Lawrence Joseph Lincoln

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Lawrence J. Lincoln as a major general circa 1962

Lawrence Joseph "Abe" Lincoln (January 2, 1909 – June 27, 2000) was a native of Harbor Beach, Michigan and lieutenant general in the United States Army. He was commanding officer of Fort Sam Houston for the period June 1967–August 1968.

Early life and education[edit]

Lincoln was born January 2, 1909, on the family farm near Harbor Beach, Michigan. His parents were Burr Buchanan Lincoln and school teacher Esther Elizabeth Hoare Lincoln. He had two sisters and two brothers. A 1926 graduate of Harbor Beach High School, he attended the Ferris Institute, Western State College and George Washington University. His older brother George graduated from United States Military Academy (USMA) in 1929, leaving a vacancy in political appointments to the school. US Congressman Louis C. Cramton appointed Lawrence to the fill the vacancy. In addition to his scholastic achievements, he was athletically inclined.[1]

Military career[edit]

After his 1933 USMA graduation at the top five percent of his class, Lincoln was commissioned into the United States Army Corps of Engineers.[1] He later studied civil engineering at Princeton University, graduating in 1937.[2] Lincoln then served as an instructor at the USMA from 1938 to 1942.[3]

During WWII, he was on the 1943-44 planning staff of Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander, Southeast Asia Theater. He served on the US–Soviet Joint Commission in 1945, following the end of WWII. Following the end of the war, Lincoln was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal for his over-all contributions as part of the War Department General Staff, during World War II.[4]

For the next 20 years, Lincoln was assigned to a variety of engineering and construction projects.[1] He graduated from the United States Army War College in 1954.[2][3] During the 1960s, he was put in command of Fort Belvoir in Fairfax, Virginia, as well as the Engineer Officer Basic Course.[5] Lincoln was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree by Ferris State College in 1964.[3] He was promoted to lieutenant general on July 30, 1964.[2] Lincoln was Deputy Chief of Staff for logistics 1964-67. In June 1967, he was named commander of the Fourth United States Army and Fort Sam Houston.[5] In August 1968, Lincoln announced his retirement, and turned command of Fort Sam Houston over to his successor, Lt. General Harry H. Critz.[6]

Personal life[edit]

Lincoln and his wife Mary were the parents of one daughter, and two sons who both served in the military.[6] His older brother, Army Brigadier General George Arthur Lincoln (1907-1975), was an aide to General George C. Marshall, and became a top strategist for the Allies during World War II.[7]

In 1955, the Michigan Centennial Farm Program was created to recognize farms that had been family holdings for at least 100 years. The Lincoln family farm was eligible and officially designated the Lincoln Centennial Farm.[8]

After his retirement, Lincoln and his wife Mary settled in Alexandria, Virginia. Following his death from a heart ailment at the Inova Alexandria Hospital in the year 2000, Lincoln was buried with honors at the Arlington National Cemetery.[9][10] His wife was interred beside him a year later.[11]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Lt. Gen. Lincoln dies at 91". The Times. 13 July 2000. p. 3. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  2. ^ a b c U.S. Army Register: Active and Retired List. Vol. I. Washington, D.C.: Department of the Army. 1 January 1966. p. 339. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "Biographical Sketch of Lt. Gen. Lawrence J. Lincoln". Hearings Before and Special Reports Made by Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives on Subjects Affecting the Naval and Military Establishments: Eighty-Ninth Congress, First Session. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1965. p. 1423. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  4. ^ "Lawrence Lincoln - Army Distinguished Service Medal". valor.militarytimes.com. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Fourth to Welcome Its New Commander". San Antonio Express. 2 July 1967. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  6. ^ a b "4th Army Commander Retires". San Antonio Express at Newspapers.com. August 1, 1968. p. 65. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  7. ^ "George Lincoln, a top strategist in WWII, aide to General Marshall, dies". The Courier-Journal. 27 May 1975. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  8. ^ "About the Michigan Centennial Farm Program". Historical Society of Michigan. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  9. ^ "Lawrence 'Abe' Lincoln, Army Corps of Engineers Lieutenant General, Dies". The Washington Post. 7 July 2000. p. B7. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  10. ^ "Lawrence Joseph Lincoln, Lieutenant General, United States Army". arlingtoncemetery.net. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  11. ^ "Lincoln, Mary C". ANCExplorer. U.S. Army. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
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