John L. Hines

Hines was born in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia,[2] to Irish parents, Edward and Mary. Having won a competitive examination for a congressional appointment to the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York, Hines, despite having a hard time maintaining his passing grades, nevertheless graduated and was commissioned as a second lieutenant of Infantry on June 12, 1891.[1] While he was there he took an interest in athletics, becoming a member of one of the first football teams at West Point.[3]

His first assignment upon his graduation was to the 2nd Infantry Regiment at Fort Omaha, Nebraska. Hines served with the regiment in Nebraska and later at Fort Harrison, Montana, from 1891 to 1898,[4][3] where he married Harriet Schofield "Rita" Wherry, one of the daughters of Brigadier General William M. Wherry and Alice Grammer.[5]

Hines served with the 25th Infantry Regiment in Cuba during the Spanish–American War and in the Philippines during the Philippine–American War. In 1898 he was elected as a Veteran Companion of the Pennsylvania Commandery of the Military Order of Foreign Wars. He was adjutant of the Mexican Punitive Expedition in 1916–17 under General John J. Pershing.[1][6]

Major General John L. Hines, commanding the 4th Division, and members of his divisional staff at Haudainville, Meuse, France, September 15, 1918.

During World War I, Hines rose rapidly in rank as he was promoted from major to lieutenant colonel in May 1917, then to colonel (November 1917), brigadier general (April 1918), and, in August 1918, to temporary major general—four grades in 16 months. He assumed successively larger commands—from regiment to brigade, division, and finally, corps.[7]

Hunter Liggett (1st on the left) with fellow US generals (left to right) Robert Bullard, James McAndrew, James Harbord, Charles Summerall, John Hines, Edward Lewis, Michael Lenihan, William Mitchell and Frank Parker, after having been decorated with the "Commandeur" of the Légion d'honneur by Marshal Philippe Pétain in 1919.

Hines commanded the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, from May to August 1918, during which time he received the Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest decoration for valor in the United States Armed Forces, with the medal's citation reading:

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Brigadier General John Leonard Hines, Sr., United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while Commanding the 1st Infantry Brigade, 1st Division, A.E.F., near Berzy-le-Sec, France, 21 July 1918. At a critical time during the battle southwest of Soissons, when liaison had been broken between the 16th Infantry and 26th Infantry, and repeated efforts to reestablish it had failed, General Hines, then in command of the 1st Infantry Brigade, personally went through terrific artillery fire to the front lines of the 16th Infantry, located its left flank, and, walking in front of the lines, encouraged the troops by his example of fearlessness and disregard of danger. He then succeeded in finding the right forward elements of the 26th Infantry and directed the linking up of the two regiments, thereby enabling the operations to be pushed forward successfully.[8]

On August 16, 1918, Hines assumed command of the 4th Division.[9] He commanded the division during the American operations at St. Mihiel and in the Meuse-Argonne until October 11, 1918.[1][9] Hines then took command of III Corps, leading it during the final engagements of the war and the occupation of the Rhineland. For his service during the war he was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the citation for which reads:

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Major General John Leonard Hines, Sr., United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility during World War I. As Regimental, Brigade, Division, and Corps Commander, General Hines displayed marked ability in each of the important duties with which he was entrusted and exhibited in the operations near Montdidier and Soissons, and in the St. Mihiel and Argonne-Meuse offensives his high attainments as a soldier and commander.[8]

Hines was promoted to permanent major general in March 1921. His post-war commands included the 5th Division, the 2nd Division and the VIII Corps Area.[1]

Oil painting of Hines

Major General John L. Hines, Brigadier General Hugh A. Drum and Major Francis B. Wilby at Capitol Hill, 1925.

In December 1922, Hines was assigned as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, and became Chief of Staff of the United States Army on September 14, 1924.[4] His army biography states that as chief of staff, he "stressed the need for balance in funding and personnel for all parts of the permanent establishment, pointed up the effects of strength deficiencies upon Army capability to meet the provisions of the National Defense Act of 1920, and urged action on housing and promotions to promote personnel retention."[10]

On May 7, 1925, Hines dedicated the landing field at the Vancouver Barracks in Vancouver, Washington, to the memory of Lieutenant Alexander Pearson Jr., who was killed on September 2, 1924, in Fairfield, Ohio while flying the Curtiss R-8 in preparation for the upcoming Pulitzer Trophy Race.[11]

In 1926, after completing his tour as Army Chief of Staff, Hines took command of the IX Corps Area in California, which he led until 1930. In 1930, Hines became commanding general of the Philippine Department.

Hines retired in May 1932.[4] He was promoted to the rank of full (4 star) general on the retired list by a Special Act of Congress on June 15, 1940.[12]

Hines died in Washington, D.C., at Walter Reed Army Medical Center at age 100. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.[1] As of 2006, Hines is one of only two American generals to have celebrated their 100th birthdays, the other being James Van Fleet.

On May 5, 2000, the United States Postal Service issued the Distinguished Soldiers stamps in which Hines was honored.[7]

Hines' son, Colonel John L. Hines Jr. (1905–1986), served in World War II with the 6th Armored Division, commanding the division's Combat Command A from November 1944 to March 1945. He was twice decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross and was severely wounded outside Frankfurt, Germany when an 88 mm antitank shell grazed his face.[13]

Note that the date indicated is the date of rank. In some cases, the promotion was accepted at a later date.[14]

Insignia	Rank	Component	Date
No pin insignia in 1891	Second Lieutenant	Regular Army	June 12, 1891
	First Lieutenant	Regular Army	April 26, 1898
	Captain	Regular Army	December 5, 1900
	Major	Regular Army	May 23, 1912
	Lieutenant Colonel	Regular Army	May 15, 1917
	Colonel	Temporary	August 5, 1917
	Brigadier General	National Army	April 12, 1918
	Major General	National Army	August 8, 1918
	Brigadier General	Regular Army	November 30, 1918
	Major General	Regular Army	July 1, 1920
	Major General	Retired list	May 31, 1932
	General	Retired list	June 15, 1940

•   Distinguished Service Cross[15]
•   Distinguished Service Medal[15]
•   Silver Star[15]
•   Spanish Campaign Medal
•   Army of Cuban Occupation Medal
•   Philippine Campaign Medal
•   Mexican Service Medal
•   World War I Victory Medal
•   Army of Occupation of Germany Medal
•   Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (UK)
•   Commandeur Légion d'honneur (France)
•   Croix de guerre (France)
•   Commander Order of Léopold (Belgium)
•   Order of the Crown (Italy)
•   Medal of Solidarity, 1918 (Panama)

• Davis, Henry Blaine Jr. (1998). Generals in Khaki. Raleigh, North Carolina: Pentland Press. ISBN 1571970886. OCLC 40298151.
• Zabecki, David T.; Mastriano, Douglas V., eds. (2020). Pershing's Lieutenants: American Military Leadership in World War I. New York, NY: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4728-3863-6.
• Venzon, Anne Cipriano (2013). The United States in the First World War: an Encyclopedia. Hoboken, NJ: Taylor and Francis. ISBN 978-1-135-68453-2. OCLC 865332376.
• Coffman, Edward M. (1998). The War to End All Wars: The American Military Experience in World War. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0-8131-0955-8.