Samuel Rockenbach

Samuel Dickerson Rockenbach (27 January 1869 – 16 May 1952) was an American Brigadier General and father of the United States Tank Corps.

Samuel Dickerson Rockenbach
Rockenbach circa 1918
Born(1869-01-27)January 27, 1869
Lynchburg, Virginia
DiedMay 16, 1952(1952-05-16) (aged 83)
Washington, D.C.
Buried
Service/branchUnited States Army
Years of service1891-1933
RankBrigadier General
Service number0-397
UnitU.S. Army Cavalry Branch
Commands heldBase Section Number 1, Saint-Nazaire, France
Tank Corps, First United States Army
U.S. Army Tank Corps
U.S. Army Tank School
Military District of Washington
2nd Cavalry Brigade
2nd Field Artillery Brigade
Battles/warsAmerican Indian Wars
Pancho Villa Expedition
Spanish–American War
World War I
AwardsArmy Distinguished Service Medal
Spouse(s)Emma Baldwin (m. 1898-1945, her death)
RelationsTheodore Anderson Baldwin (father-in-law)
Other workCommandant, Kemper Military School

Biography

Rockenbach was born in Lynchburg, Virginia on January 27, 1869, the son of Frank J. Rockenbach and Jane Nicolson Rockenbach.[1] He attended the Virginia Military Institute, where he graduated third in the class of 1889 and was designated a distinguished graduate.[2][3]

In 1898, Rockenbach married Emma Baldwin, who was the daughter of Theodore Anderson Baldwin.[2]

Rockenbach was the commander of Kemper Military School and also served in the Missouri Militia.[2] He received a commission in the United States Cavalry in 1891.[4] He served repeatedly with John J. Pershing, including serving as quartermaster during the Pancho Villa Expedition.[4] In 1912, Rockenbach graduated from the United States Army War College.[5]

During World War I

In December 1917, he was appointed by Pershing to command the AEF's Tank Corps.[6]

In 1918, Rockenbach organized, trained, equipped, and deployed the first American tank units to the European Western Front during World War I.[7]

After World War I

He remained chief of the Tanks Corps until 1920. He directed the tank school at Fort Meade, Maryland until 1924.[8]

From 1928 to his retirement in 1933, he commanded the Second Artillery Brigade at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.[2]

Rockenbach died on May 16, 1952.[2]

Awards

Rockenbach received the Army Distinguished Service Medal.[9] In addition, he was a recipient of the French Croix de Guerre and Officer of the Legion of Honor awards, and the Commander of the Order of the Bath from Great Britain.[1]

Legacy

His papers are held by the Virginia Military Institute.[10]

References

  1. Davis, Arthur Kyle, ed. (1923). Virginians of Distinguished Service of the World War. Richmond, VA: Virginia War History Commission. p. 140 via Google Books.
  2. Davis Jr., Henry Blaine (1998). Generals in Khaki. Pentland Press, Inc. pp. 313–314. ISBN 1571970886. OCLC 40298151.
  3. "Virginia Military Institute: The Class". Staunton Spectator. Staunton, VA. July 10, 1889. p. 2 via Newspapers.com.
  4. Hacker, Barton C.; Vining, Margaret (2006). American Military Technology: The Life Story of a Technology. Greenwood Press. p. 66. ISBN 0313333084. OCLC 62342068.
  5. U.S. Army Adjutant General (1912). Official Army Register. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office. p. 164 via Google Books.
  6. Pershing, John J. (2013). My Life Before the World War, 1860-1917: A Memoir. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky. p. 317. ISBN 9780813141978.
  7. Samuel D. Rockenbach, "The Rockenbach Report: Operations of the Tank Corps A.E.F." (Silver Spring, MD: Dale Street Books, 2016), pp. 9-21.
  8. Hacker, Barton C.; Vining, Margaret (2006). American Military Technology: The Life Story of a Technology. Greenwood Press. p. 67. ISBN 0313333084. OCLC 62342068.
  9. "Valor awards for Samuel D. Rockenbach".
  10. "VMI Archives Catalog - Samuel D. Rockenbach Papers".
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