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From Cadet to Chief of Staff, through more than forty-four years of active service in peace and war, <em>John Leonard Hines</em> closed his record book at the age of one hundred, in the knowledge and assurance that he had served his country and the Army well and faithfully.</p>
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When, in 1967, like his many predecessors, he attained the distinction of “oldest living graduate” and received, at Walter Reed Hospital, congratulations from the Superintendent, First Captain, family and friends, he spoke briefly and lovingly of his service and of the guidance he had always had from the words: “Duty, Honor, Country." Again, on his one hundredth birthday, when the Secretary of the Army brought his own and President Johnson’s and Eisenhower’s greetings, General Hines spoke jocularly of his long lifetime, and welcomed his friends from the Corps. Not long afterward, the Governor of his home State of West Virginia came to make a personal presentation of a birthday plaque.</p>
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On these occasions, as always when younger friends and service admirers came to visit him during his hospital years, they, conscientiously or not, drew inspiration from the knowledge of his long years of devoted service.</p>
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The battlefield test of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I came in the final months of that war, from the German Spring Offensives in 1918 until the Armistice in November. In those few months, short in time and in comparison to the years of war but unending in the furious pressure of battle, one regimental commander—of the 16th Infantry in the 1st Division—rose, continuously, to the further battle command of brigade, division, and corps. After the war. General Pershing wrote of him: “He is able, efficient, conscientious, and loyal, all to a superlative degree. Commanded in battle from regiment to corps in World War and won outstanding distinction in every position. An exceptionally fine officer in every respect. No limit to any command whatever or Chief of Staff. One of the fine developments of the war. A natural leader, capable in all respects. No. 1 on list of general officers known to me.’’</p>
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In 1924, General Hines succeeded General Pershing as Chief of Staff of the Army, on the latter’s recommendation, having served as his Deputy Chief of Staff for the preceding two years. Separated by eight years in age and five years as cadets, one a cavalry officer and the other an infantryman, these two, in the last ten years of active service together, formed an enduring relationship of mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation.</p>
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Being retired statutorily for age in 1932, after forty-four years of active duty, including service in the War with Spain, the Cuban Pacification, the Philippine Insurrection, the Punitive Expedition into Mexico, and World War I, and advanced on the retired list of the Army in 1940 as full General by special Act of Congress, Ceneral Hines continued to enjoy the long years of retirement with his family, friends, and associates in and out of the military forces until his death at the age of 100 in 1968.</p>
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John Leonard Hines was born in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, on 21 May 1868. His father, Edward Hines, emigrated from Ballyvaughn in County Clare, Ireland, about 1852 and at the age of 17. On the same ship, but unknown to him, were Peter Leonard and his family, including a small daughter Mary Frances, whom Edward later met and married.</p>
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General Hines’ education began in a one-room school at White Sulphur Springs. He showed remarkable ability from the beginning, and fortunately, by the time he reached high school level, a gifted teacher took a special interest in him and tutored him on the side. About 1886 this teacher persuaded General Hines’ father to send him away to normal school, where he determined to become a teacher. After only three or four months, however, an outbreak of smallpox closed the school. When he returned home, he became eager to leave White Sulphur Springs for some place of greater opportunity. At this time he read in the local paper that competitive examinations were going to be held in Charleston for a Congressional appointment to West Point. General Hines had never until then heard of West Point, but it appeared to be an answer to his desires, if he could gain first place in the competition. Another teacher now went to work tutoring him for the examination. He went to Charleston and won first place, and was told to report at West Point in June of 1887. When he reached West Point, he was horrified to see the young man who had placed second at Charleston. At first he thought that there had been a mistake and that he had not won the competition after all. Then, when he and the young man, who was the first alternate, were called in to take an examination, he thought that he had to win all over again. It wasn’t until the tests were finished that he discovered that the first alternate was there only to take over in case he failed of a passing mark.</p>
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At the Military Academy Cadet Hines had a hard time making passing grades. He had to devote all of his time to his studies, and attended few, if any, hops or other social entertainments. He stayed at West Point almost uninterruptedly through all of his cadet years, partly to continue his intensive study and partly because there were few family funds to allow the luxury of return trips to West Virginia. During the entire four years, seldom did anyone come to the Academy to see him. Companionship came from his classmates, and from the small classes characterizing the period came the knowledge of each other which marked the subsequent years of Army service. In his first year he acquired the nickname of "Birdie,” because one of his classmates, seeing him crossing the Plain with a distinctive springy walk, remarked that he looked like a bird hopping along. During his cadet years his disciplinary record was high, showing then the true qualities of a soldier so well proven in the years to come by the acid test of war. He took great interest in athletics, and was one of the mainstays of one of the Army’s first great football teams.</p>
