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<em>Briant H. Wells</em>, or <em>”ZB”</em> as his classmates knew him, was enroute to his class reunion when the end came, quietly and quickly. Infirm in body but unbowed in spirit, he would not be deterred from attempting one last pilgrimage to his Alma Mater and the gathering of his classmates. He was a man of deep feeling, and they were always very close to his heart.</p>
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Briant came to the Academy from Salt Lake City, to which his father and mother had come as pioneers when the west was yet “The Great American Desert”. To it no one then traveled without a strong armed guard, and his father, Daniel, also a man of resolution and military competency, commanded the guard, or “Legion” of the great Mormon migration in 1848. In the new country troops continued to be necessary for many years and the father long remained in their command, the title of Lieutenant-General being bestowed on him by the territorial authorities. Indeed, when Briant was born in 1871 the Custer Massacre had not yet occurred and the end of the Indian wars was not in sight. The father was the first Mayor of Salt Lake City and Briant’s brother Heber became the first Governor of Utah when the Territory became a State.</p>
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The family, always prominent and influential, did what it could for the children, but the schools of the area were yet primitive in Briant’s youth and he came to West Point relatively poorly prepared. Accordingly, and notwithstanding a very good mind, he had to put his nose to the grindstone and work hard the whole four years. But as always, he accomplished what he started out to do, chose the Infantry and the west on graduation and went to Fort Omaha for station. In 1896 he returned to Salt Lake City long enough to recruit Mary Jane Jennings, who went with him the entire length of his earthly road and was the full partner of his fine career. Years afterwards, when carrying great responsibility, he said to me: “The greatest relief I have from my official troubles is being able to go home and talk them over with my wife, knowing that she is the soul of discretion”.</p>
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In 1898 the Spanish-American War came on and, after first mustering in the Utah Volunteers, Lieutenant Wells joined the 2nd Infantry and sailed with it for Cuba. There, at San Juan Hill, he was cited for “conspicuous fearlessness”, “coolness and bravery” and for “gallantry and efficiency under fire”. He was at the time recommended for immediate promotion and later awarded the Silver Star. Not only that, but he received the Purple Heart, for on the second of July he stopped a Spanish bullet that wandered about in his person fifty years, finally, most inconsiderately and painfully landing up against the sciatic nerve! Yet after a month in hospitals and a little leave, he was on his way to another war, this time in the Philippines, where in November ‘98 he joined the 18th Infantry; the first army officer ordered from Cuba to the Philippines.</p>
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There he was first a company commander, then Regimental Commissary and a little later Quartermaster and Commissary of the field forces that under General R. P. Hughes broke the strength of the insurrection in Panay. While a company commander, he was commended for “dash and conspicuous fearlessness” and for “coolness, bravery and fine command of men in battle”. General Hughes, a commander of the old school and not given to persiflage, commended Captain Wells for his “clear head, good sense and judgment” and said of him: “He appreciates as few of our day do, that in military operations there is no difference between day and night when work is to be done”. He undoubtedly was then showing that “rugged health and mental energy” of which General McGlachlin later spoke, and which was manifest every day of his military career. Never an athlete, he was a great believer in physical fitness, rode much and was a hiker extraordinary, even for an Infantry officer.</p>
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By this time his administrative and executive ability were so clearly recognized that he could escape staff duty for short periods only. After the break-up of organized resistance to American authority in the island of Panay and during the period of guerrilla warfare, he was Commissary and Quartermaster of the northern military area, with additional Civil Government duty as Collector of Customs and Internal Revenue. Returning to the United States in 1901, he joined the newly activated 29th Infantry on its original muster roll and served with it in the west, in the Philippines and at Governors Island. One of his tours in the States was by good fortune at Fort Douglas, near Salt Lake City and his family.</p>
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Soon his colonel was noting on his efficiency reports that “Captain Wells ranks as one of the best all-around officers in the Service” and commending his “good judgment”, words that were to recur over the years in other efficiency reports. He served in the 29th as Constructing and Regimental Quartermaster, as Regimental Adjutant, and between times as company commander. In 1910 the Quartermaster Department reached out and took him. One of the great advantages of his Governers Island station was that the mighty of the Army came and went there and real ability did not bloom unseen! Those of the Island appreciated him and one said: “One of the best Quartermasters I have ever seen”. While at Governors Island he selected the Army reservations of Indiantown Gap and Pine Camp and built the cantonment at the latter place, repeating the experience he had had years before in building Camp Jossman in the Philippines.</p>
