John Thomas Kennedy

John Thomas Kennedy
John Thomas Kennedy
	Kennedy at the Medal of Honor presentation ceremony at the White House (November 23, 1912)
Born	July 22, 1885; Hendersonville, South Carolina, US
Died	September 26, 1969 (aged 84); Columbia, South Carolina, US
Place of burial	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1908–1946
Rank	Brigadier General
Unit	6th U.S. Cavalry
Commands held	2nd Battalion, 83rd Field Artillery Regiment
Battles/wars	Philippine–American War; World War I; World War II
Awards	Medal of Honor; Silver Star

Brigadier General John Thomas Kennedy (July 22, 1885 – September 26, 1969) was an Officer in the United States Army who received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Philippine–American War and the last surviving US veteran of the war to receive the medal.

Biography[edit]

John Kennedy was born in Hendersonville, South Carolina. He attended The Citadel for one year, and graduated from West Point in 1908. Upon graduation he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 6th Cavalry Regiment. He served in the Philippines in 1909 and was awarded the Medal of Honor after being wounded leading an attack into a cave occupied by hostile Moro insurgents.

He transferred from the Cavalry to the Field Artillery in January 1917. In World War I he served as a field artillery officer and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the National Army. After the war, he reverted to his Regular Army rank of Captain but was promoted to the rank of Major in June 1920. Kennedy served as the Professor of Military Science at Auburn University from 1926 to 1931.

He graduated from the Command and General Staff College in 1924 and from the Army War College in 1932.^[1]

During World War II he was the Post Commander at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, from 1942 to 1945 with the rank of Brigadier General.

He retired from the Army on January 31, 1946, and died at the Veterans Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina on September 26, 1969.^[2]

General John T. Kennedy is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, in Section 7, plot 10076.

Awards[edit]

Medal of Honor citation[edit]

Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 6th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Patian Island, Philippine Islands, July 4, 1909. Entered service at: Orangeburg, S.C. Birth: Hendersonville, S.C. Date of issue: Unknown.

Citation:

While in action against hostile Moros, he entered with a few enlisted men the mouth of a cave occupied by a desperate enemy, this act having been ordered after he had volunteered several times. In this action 2d Lt. Kennedy was severely wounded.

Dates of rank[edit]

Cadet, USMA – June 16, 1904
2nd Lieutenant – February 14, 1908
1st Lieutenant – December 18, 1914
Captain – February 26, 1917
Major (National Army) – August 5, 1917
Lieutenant Colonel (National Army) – June 25, 1918
Discharged from National Army – February 15, 1920
Major – June 20, 1920
Lieutenant Colonel – March 1, 1932
Colonel – January 1, 1937
Brigadier General (Army of the United States) – May 21, 1942
Retired (with rank of brigadier general) – January 31, 1946

References[edit]

^ Official Army Register. 1948. pg. 2281.
^ "Brig. Gen. Kennedy; Won Medal of Honor". The Charlotte Observer. Columbia, South Carolina. Associated Press. September 27, 1969. p. 9. Retrieved January 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.

External links[edit]

"John T. Kennedy, Medal of Honor recipient". Medal of Honor citation. United States Army Center of Military History. Archived from the original on December 14, 2007. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
"John T. Kennedy, Home of Heroes". Home of Heroes.
"John T. Kennedy, Home of Heroes". Home of Heroes.
Generals of World War II

[1] Official Army Register. 1948. pg. 2281.

[2] "Brig. Gen. Kennedy; Won Medal of Honor". The Charlotte Observer. Columbia, South Carolina. Associated Press. September 27, 1969. p. 9. Retrieved January 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.

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