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Graduating in the Class of 1891, he was commissioned Second Lieutenant and assigned to the 2d Infantry at Fort Omaha, Nebraska. He served there and at Fort Harrison, Montana, until the Spring of 1898, performing at one time or another practically all of the various staff jobs in addition to his company duties. One day orders came to send two companies of the 25th Infantry then stationed at the same post, to the Dry Tortugas, on the way to the Spanish-American War. The major of the 25th Infantry who was in command of these two companies happened that day to be temporarily the post commander, as Lieutenant Colonel Wherry of the 2d Infantry, who was the permanent post commander, was in town. The orderly on duty in the Adjutant’s office received the message over the only telephone on the post, transcribed and sealed it, and, in Colonel Wherry’s absence, took it to the major, who refused to receive it. Then, seeing Lieutenant Hines on the porch of headquarters, the major called to him “Come here! Come here!” "This orderly has a message for the commanding officer!” "Well,” said Hines, “you are the commanding officer; so why don’t you open it?" Said the major: “I'm not the commanding officer: I won’t open it." So, when the major raised no objection. Lieutenant Hines opened the message and began to read it aloud, in the presence, of course, of the reluctant major and the orderly. Whereon the major stopped him, exclaiming: “Don’t read that out loud!” and each had to read the message to himself.</p>
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Later that day, when Colonel Wherry returned to the post, he informed Lieutenant Hines that as he was the constructing quartermaster appointed by order from Washington, he could not accompany the troops. When Lieutenant Hines pointed out that as Colonel Wherry himself had submitted Hines’ name, he could change the appointment. When Hines came up with the name of a qualified officer willing to accept. Colonel Wherry relented, and Hines was on his way to Cuba.</p>
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In Florida, the regiment was camped by the railroad tracks leading to Port Tampa, fifteen miles away. At ten P.M., word was received that the convoy would sail in the morning. At two A.M., after all baggage had been packed, Lieutenant Hines, as regimental quartermaster, had it piled by car lengths, and took up his vigil. A train hacked in, and a conductor with a lantern called out: "Here's a train for the Rough Riders.” Hines replied: “Spot your baggage cars alongside the baggage piles, and we’ll be aboard in twenty minutes.” He then woke the colonel and reported that the regiment would be loaded shortly. In less than half an hour, the regiment was aboard the coaches, on its way to Port Tampa and the transport Vucaton. The convoy did not sail that day, and later the men of the regiment could look over the side and see the Rough Riders arriving in coal cars, hot and angry.</p>
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Although Lieutenant Hines had experienced difficulty in remaining with the regiment thus far, he received his biggest shock, as the transport lay off Siboney, when the regiment was ordered to land and to leave on board the band and all quartermasters to look after the property. He managed to get ashore, and ran across General Humphrey, the Quartermaster, who told him that General Bates was in command and in a nearby beach house. When Hines told General Bates his tale of woe, the latter said, “Well, those were General Shatter's orders, weren’t they?” “Yes, I suppose they were,” replied Hines. General Bates pulled his beard for a moment, and then said, “Well, Mr. Hines, you take your band and go and join your regiment.” He reported to Colonel Wherry, to hear him say, “I knew you'd get here, but I just wonder how you pulled it off!” Lieutenant Hines served with his regiment throughout the campaign, at the battle of San Juan Hill, and was later cited in War Department orders for gallantry in action there.</p>
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During a brief return to the United States, on 19 December 1898, in Columbus, Ohio, he married Harriet Schofield (Rita) Wherry, one of the daughters of Colonel Wherry. Two children were born of this marriage, Alice Grammar in 1900, and John Leonard Jr. (USMA 1927), in 1905.</p>
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Returning to serve another year in Cuba, Lieutenant Hines resumed the early gaining of the practical experience in finance, supply, and administration begun in his post-graduate years. This, as did his experiences under fire and in command, did much in the years to come to round out his high qualities for command and staff. In the after years of reminiscence General Hines was wont to recall that as a junior officer in the isolated doldrums of peacetime post life he found that there were always tasks, aside from troop duty and drill, which, though often assigned, could still otherwise be undertaken by the willing young officer and much of future use be thereby learned—tasks which most officers, after a time, preferred to avoid.</p>
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After another return to the United States, for a few brief months during which he was promoted and assigned to the 23d Infantry, Captain Hines proceeded with a detachment of recruits, to station on the island of Marin-duque in the Philippines. On scouting duty at Boac, in skirmishes with the insurrectos at Nalabut and Yba, he was commended by the island commander. After transfer to Jolo and return home for duty as regimental and post quartermaster, he again proceeded to the Philippines for similar duties at Malabang, Mindanao. Here again he took the field, this time against hostile Moros.</p>
