Fay B. Prickett

Fay Brink Prickett was born in Hutchinson, Kansas on April 29, 1893, the son of Darius Prickett, a carpenter, and Rosa Lee (Dickerson) Prickett.[1][2] He was raised and educated in Hutchinson, and attended Hutchinson High School.[3] In high school, Prickett was known for his athletic prowess, and was a member of the basketball, football, and track and field teams.[1][4] In 1911, he was elected president of the junior class.[5]

At West Point in 1916

At age 14, Prickett joined the Kansas Army National Guard as the bugler for Company E, 2nd Kansas Infantry Regiment.[6] He served for four years and during training exercises was frequently called upon to serve as the regimental commander's mounted trumpeter.[1] In April 1912, Prickett was appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point by Congressman George A. Neeley.[1] He then withdrew from high school so he could study with private tutors prior to taking the West Point entrance exam.[1]

Prickett passed the May 1912 entrance exam and he began attending the military academy in the fall of 1912.[3] He graduated in June 1916 ranked 57th of 125.[7] Prickett received his commission as a second lieutenant and was assigned to the 10th Cavalry Regiment.[7]

After joining the 10th Cavalry at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, Prickett took part in the Pancho Villa Expedition on the U.S.-Mexico border.[7] In July 1916, he received promotion to first lieutenant.[7] At the start of World War I, he transferred to the Field Artillery Branch.[7] He was promoted to captain in May 1917 and completed the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma in December 1917.[7]

In February 1918, Prickett was transferred to the 16th Field Artillery Regiment, which arrived in France in May 1918.[7] Prickett was promoted to temporary major in July, and was assigned to command a battalion.[7] He led his unit during the Battle of Château-Thierry, Battle of Saint-Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne offensive, and remained in command until the end of the war.[7] After the Armistice of November 11, 1918 ended the war, Prickett remained in Germany as part of the Army of Occupation.[7]

After the war, Prickett reverted to his permanent rank of captain and continued to serve in staff and command positions of increasing responsibility.[1] He was a 1920 graduate of the Field Artillery Battery Officers Course, and he completed the Field Artillery Officers Advanced Course in 1923.[1] In 1924, he was assigned as an instructor at Princeton University.[8] The Army prioritized polo playing in the 1920s and 1920s, believing that the game enabled officers to learn to make quick decisions under stress.[1] Prickett played on Army teams,[1] and also coached Princeton's team in the mid-1920s.[9]

In 1929, he completed the course at the United States Army Command and General Staff College.[1] In 1932, Prickett graduated from the United States Army War College.[1] In 1937, he was appointed to command West Point's Field Artillery Detachment.[1]

At the start of World War II, Prickett was promoted to brigadier general as commander of the 4th Infantry Division Artillery.[1] He was subsequently promoted to major general as commander of the 75th Infantry Division, which he trained in the United States and led to France.[1] Prickett led the division during combat in Europe, including the Battle of the Bulge.[1] In January 1945, he was assigned as deputy commander of the XXI Corps.[10]

After the war, Prickett remained in Europe, where he led in succession the 10th Armored Division, 4th Armored Division, and 1st Constabulary Brigade.[1] As part of his occupation duties, Prickett led the military tribunal at Dachau which tried Germans who were accused of committing crimes at the Mauthausen concentration camp.[1] After his return to the United States, Prickett commanded the Second U.S. Army's Pennsylvania Military District.[11] His terminal assignment was deputy inspector general of the U.S. Army, which he held until retiring in April 1953.[12]

In retirement, Prickett resided in Alexandria, Virginia.[1] In addition to teaching military history at the University of Maryland, College Park, Prickett golfed almost daily at Alexandria's Army Navy Country Club, often playing alongside longtime friend Jacob L. Devers.[1]

Prickett died at Walter Reed Army Medical Center on December 18, 1982.[13] He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.[1]

In March 1917, Prickett married Margaret Murray McGregor (1898-2003) of Denver, Colorado.[1] They were the parents of three daughters: Margaret (Peggy); Mary (Polly); and Virginia (Ginger).[1]

Peggy was the wife of Major General Frank Dickson Miller.[1] Polly was the wife of Brigadier General Francis Joseph Roberts. Ginger was the wife of Colonel Lee E. Cage Sr.[1]

Prickett's military awards included the Legion of Merit with Oak leaf cluster and the Bronze Star Medal.[14] In addition, his World War II service was recognized with award of the French Legion of Honor and Croix de Guerre with palm.[15]

Prickett's effective dates of promotion were:[16]

• Second lieutenant, June 14, 1912
• First lieutenant, July 1, 1916
• Captain, May 19, 1917
• Major (temporary), July 3, 1918
• Captain, February 3, 1920
• Major (temporary), May 9, 1921
• Captain, November 4, 1922
• Major, December 28, 1926
• Lieutenant colonel, September 1, 1937
• Colonel (temporary), June 26, 1941
• Brigadier general (temporary), March 12, 1942
• Major general (temporary), January 14, 1944
• Brigadier general (temporary), July 1, 1946
• Major general (retired), April 30, 1953

• "Burial Record, Fay B. Prickett". Arlington National Cemetery. Arlington, VA: Office of Army Cemeteries. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
• Henney, Fred K. (1921). Reno's Response: History of Reno County's War Work Activities During the World War, 1917-1918. Hutchinson, KS: Hutchinson Office Supply & Printing Company. p. 232 – via HathiTrust.
• Generals of World War II