Geoffrey Keyes

For the British Army officer who died in the raid on Erwin Rommel's HQ, see Geoffrey Keyes (VC).
Geoffrey Keyes
Born October 30, 1888
Fort Bayard, New Mexico, United States
Died September 17, 1967 (aged 78)
Walter Reed Hospital, Washington, D.C., United States
Buried at West Point Cemetery
Allegiance  United States
Service/branch  United States Army
Years of service 1913–1950
Rank Lieutenant General
Unit Cavalry Branch
Commands held 9th Armored Division
II Corps
Seventh Army
Third Army
Battles/wars Pancho Villa Expedition
World War I
World War II
Awards Army Distinguished Service Medal (3)
Legion of Merit
Silver Star (2)
Bronze Star

Lieutenant General Geoffrey Keyes (October 30, 1888 – September 17, 1967) was a highly decorated senior officer of the United States Army who commanded II Corps during the Italian Campaign of World War II.

Biography

Early life and Military career

Geoffrey T. Keyes was born on October 30, 1888 in Fort Bayard, New Mexico, the son of Captain Alexander S. B. Keyes, a United States Army officer, and his wife, Virginia Maxwell Keyes. Like his father, Geoffrey enrolled as a cadet at the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York on March 2, 1908 and graduated on June 12, 1913, being commissioned as an officer, with the rank of second lieutenant, into the Cavalry Branch of the U.S. Army. His first assignment was with the 6th Cavalry Regiment, where he served until October 1916 and participated in the Pancho Villa Expedition.

His next assignment was at the USMA, where he served as an instructor of French language. He was also head football coach for one season in 1917, compiling a record of 7–1. During World War I he served in the United States as an instructor at the USMA.

Between the wars

His interwar service included duty with Panama Canal Division as an Assistant Chief of Staff (G-3), instructor at the USMA and the U.S. Army Cavalry School at Fort Riley, Kansas and Chief of Supply of Supply Division within War Department. He also graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff School in 1926 and the U.S. Army War College in 1937.

World War II

In 1940, during World War II, he was chief of staff of the 2nd Armored Division, under Major General George S. Patton. From June to September 1942, he Commanding General (CG) of the 9th Armored Division before going to North Africa as Deputy CG of the I Armored Corps, commanded by Patton, which was later redesignated the U.S. Seventh Army for the Allied invasion of Sicily (codenamed Operation Husky).

From left to right, Major General Geoffrey Keyes, General A. L. Collier and General Alphonse Juin in Pompeii.

He was originally serving as deputy commander of the Seventh Army during the campaign, once again serving under Patton. During Husky, when Patton split the Seventh Army in half, Keyes was given command of the Provisional Corps, which captured most of Western Sicily, including Palermo, the Sicilian capital, earning Keyes the Army Distinguished Service Medal.

In September 1943 he assumed command of the II Corps from Major General John P. Lucas and commanded it throughout the Italian Campaign, landing in Italy in November and serving under Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark's American Fifth Army. His first major battle was the Battle of San Pietro Infine and later, with Major General Fred L. Walker's 36th (Texas) Infantry Division under command, his corps took part in the controversial Battle of Rapido River, part of the first Battle of Monte Cassino. The corps was then involved in Operation Diadem, the fighting on the Gothic Line and the Spring 1945 offensive in Italy.

Postwar

After the war he commanded the Seventh Army from 1945 to 1946 and the Third Army from 1946 to 1947. In 1947, Keyes was appointed U.S. High Commissioner on the Allied Council for Austria. He served as Director, Weapons Systems Evaluation Group (WSEG) from 1951 to 1954.

Keyes retired from the army in 1954, after 41 years, and died on September 17, 1967 at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C..[1] He is interred at West Point, New York.

Decorations

Lieutenant general Keyes's ribbon bar:

Silver star
Bronze star
Bronze star
1st Row Army Distinguished Service Medal w/ two Oak Leaf Clusters Silver Star w/ Oak Leaf Cluster Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal
2nd Row Mexican Service Medal World War I Victory Medal American Defense Service Medal American Campaign Medal
3rd Row European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal w/ one silver and two bronze service stars World War II Victory Medal Army of Occupation Medal National Defense Service Medal
4th Row Honorary Companion of the Order of the Bath (United Kingdom) Commandeur of the Legion of Honour French Croix de guerre 1939–1945 w/ palm Grand Officer of the Order of Ouissam Alaouite
5th Row Grand Officer of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (Italy) Silver Medal of Military Valor (Italy) Grand Officer of the Military Order of the White Lion Czechoslovak War Cross 1939-1945
6th Row Military Order of Savoy (Italy) Papal Lateran Cross (Vatican) Officer of the Legion of Honour

Head coaching record

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Army Cadets (Independent) (1917)
1917 Army 7–1
Army: 7–1
Total: 7–1

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Geoffrey Keyes.
Military offices
Preceded by
New post
Commanding General 9th Armored Division
June 1942 – September 1942
Succeeded by
John W. Leonard
Preceded by
Omar Bradley
Commanding General II Corps
1943–1945
Succeeded by
Post deactivated
Preceded by
Wade H. Haislip
Commanding General Seventh Army
1945–1946
Succeeded by
Oscar Griswold
Preceded by
Lucian Truscott
Commanding General Third Army
1946–1947
Succeeded by
Ernest N. Harmon
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