Wayne H. Page

Wayne Harold Page (September 25, 1922 – March 26, 2001) was a Vermont military officer and business executive who served as Adjutant General of the Vermont National Guard.

Wayne H. Page
Wayne H. Page, Adjutant General of the Vermont National Guard, 1966–1967.
BornSeptember 25, 1922 (1922-09-25)
Hyde Park, Vermont
DiedMarch 26, 2001 (2001-03-27) (aged 78)
Burlington, Vermont
Buried
Hooper Cemetery
Hyde Park, Vermont
Allegiance Vermont
 United States
Service/branch Vermont National Guard
United States Army
Years of service1942 – 1967
Rank Brigadier General
Commands held86th Armored Brigade
Vermont National Guard
Battles/warsWorld War II
Korean War
AwardsBronze Star Medal (2)
Combat Infantryman Badge
Other workMining Engineer, Manager, Executive, GAF Materials Corporation

Early life

Wayne H. Page was born in Hyde Park, Vermont on September 25, 1922.[1] He was educated in Hyde Park, and graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in electrical engineering in 1943.[2]

World War II

Page joined the United States Army for World War II, enlisting in 1943 and receiving his commission after completion of Officer Candidate School in 1944. He served in Europe as a member of the 398th Infantry Regiment, 100th Infantry Division and attained the rank of captain before being discharged in 1946.[3]

Post-World War II

After the war, Page became a mining engineer, manager and executive with the Ruberoid Corporation, responsible for overseeing operations at an asbestos mine in Belvidere, Vermont.[4]

He was also active in politics, including serving as Chairman of the Lamoille County Republican Committee.[5]

He also maintained his affiliation with the military as a member of the Vermont Army National Guard.

He was activated for the Korean War as a member of the 43rd Division, but was released before the division deployed to West Germany, acceding to a Department of Defense request to return to his civilian job, which was regarded as more important to the war effort.[6][7]

By the mid-1960s, Page had attained the rank of brigadier general as commander of the 86th Armored Brigade and then Vermont's Assistant Adjutant General for Army.[8][9]

Adjutant General

In September, 1966 Adjutant General Francis William Billado died. From September until December of that year his deputy, Reginald M. Cram acted as Adjutant General.[10]

In November, Page announced that he would be a candidate for the position during the election scheduled for February, 1967.[11] (Since the 1860s the Adjutant General is selected for a two-year term by the Vermont General Assembly. Elections are held in February of each odd-numbered year, and terms begin the following March. The Governor of Vermont can make a temporary appointment to fill a vacancy if it occurs when the legislature is not in session.)[12]

On November 30, 1966, Governor Philip H. Hoff appointed Page to serve as Adjutant General until the new term began in March, 1967. Though both Cram and Page were Republicans and Hoff a Democrat, Hoff indicated that he made the decision to appoint Page after other Vermont National Guard officers expressed to him their preference for an Army officer (Page) over one from the Air Force (Cram), given that most Vermont National Guard units were Army organizations.[13][14]

After Page's appointment, Cram resigned as Deputy Adjutant General and campaigned for a full two-year term.[15] In an upset, Cram defeated Page in the election, ending Page's three-month tenure as Adjutant General.[16] (Cram served until he retired in 1981.)

Page served again briefly as Assistant Adjutant General for Army after losing the election, and retired from the military in mid-1967.[17] He continued his career with the Ruberoid Corporation, which later became part of GAF Materials Corporation, accepting positions outside Vermont and rising to Vice President and member of the board of directors.[18][19][20]

Retirement and death

Page continued to live in Lamoille County after retiring in the late 1980s. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and numerous other civic, professional and fraternal organizations. In addition, he was an active volunteer at Morristown's Centennial Library. He died in Burlington, Vermont on March 26, 2001, and was buried in Hyde Park's Hooper Cemetery.[21][22]

Awards

Page's awards included the Bronze Star Medal (2) and the Combat Infantryman Badge.[23]

Family

In 1942 Page married Sylvia F. Ward (March 22, 1923 – June 25, 1999).[24][25] They had three children: Chandler S. who died in 1963, Karen Hoke of Allentown, Pennsylvania and Nancy Zaphiris of Arlington, Massachusetts.[26]

References
  1. Vermont Birth Records, 1909–2008, entry for Wayne Harold Page, retrieved December 30, 2013
  2. University of Vermont, Bulletin of the University of Vermont, March 1942, page 314
  3. National Guard Association of the United States, The National Guardsman, Volume 21, 1967, pages 37-38
  4. Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, The Canadian Mining and Metallurgical Bulletin, Volume 60, 1967, page 947
  5. Associated press, Bennington Banner, Lamoille County Elects Two, October 17, 1963
  6. Vermont Adjutant General, Annual Report, 1955, page 69
  7. United Press International, Bennington Banner, Appointment Pleases Gen. Page, December 2, 1966
  8. National Guard Association of the United States, National Guard magazine, 1966, page 43
  9. United Press International, Bennington Banner, Stebbins Named Assistant Adjutant General, January 6, 1965
  10. Associated Press, Portsmouth Herald, New Commander, September 15, 1966
  11. North Adams Transcript, Two Vie for Adjutant General, November 18, 1966
  12. Vermont General Assembly, Acts and Laws, Passed by the Legislature of the State of Vermont, 1965, page 136
  13. United Press International. Bennington Banner, Hoff Will Appoint Page as Head of National Guard, November 30, 1966
  14. United Press International, Bennington Banner, Cram remains Candidate for Guard Post, December 6, 1966
  15. United Press International, Bennington Banner, Hoff Accepts Cram resignation as Acting Adjutant General, December 1, 1966
  16. United Press International, Bennington Banner, Legislators Elect Gen. Cram Adjutant and Inspector General, February 17, 1967
  17. United Press International, Bennington Banner, Former Adjutant General Finds "No Vacancy" in Guard, March 8, 1967
  18. United Press International, Bennington Banner, Asbestos Mine Owners Predict it Will Close, April 27, 1974
  19. A. H. Chidester, A. L. Albee, W. M. Cady, U.S. Geological Survey, Petrology, Structure and Genesis of the Asbestos-Bearing Ultramafic Rocks of the Belvidere Mountain Area in Vermont, 1977, page 4
  20. Fairchild Publications, Fairchild's Textile & Apparel Financial Directory, 1978, page 74
  21. Vermont Death Records, 1909–2008, entry for Wayne Harold Page, retrieved December 30, 2013
  22. U.S. Veterans Gravesites, c. 1775 – 2006, entry for Wayne Harold Page, retrieved December 30, 2013
  23. U.S. Army Adjutant General, Awards and Decorations, 398th Infantry Regiment, 1946, posted by George C. Marshall Foundation, 2007, page 162
  24. Vermont, Marriage Records, 1909–2008 for Wayne Harold Page and Sylvia F. Ward, retrieved December 30, 2013
  25. Vermont Death Records, 1909–2008, entry for Sylvia W. Page, retrieved December 30, 2013
  26. Morrisville News and Citizen, Obituary, Sylvia W. Page, July 13, 1999

Wayne H. Page at Find a Grave, retrieved December 30, 2013

Military offices
Preceded by
Reginald M. Cram		 Vermont Adjutant General
December, 1966 – March, 1967		 Succeeded by
Reginald M. Cram
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