry Replacement Training Center at Camp Wheadle in 1943 the 5th Infantry Division "Red Diamond Division" 1943-1945.  Assignments after the war included commanding general of the 6th Infantry Division June-September 1946.  Retired in June 1949.  Decorations included two Legions of Merit and the Bronze Star.  Died on October 12, 1984, Nashville, TN.

The 5th Division, from it's landing in Normandy July 9, 1944 to the last Division Headquarters in Vilshofen, Germany had traveled 2049 miles and had engaged in all five of the ETO's major campaigns: NORMANDY, NORTHERN FRANCE, RHINELAND, ARDENNES-ALSACE, CENTRAL EUROPE.

The 5th Division had served in the XII and XX Corps, Third Army from August 3, 1944 to the end of hostilities, May 7, 1945. General George S. Patton, Commander of the Third Army, had this to say, in part, in a letter dated November 17, 1945:

"Nothing I can say can add to the glory which you have achieved. Throughout the whole advance across France you spearheaded the attack of your Corps. You crossed so many rivers that I am persuaded many of you have webfeet and I know that all of you have dauntless spirit. To my mind history does not record incidents of greater valor than your crossing of the Sauer and Rhine."

Related links:  The Society of the Fifth Division

PROMOTIONS  

General Brown received the following promotions throughout his military career:

DECORATIONS

General Brown's citations and decorations included two Legions of Merit and the Bronze Star.