James S. Pegg – Brigadier General, United States Army

Courtesy of Walter Reed Army Medical Center:

James S. Pegg, 90, a retired Brigadier General and former Director of Dental Activities at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., died October 2, 2002, at Montgomery General Hospital in Olney, Maryland.

General Pegg was born in Newark, Ohio and after graduation from Ohio State University in 1935, was commissioned First Lieutenant Dental Corps Reserve. After two years in private practive, he was commissioned First Lieutenant Regular Army in 1937. General Pegg’s first duty station was Ft. Benjamin Harrison, Indiana.

In 1941, he was ordered to Camp Grant, Illinois, and became Post Dental Surgeon at this Medical Replacement Training Center in 1942.

His World War II assignments were in the China-Burma-India Theater where he became Chief of Dental Service in the 181st General Hospital and the 142nd General Hospital.

Upon return to the U.S., he was assigned to the Army Air Corps as Dental Surgeon, Langley Field, Virginia. After attending a post-graduate course at New York University, he became Chief of Dental Services at William Beaumont General Hospital in El Paso, Texas.

In 1951, he was assigned to the Eighth U.S. Army in Korea, as Army Dental Surgeon. He was moved later to Tokyo, Japan, and in 1953 was returned to the U.S. to attend the regular course at the Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

In 1954, he became Director, Department of Dental Science at the Medical Field Service School, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Following a tour in Germany as Dental Surgeon, Southern Area Command and Commanding Officer, 102nd Medical Detachment (DS), he returned to the United States for duty as Army Dental Surgeon, Second United States Army, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland.

In 1963, he was assigned as Deputy Assistant for Dental Services, Office of the Surgeon General, Department of the Army, Washington, D.C.

General Pegg retired from the Army in 1972 as Director of Dental Activities, Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. His many citations include the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star Medal. He was the author of a book citing the historical contributions of the U.S. Army Dental Corps and is listed in Who’s Who in America.

Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Patricia B. Pegg of Silver Spring; three children, Catherine L. Taylor of Millersville, Maryland, James S. Pegg, Jr. of Olney, Maryland and Patricia Ann Moening of Irvine, California; a sister, Jane Rager of Columbus, Ohio; eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Visitors will be received at Hines-Rinaldi Funeral Home, 11800 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring, Maryland 20904 on Friday, November 1 from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. A private service and burial will take place at Arlington National Cemetery.

General Pegg will be remembered for his accomplishments, his humor, and his complete devotion to family, who will miss him more than they can say.

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard