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One of the letters of sympathy in the loss of <em>Henry D. Styer “Stots” Styer</em>, received from one of the men under his command in the days of World War I when “Stots” led the first American Expeditionary Forces into Siberia, embodies the sentiments concerning him that were expressed by all who knew him. It is quoted below:</p>
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“My dear Mrs. Styer,</p>
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“I received both of your most welcome letters here when we came in on this trip and was stunned greatly to hear that our beloved General had passed on. Of course, words cannot begin to express my sympathy or condolence. I just seemed to have the idea that he was to live on and on, possibly forever, and to us men he will.</p>
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“But I am so glad that he passed on peacefully and not wracked by pain as so many of our great leaders do. And you say that he joked with you and the nurses right up to the end—I can understand that possibly as much as you, because his dry humor was always present even in the most critical times. May I say, that as a soldier and a gentleman, he was ‘tops’ to us.</p>
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“I know that where he is now, he will still guide us that have taken up arms for the security and peace of our country in this war, and the Lord permit, that, do I have to go, I may be fortunate enough to occupy the shell hole next to his, in the great beyond.</p>
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“He was ‘Our Old Man and we, his kids, and he treated us with the same respect that he would have given Black Jack Pershing. It was never what ‘I’ am going to do in this war, but what ‘we’ were going to do that instilled in his men a fighting Division that will live forever.</p>
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‘‘If it is at all possible for me to obtain furlough before this mess is over, I should like to call upon you at Coronado and pay my respects, because I feel that anyone being a daughter or wife of such a man must undeniably be grand people.</p>
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“Of course we all hope and pray that this conflict will end soon so that we may return to our homes and loved ones, but we still feel that we have a long way to go. I can imagine just how he would have loved to have become a combatant now in this theater and fulfill his prophesies on Japan. Most of his boys of ‘17-’18-’19 are graying men now and not able to be probably as fortunate as I, but I will say, could we re-assemble the old outfit with the Old Man, we could still go places.</p>
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“Let me finish with saying that he was a swell Old Man. and a Grand Guy and he will not be forgotten by us that he shared alike with. I know that there is only one place now that he could possibly be, and that is instructing St. Peter how to more efficiently and soundly operate Heaven.</p>
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Very sincerely,</p>
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(Signed) “JACK M. DYER,</p>
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“Administrative Officer, C.E.,</p>
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“U.S.A. Mackenzie (Drg. Div.)</p>
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General Styer is survived by his wife, Bessie Wilkes Styer; two sons, Major General W. D. Styer, Class of ‘16, Chief of Staff to Lt. General Brehon Somervell, Army Service Forces, and Captain C. W. Styer, U.S.N., commandant of the Submarine Base, New London, Conn.; a daughter. Mrs. A. M. Hurst, wife of Captain Hurst, U.S.N.; and four grandsons, Lt. C. W. Styer, Jr., U.S.N., Capt. W. D. Styer, U.S.A., Robert T. Styer, Midshipman, U.S.N.A., and Jimmy Styer Hurst, now preparing for the Naval Academy.</p>
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“Stots” career of 42 years in the Army was colorful and varied. He was born in Sellersville, PA., on September 21, 1862, and after a local public school education, he attended Franklin and Marshall College at Lancaster, PA. This was followed by a year of teaching in a country school before he entered West Point in 1880. Years later he told his two sons that if they were graduated as high in their respective classes as he was—”in the twenties”—he would be satisfied. When they both bettered this record in classes numbering three figures, they pinned him down to know just exactly where he had stood in ‘84. He smiled and said “Me? Oh, I was 29—out of 37!!” Not far from goat in one of the smallest, if not the smallest, classes to be graduated!</p>
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General Styer served at Fort Steele, Wyoming, after his graduation from the U.S.M.A., then at Fort Douglas, Utah, where he met and married Bessie Wilkes, granddaughter of Admiral Charles Wilkes, on June 3, 1891. Mrs. Styer has proved to be an excellent “camp-follower” in the almost-53 years of their life together. This started in the Cheyenne-Arapaho country of the Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) where they witnessed the big “run” for land when that section was thrown open for settlement.</p>
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This was followed by duty as Professor of Military Science and Tactics at the Agricultural College of Utah, then a tour at Fort Niagara, N.Y. Next came three years in the Philippine Islands during the Spanish-American War, at which time he was mentioned in orders for the capture of Vincente Prado, a notorious guerrilla leader. He returned for a second time in the same capacity to the Agricultural College of Utah from 1903 to 1906, then back to the Philippines from 1906 to 1909.</p>
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From 1909 to 1912, as a Major, he was in command of Fort Niagara, N.Y. He served in Texas in 1913, was graduated from the Army War College in Washington, D.C., in 1914, and served as Senior Inspector-Instructor of the New Jersey National Guard for the ensuing two and a half years.</p>
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In 1917, General Styer was in command of the 181st Brigade at Camp Lewis, Washington, from which place he was sent (for the third time) to the Philippine Islands to take troops stationed there to Siberia. He commanded the American Zone of Advance on the Amur River until he retired at his own request in April, 1919.</p>
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Inactivity, however, never suited “Stots.” He wasn’t ready to “settle down” and in fact, never did so until present war conditions curtailed traveling. He often remarked that he had covered more mileage, both on sea, land and air, in the years following his retirement than he ever did in his 42 years of service in the Army!</p>
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He was restless when he returned from Siberia and when he was requested to come back to active duty in charge of recruiting in Detroit, Michigan, he jumped at the opportunity to serve again. He retired for the second time, at his own request, in 1922 and took a position as instructor in Military Science and Tactics at Oak Ridge Institute, Oak Ridge, N.C., during 1923-24.</p>
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Following this he and his wife toured extensively, finally homesteading 40 acres in Florida, literally building a house over their heads themselves while they camped on the property, five miles by sandy road from the nearest town. No small undertaking for young people—quite a sizable one for people supposedly “retired” and ready to rest! They managed to have all the conveniences of a city home, but the travel bug bit them again in 1930 and they took to the road, visiting friends up and down the coast and across continent.</p>
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In 1931 they toured Europe, crossed the continent when they returned to visit in Coronado, Calif., in 1932 and have made their headquarters in that city ever since. They had not stopped travelling, though! In 1934 General and Mrs. Styer made the trip from California thru the Panama Canal to attend his 50th reunion of graduation at West Point. (Incidentally, they also attended the 55th reunion in 1939!) They returned via the same route, and again visited Panama three times between 1937 and 1939 to see their eldest son, stationed at Balboa, and their daughter, whose husband was at Coco Solo.</p>
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His daughter, upon receipt of a cable saying they were in the Virgin Islands “en route” to Panama, phoned her brother, General Styer, to that effect. He exploded “What did they want to go to the Virgin Islands for?” She replied, “Why, they’ve never been there.” He said “(deleted!) they’ve never been to the North Pole, either!” She answered “Shhh! Don’t remind them of that—they’ll begin buying winter clothes!”</p>
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In January, 1940, they returned for the fourth time to the Philippines to visit their daughter there and thoroughly enjoyed comparing notes on experiences in the early days in the provinces (40 years before) with the conveniences and changes in evidence then.</p>
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They returned to the States in the latter part of 1940 and had several trips across continent before war broke out. Since that time they have been, of necessity due to travel conditions, content to enjoy the home they built in 1935.</p>
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They had a marvelous “system” for enabling them to gad-about so much on the General’s retired pay. They would pick out some nice quiet country town where living was cheap, take an inexpensive place, remain for three months or so, enjoying getting acquainted with the townspeople, reading books from the local library and such diversions that cost nothing-then when the family finances were recuperated sufficiently they would be off again ... to Panama, across continent, Europe, China ... whatever corner of the globe beckoned at the moment and that they had planned for financially during their “quiet” time. It is difficult to say which they enjoyed more—the necessary interludes of inexpensive living or the many wonderful trips—for they both loved people. They were interested in the stay-at-home folks and their lives and problems as well as the more sophisticated, cosmopolitan persons they met in traveling.</p>
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General Styer was very active in civic affairs, being a member of the Military Affairs committee of the San Diego Chamber of Commerce. He was elected National Commander of the Veterans of the American Expeditionary Forces, Siberia, and served in this capacity until his death. His “pet” of many and varied charities or funds to which he contributed regularly was the Prisoner of War Fund. His indignation knew no bounds over the fact that he was “too old” to serve in this conflict. He was holder of the War Cross of Czechoslovakia presented to him during World War I.</p>
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When Charon escorted the General across the River Styx, the journey was made as he had wanted it—quickly, but with warning to his family of his departure, painlessly and retaining his mental faculties and sense of humor until he lapsed into a coma during his sleep the night of May 7th after suffering a slight stroke the early morning of May 6th.</p>
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Funeral services were conducted in San Diego, followed by cremation. Interment in Arlington cemetery, with full military honors, will follow at a later date.</p>
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We’ll say “Good-night” again, then, to one of the finest persons who ever lived. As husband, father, officer and loyal friend he is respected, admired and loved by all who knew him. He had a full, useful and happy life—the lives of those who knew him are enriched by their contacts with him. His genial presence does live on and on!</p>
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