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He seemed well embarked on a Quartermaster career by 1912 but in that year the so-called Manchu Law compelled his return to troops and he rejoined his old regiment, the 29th Infantry. With it he served as company and battalion commander and as Adjutant and again as Quartermaster. Some of his commendations during this period were: “One of the best and most efficient officers of his grade, in either Line or Stall”, “of sound judgment”, “no captain more level headed”, and “conspicuous ability in handling troops”.</p>
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Soon after the outbreak of World War I, far-seeing men like General Leonard Wood began to do what they could to put the country in a posture of readiness, and the General, through the Plattsburg Camps, was endeavoring to provide war training for civilians who like himself thought that we would soon be in the war. But the Administration at that time was strongly disclaiming that the United States would ever go to war and the General was in deep disfavor. So it is perhaps not strange that the War Department found itself entirely unable to furnish instructors for the camps and General Wood was compelled to find them in his own command and among such Regulars as would take leave for the purpose. Among these volunteers was Captain Wells, up from Panama on leave. In the camps he learned what he always regarded as one of his most important lessons, which was how to deal with the citizen-soldier. In the very next year we were in the war and citizen-soldiers were 99% of the Army.</p>
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For years there had been trouble with Mexico and that same summer of 1916 the National Guard was mobilized on the border. One of the first Regulars to be detailed with the mobilization was Major Wells, turn Chief of Staff of the 16th Division and with new gold leaves. There, he was in then of the 3rd. During that service one of his commanders there said of him: “Unquestioned ability to fill any position attainable by an Army officer”. Another wrote: “Possesses a peculiar combination of determination and firmness, coupled with kindness of heart”</p>
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When in 1917 the United States entered the war he was called from the border to the War Department General Staff. During that summer he and I were named to command regiments of the National Army and were promoted accordingly. A few days later we were at a dinner with the then Captain Douglas MacArthur when the word came that MacArthur was promoted and assigned as Chief of Staff of the Rainbow Division, the appellation for which Wells himself had suggested, naming it because it was made up of many National Guard units from many States. It is my clear recollection that each of us contributed an eagle for the new colonel, pinned them on his shoulders and drank to a glorious career, which he certainly has had!</p>
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We both organized and trained our regiments in the 80th Division at Camp Lee, Virginia, but before the end of the year he was ordered to France for duty in the American Section of the Supreme War Council. His chief, General Tasker Bliss, one of the intellectual giants of the old Army, said of him: “One of the best qualified officers I have ever served with...The reputation the American Section of the Supreme War Council has for good, impartial and unbiased judgment, which causes it often to be appealed to as an arbiter in cases of apparently irreconcilable differences among its colleagues of other nations, is largely due to this officer”. Colonel Wells was also the American Liaison Officer to Marshal Foch, the Supreme Commander.</p>
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General Bliss was as generous as he was talented. This he demonstrated in the summer of 1918 when he allowed “ZB” to go to troops in order to achieve promotion. As a Brigadier he served in the Sixth and Fourth Corps as Chief of Staff to Generals Bundy, Muir and Summerall, in the Woevre Sector and the St. Mihiel and Argonne Campaigns. An incident of that summer stands out in my mind. On successive days, I heard critiques by two Corps Chiefs of Staff on two division maneuvers in rear of the lines. One Chief was one of the ablest and most brilliant of Leavenworth graduates; the other was Wells, who had always been too much occupied with doing things to go to school to learn how to do them. The one critique was as good as the other and I learned then and there that the right kind of brains can do without schooling if necessary.</p>
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At the end of the war, he received the Distinguished Service Medal and was placed on the “Initial General Staff Eligible List”, in effect, a small roll of honor of those whose command or staff service during the war had been most notable. Then, as is the custom of peace in like cases, he was demoted!</p>
