Marcus Daniel Cronin

Cronin was born in Worcester, Massachusetts on 9 January 1865. He attended College of the Holy Cross, then began attendance at the United States Military Academy, from which he graduated in 1887; his classmates included future Major General George O. Squier, and his attendance was concurrent with that of future generals John Pershing and Peyton March. Later, Cronin attended the Army War College and graduated in 1911.[1][2]

On 12 January 1887, Cronin was commissioned as a second lieutenant of the infantry and served on the United States frontier from 1887 to 1893. After his frontier duty, Cronin became an instructor at West Point from 1893 to 1897. With the outbreak of the Spanish–American War, Cronin became regimental adjutant of the 25th Infantry and served in the Santiago Campaign of 1898; during his time in Cuba, Cronin was also a member of the Sanitary Corps. In the subsequent Philippine–American War, Cronin served as colonel of the United States Volunteers and later became assistant chief of the Philippine Constabulary from 1915 to 1917. Following the United States' entry into World War I, Cronin was promoted to brigadier general of the National Army on 5 August 1917. He became commander of the 163rd Infantry Brigade at Camp Gordon, serving in France as part of the American Expeditionary Force. Cronin later retired in 1925.[1][2]

Cronin married Helen Hannay on 2 August 1893. He lived in La Jolla, California, and later died in Governors Island, New York, on 12 August 1936.[1][2][3] He was buried at San Francisco National Cemetery.