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The subsequent years until 1916 found Captain Hines on various stateside assignments, at Nagasaki, Japan, and again in the Philippines—this time with the 19th Infantry. After his fifth return to the States, promotion to major, the battalion command in the 6th Infantry, he began a series of assignments in the important position of adjutant and adjutant general, finally as such with General Pershing’s Punitive Expedition against Pancho Villa.</p>
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It was from this initial closer relationship with General Pershing that came the inclusion of Lieutenant Colonel Hines in the first group of officers selected by General Pershing to begin the staff of what became GHQ-the headquarters of the American Expeditionary Forces. A five months’ period of this service, during which he was promoted again, was ended in October 1917 by his assignment to command the 16th Infantry in the 1st Division, then in training in northeastern France. It was here, during the severe conditions of winter, including tours of trench duty, that Colonel Hines, faced with the common problems of developing competent officers, devised a system of training staff supervision which later proved its worth in battle. Although under fire at times during the so-called quiet training period, the troops began their offensive battle experience with the move to the Montdidier area, north of Paris, to aid in stemming the rising tide of the German offensive.</p>
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There ensued for the 1st Division the fierce actions in the Cantigny-Montdidier area, a prelude to its drive against the hinge of the German salient south of Soissons. Promoted during the first week in May, and assigned to command the 1st Brigade, General Hines’ dynamic and effective leadership in battle was such as to elicit later from his division comander, Major General Summerall, the comment: "He is the highest type of man and soldier, and I believe that in war or in peace there is no task too great for him to perform with credit to himself and to the country. He commanded the 1st Infantry Brigade during the battle of Soissons and the occupation of the Saizerais sector. He was distinguished by his masterful leadership, his unswerving loyalty, his indomitable courage, his wonderful endurance, and his skill as a technician. The success of the 1st Division in the desperate fighting at Soissons is due in great measure to the qualities General Hines displayed in the operations.”</p>
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After the successful Aisne-Mame counteroffensive, General Hines was promoted to major general and assigned to command the 4th Division, which had also participated in that battle and was re-assembling in northeastern France in preparation for the American Army attack on the St. Mihiel salient. In a matter of just a few days, General Hines drew together the elements of his division, moved it into line on the northwest hinge of the offensive, and shortly after the success of the comparatively brief battle, moved it westward across the Meuse and into line for the great Meuse-Argonne offensive. Again the evidence of his outstanding battle leadership, in the rapid initial advance of the division, came to the fore and resulted in less than three weeks to his elevation to command the Third Corps.</p>
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In the continuing action he directed the corps in a successful crossing of the strongly held Meuse River line, one of the most difficult operations in war, and in this case one made doubly difficult by the lack of space for maneuver.</p>
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General Hines continued in command of the Third Corps after the Armistice, during the march into Germany, and the occupation of the Rhineland. Upon the dissolution of the American Expeditionary Forces, he returned briefly to GHQ, until his return to the United States in early September 1919. There followed for him a series of divisional commands in the dwindling forces of the post-war years, culminating in command of the Eighth Corps Area. Then, in 1922, Ceneral Pershing called him to Washington as his deputy, and as his successor as Chief of Staff two years later. His selection to these highest Army assignments and approval therefor by his civilian superiors was influenced in large measure by his characteristic ability to go always straight to the heart of any problem and to produce a swift, clear-cut, and workable solution. Here, again, his earlier practical administrative experience in the junior and field grades served him well, in finance, supply, and personnel, especially in view of the then growing curtailments in troop strengths and military budgets, and the necessity of closing or disposing of posts and other installations no longer needed or supportable.</p>
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The years in Washington were not spent in the type of service or milieu nearest to General Hines’ desired way of life. Basically a field soldier, a troop commander, an outdoor soldier who liked best to be on horseback with troops training in the field—but who could gallop on the dance floor as well as on a horse—he was less happy at a desk in an assignment with inescapable political overtones at the seat of government. So, when his years in the War Department came to a close, he went to command the corps area farthest from Washington, in San Francisco, and then, for his final period of active service, to an earlier scene, the Philippines. Much of his initial years of retirement was spent in his boyhood home of White Sulphur Springs.</p>
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Early in his military career General Hines gained the reputation for sagacity, tact, and dependability which made him ever an outstanding leader. Of fine soldierly appearance and bearing, standing well over six feet, by his presence alone he inspired men on and off the battlefield. Never unduly demonstrative and wholly devoid of flamboyance or loquacity his calm forthrightness and effective consideration for those about him evidenced one of his favorite maxims that loyalty works both way—up and down.</p>
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The Army and the Nation are the better for his having served them.</p>
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<em>-Charles L. Bolte General U.S.A. Ret.</em></p>