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Back in the United States in 1919, Colonel Wells was promptly detailed to the War Plans Division of the General Staff of the War Department, serving in the Section that did the actual planning, as distinguished from current operations. The following year he was made Chief of this planning section and in 1921 became Chief of the entire Division. General Pershing, then Chief of Staff, rated General Wells as Number Two of the forty-three brigadier generals known personally to him. General Summerall, who rated him several times, placed him One, Two and Three in different ratings. General Hines, the Deputy Chief of Staff and General Allen, the Chief of Infantry, placed him at the top of their lists, so that, all in all, his ability seems to have been appreciated!</p>
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In 1923 he received the highest recognition possible of infantry proficiency, being appointed Commandant of the great Infantry School at Fort Benning. There he served three years, and his keen intelligence, broad military background, great administrative ability and practical understanding of instruction all combined to put the new school on the way to become what it was before World War II, the greatest infantry school in the world. It was a period in which he created greatly. As he was a Strong supporter of athletics, the magnificent new field house at Benning has been named for him since his death. In 1926 he was recalled to the War Department by General Hines to be Assistant Chief of Staff, G-4. In the following year the new Chief of Staff, General Summerall, made him Deputy Chief of Staff and said of him: “He has tact, sound judgment and marked efficiency. He renders unfailing support to the plans of his superiors, regardless of his personal views.’’ He was promoted to Major General in 1928, having been repromoted to Brigadier in 1922. </p>
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In 1930, after a short assignment in command of the famed First Division, he went to Hawaii, his last command and his home after retirement. For a year he commanded the Division at Schofield Barracks, succeeding to the command of the Hawaiian Department in 1931. During his command, he completely revised the war plans for the defense of the Islands, opened up many miles of military trails and roads in the mountains, greatly improved housing and tightened up in many ways on officer requirements, both professionally and physically. He also attacked the then prevailing and mistaken concept that the oriental group in Hawaii was uncompromisingly hostile to the United States. And he further developed to an unparalleled degree cordial relations with the civil population of the Islands, so much so that toward the end of his service, an influential group was working quietly to have him appointed Governor after his retirement.</p>
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The problem of post-military activities he solved for himself by accepting the post of Executive Vice-President and Secretary of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association. This powerful mutual-benefit organization had a huge budget and many activities, and the presidency changed every year, so Wells was the real working member. One of the Executive Committee told me that he had never before seen a man slide into a completely new job so easily, promptly and frictionlessly. And this with reference to a man 63 years of age! In that job, his great personal prestige, good judgment, wisdom and selflessness quickly led planters and laborers alike to accept ungrudgingly his arbitration and decisions. Being completely approachable and having in him nothing of the martinet, he was consulted on almost every important matter and soon became a power in the community. All kinds and classes of people and organizations, from the Chamber of Commerce to the Boy Scouts, went to him for advice and counsel, the latter organization making him their representative to the national organization.</p>
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When the Honolulu Community Theatre was started in 1935 he became its first President and remained as such, or as Honorary President, until his death. He was a member of the Hawaiian Historical Society, of the Social Science Club, the Oahu Country Club and the Pacific Club. Before World War II came and demonstrated the practically unanimous solidarity of the Hawaiian Japanese-American group in the support of the United States and the outstanding patriotism and military quality of its young men, General Wells predicted the facts and spoke out strongly against the extension to Hawaii of the west coast anti-oriental complex. As the commander of the Hawaiian Department from 1937 to 1941, I testify with gratitude to his wise counsel and generous support of the military.</p>
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Briant married early and wisely and the wife of his youth was the friend of his friends and a credit to the Service. Their three splendid children are eloquent testimonials to the character and intelligence of their parents and of a wonderful home. The mother continues in Honolulu; Briant, Jr. is VicePresident of the Title Insurance and Trust Company of Los Angeles. Like his brother Tom, now a divisional chief of staff, he served with conspicuous credit in World War II. Jane, Junior, is Mrs. Frederic Townsend of Scarsdale, N.Y., and is bringing on a magnificent new generation. In conclusion, it should be said that Briant Wells, by his character and achievement, honored his family, his friends, his classmates and the Academy. He lived the good life on this earth and now lives on in the hearts of all who knew him!</p>
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<em>—C. D. H.</em></p>