Wilbur, William H. (William Hale), 1888-1979

William Hale Wilbur was born September 24, 1888, in Palmer, Massachusetts. After high school he briefly attended Haverford College and eventually entered West Point. Upon graduation he held different posts, including Panama, before becoming an instructor at West Point. After three years at West Point he taught and studied at various military schools, including the prestigious Army War College. In 1923 he married Laura G. Schiefflen. Wilbur worked closely with General George S. Patton in 1942 to craft a letter of alliance with French forces in Casablanca. Now a colonel in the African campaign, he personally delivered the letter, traveling through hostile territory and narrowly escaping death. His valor earned Wilbur the coveted Congressional Medal of Honor from President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Upon Patton's recommendation, Wilbur was also promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. He went on to participate in the Tunisian and Salerno campaigns, the latter earning him the Silver Star. In early 1944 Wilbur returned home for health reasons and was hospitalized, then spent time at both Fort Benning, Georgia, and the Presidio of California in San Francisco, where he served as Chief of Staff for the Western Defense Command. He later embarked on a speaking tour for the army to promote such topics as universal military training. William H. Wilbur retired from active duty with the rank of Brigadier General in March of 1947. He died on December 27, 1979, and was buried in the West Point cemetery.

William Hale Wilbur (b. Sept. 24, 1888, Palmer, Mass.-d. Dec. 27, 1979), Brigadier General in the U.S. Army, was commissioned in the infantry upon graduation from West Point in 1912. After completing other military training and graduating from the Army War College, he served as chief of staff of VI Corps Area, then I Armored Corps, North Africa Theater of Operations in 1941 and 1942, where he earned the Medal of Honor. Later he served as assistant division commander, 36th Division, and chief of staff, Western Defense Command. He retired in March 1947.