Malin Craig
Malin Craig (August 5, 1875 – July 25, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who served as the 14th Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1935 to 1939. He served in World War I and was recalled to active duty during World War II[1] He played a large role in preparing the U.S. Army for World War II.[2]
Malin Craig
Saint Joseph, Missouri, United States
July 25, 1945
Walter Reed Hospital, Washington, D.C., United States
United States
1898–1939
1941–1945
0-86
Early life[edit]
Craig was born on August 5, 1875, in Saint Joseph, Missouri, a son of Army officer Louis A. Craig and Georgie (Malin) Craig.[3] His siblings included Louis A. Craig.[3] He entered the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York on June 20, 1894.[2][4] He graduated on April 26, 1898, and was ranked 33rd of 59. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Infantry branch. Craig's initial assignment was to the 4th Infantry Regiment.
Early career[edit]
On June 23, 1898, Craig transferred to the Cavalry branch, and he was assigned to the 6th Cavalry Regiment during the Santiago Campaign, the United States invasion of Cuba during the Spanish–American War.[5] After his return from Cuba, Craig transferred to the 4th Cavalry Regiment, serving in Wyoming and Oklahoma until 1900, when he served in the China Relief Expedition and in the Philippine Insurrection until 1902. He was promoted to first lieutenant on February 2, 1901,[5] transferring back to the 6th Cavalry.[6][2]
Craig attended the Infantry and Cavalry School from 1903 to 1904 and the Staff College from 1904 to 1905. He was promoted to captain on May 7, 1904,[5] assigned to the 10th Cavalry Regiment and later the 1st Cavalry Regiment. Craig was garrisoned as a regimental quartermaster at Fort Clark in Kinney, Texas from 1906 to 1909. He would go on to graduate from the Army War College in 1910, where Hunter Liggett was among his classmates, and serve in a variety of administrative positions, most notable of which was assigning troops to their regiments.[7]
He served with the 1st Cavalry Regiment in the western United States in 1912, then became an instructor at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas Army Service Schools, where he served in 1916 and 1917. He transferred to the General Staff Corps in 1917.[8]
World War II and death[edit]
Craig's retirement was short-lived, however. On September 26, 1941, with war on the horizon, he was recalled to active duty to head the War Department's Personnel Board, a body responsible for selecting individuals who were to receive direct commissions in the army. He headed the board until shortly before his death.
Craig died at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C., on July 25, 1945, where he had been ill for the previous year.[1] He was posthumously awarded a third Distinguished Service Medal and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.[9]
Personal life[edit]
In April 1901, Craig married Genevieve Woodruff, a daughter of General Charles Woodruff.[6] They were the parents of a son, Malin Craig Jr. (1902–1981).[11] Malin Craig Jr. was a career Army officer and World War II veteran who retired as a colonel.[11] After his military retirement, he taught geometry in the public schools of Montgomery County, Maryland.[11]