Lesley James McNAIR

Source : Victor Daniel

Spouse : Clare Huster McNAIR

Son : Douglas C McNAIR 

Source : Victor Daniel

 CEMETERY TEMPORARY of  La Cambe N°3539

Story of Cemetery Temporary  

Map of Normandy American Cemetery

Lesley James McNair comes from a family living in Minnesota, he quickly became predisposed to a military career. At the end of his high school he was sad to be accepted for an appointment to join the US Naval Academy.

But the integration procedure took time and he then began to approach the US Military Academy, also known as West Point, he joined the class of August 1900 and in 1904 he became a second lieutenant.

Source : Victor Daniel

He joined the artillery arm in the US Army where he would first become section chief in the 12th Battery of the Mountain Artillery at Fort Douglas in UTAH.

He quickly applied for a qualification to the Ordnance department and went back to Sand Hook Proving Ground in NEW JERSEY to supervise the tests of the new mountain artillery pieces.

He would spend the bulk of his career in the centres and experimental units for artillery guns, moving from one end of the country to the other.

In April 1917, as the US was entering the war he was promoted to Major as an instructor at the Leon Springs Officer’s Training Camp in TEXAS and was quickly assigned to the newly created 1st Infantry Division. He then went to the divisional headquarters as a chief assistant in training. He was in charge of pre-deployment training, whether individual or collective at any level.
During the crossing of the Atlantic towards France he would share his quarters on board with a certain captain George C. MARSHALL, they would remain good friends afterwards.

Once he arrived across the Atlantic he was finally going to be reassigned to G5 of the headquarters of the AEF (American Expeditionnary Force) as head of training and artillery tactics of the force. His impressive work earned him a high esteem from his superiors, he would become colonel in June 1918 and brigadier-general in October (making him the second youngest general of the US Army.

McNair receiving the Army DSM from General Pershing

Source : Victor Daniel

McNair receives the Legion of Honor from Pétain

Source : Victor Danie

Once the conflict was over, Lesley McNAIR would return to the US and continue his field and school jobs at the Army War College and the US Army Field Artillery School.

After being reinstated to his permanent rank of major, he rose in the ranks occasionally taking command of artillery units before becoming brigadier general again in January 1937.

Source : Victor Daniel

Source : Victor Daniel

En juillet 1940, il accède au poste de chef d’état-major du QG général de l’armée américaine et passe le grade de major général.

His role in this post would be to expand the capabilities and increase the strength of the Army following the country’s entry into war.

He would have the heavy task of integrating as well as possible the new branches (armoured cavalry, airborne troops, tank destroyers, anti-aircraft artillery...) into the armed forces.

The replacement of units which had suffered losses was also a matter of concern, and McNAIR succeeded in setting up a very efficient system for training the replacements.

From 1943 he went on inspection in North Africa to observe the application and effectiveness of the training that had followed the troops. This is where he received his Purple Heart on April 23, while under observation near the front line.

As a result of this he was approached by EISENHOWER to become the commander of the fictitious First US Army Group (FUSAG), a force of deception that would pretend to the Germans an invasion army ready to land in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais.

PATTON finally held this post, despite him, and once the 3rd Army of the latter sent on the front McNAIR eventually took over command of the FUSAG.

Source : Victor Daniel

Senior officers during the Louisiana maneuvers. Left to right: Mark W. Clark, Chief of Staff, Army Ground Forces; Harry J. Malony, Chief of Staff, Second Army; Dwight D. Eisenhower, Chief of Staff, Third Army; Ben Lear, Commander Second Army; Walter Krueger, Commander Third Army; Lesley J. McNair, Commander Army Ground Forces.

Source : Victor Daniel 

McNair listens as Omar Bradley, 82nd Infantry Division commander, explains a scenario to McNair at the Louisiana Maneuvers

Source : Victor Daniel

Source : Victor Daniel

In July 1944, still in his role as chief of staff of Army Ground Forces, Lieutenant-General McNAIR travelled to Normandy to follow the fighting when Operation Cobra was launched in the southern Channel.

While with the 2nd battalion of the 120th Infantry Regiment, a bomb mistakenly dropped by an 8th Air Force bomber landed on his position killing him instantly.

He was not the only victim that day, in fact it is estimated that a hundred other soldiers were killed in the same conditions and nearly 500 others wounded.

He was one of only four Lieutenant-Generals killed in the conflict, and would be promoted to General posthumously in 1954.

McNair after being awarded the Purple Heart in Tunisia in April 1943, with left arm in sling 

Source : Victor Daniel

Source : Victor Daniel 

Source : Victor Daniel

Source : Victor Daniel

Source : Victor Daniel

Source : Victor Daniel

Source : Victor Daniel