Willard Ames Holbrook – Major General, United States Army

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Willard Ames Holbrook of Wisconsin

  • Appointed from Wisconsin, Cadet, United States Military Academy, 1 September 1881 (17)
  • Second Lieutenant, 1st U. S. Cavalry, 14 June 1885
  • First Lieutenant, 7th U. S. Cavalry, 17 December 1891
  • Captain, Assistant Adjutant General of U. S. Volunteers, 12 May 1898
  • Captain, Assistant Quartermaster of U. S. Volunteers, 1 April 1899
  • Major, 38th U. S. Volunteer Infantry, 17 August 1899
  • Honorably mustered out of the volunteer service, 30 June 1901
  • Captain, 5th U. S. Cavalry, 18 October 1899
  • He progressed through the ranks to Major General.  He died in Washington, D.C. on 18 July 1932 and was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery.

His son, David Stanley Holbrook, First Lieutenant, was killed in the Philippines by a revolver that he was handling  and was buried with military honors in Arlington National Cemetery.

Major General Willard Ames Holbrook, U.S.A. retired, died after a long illness Monday morning, July 18 at Walter Reed hospital, Washington, D.C.  He was 72 years old.  He had a long distinguished career in the regular army, from which he retired at the age of 64 on July 23, 1924, while holding the post of chief of Calvary.

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General Holbrook was born July 23, 1860 at Arkansas.  He entered the Military Academy at West Point in 1881 and four years later was graduated as second lieutenant in the First United States Cavalry.  He saw frontier service at Western and Mexican border posts of the Army.  In 1891,  he became aide de camp to General David S. Stanley, U.S.A.  Mrs. Holbrook, whom General Holbrook married in 1902 was a daughter of General Stanley.

When the Spanish-American war began,  he was sent to Cuba.  Later as a Major in the Thirty-eighth United States infantry, he took part in quelling the Philippine insurrection.  During 1901 and 1902,  he was Civil Governor of the province of Antique Panay in the Philippines.

After the United States entered the World War, General Holbrook, then a Colonel of Cavalry, was promoted to Brigadier General and first command the 165th Infantry Brigade at Camp Sherman, Ohio.  He was promoted to Major General April 16, 1918 and placed in command of the Army’s Southern department and in charge of the Mexican border.  Assigned to command the the Ninth Division on Sept. 26, 1918,  he was preparing his command for over seas duty when the armistice was signed.  When the division was demobilized in February, 1919, General Holbrook was placed in command of the Camp Grant demobilization center in Illinois.

General Holbrook received the Distinguished Service Medal for his firmness and tact in handling a threatening situation on the Mexican border while he was in command of the Southern Department during the World War, thereby materially improving relations between the United States and Mexico.

He is survived by his son Lieutenant W.A. Holbrook Jr., stationed at Fort Mammouth, New Jersey, three brothers, General Lucius R. Holbrook, U.S.A.,; Dr. J.S. Holbrook, Mankato, Minnesota and B.F. Holbrook, Conrath; and four sisters, Mrs. C.K. Averill and Mrs. J.W. Barber, Menomonie; Mrs. William Van Alst, Williston, North Dakota, and Mrs. George M. Galloway, Hood River, Oregon His first wife, the former, Miss Josephine Stanley, who died some years ago.

Funeral services were held at the chapel of Walter Reed hospital July 20 at 2 p.m., Colonel Julian E. Yates Chief of Chaplains officiating.  Internment was at Arlington cemetery with full military honors.

HOLBROOK, WILLARD A

  • MAJ GEN USA RET
  • DATE OF DEATH: 07/18/1932
  • BURIED AT: SECTION SOUTH  SITE 1807
  • ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

HOLBROOK, JOSEPHINE W/O WILLARD A

  • DATE OF DEATH: 01/15/1927
  • BURIED AT: SECTION S W  SITE LOT 1807
  • ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
  • WIFE OF WA HOLBROOK, MAJ GEN USA RET

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