COL Reginald Heber Kelley

COL Reginald Heber Kelley was born in Fresno, California on 23 Jan 1880. He was the 4th of the 8 sons of Reverend Douglas Ottinger and Anna Amelia (Fletcher) Kelley. His parents had lost their 3rd son soon after birth, just 2 years previous. His father had been born on Kelley's Island, in Lake Erie about 8-10 miles due north of Sandusky, Ohio. Douglas had moved to California in 1867 first working as a lawyer then becoming an Episcopal priest and missionary in California. The Kelleys lived in San Francisco, Watsonville, Alameda and Fresno. The family's home when Reverend Kelley died in 1915 was at 2206 Durant Avenue in Berkley, California. Reginald attended public school in Fresno and is first noted as being on the honor roll in the spring of 1889. He also attended public school in Alameda and San Francisco graduating as valedictorian from Trinity School in San Francisco in 1898. He attended the State University at Berkley and received a scholarship in 1901. 

Enlisting as a PVT on 18 Jun 1898 Reginald served in I Company 7th California Infantry until 2 Dec that same year. He was commissioned as a 1LT in D Company 1st Infantry Regiment, California National Guard in March 1902 where he served while attending university. He was commissioned a LTC in the California National Guard in May of that year due to his outstanding performance in the university's corps of cadets and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. As a result of this he was offered a Regular Army commission as a 2LT of infantry which was accepted and he received the commission in 1903 when he graduated from the University of California. Assigned to the 4th Infantry Regiment, 2LT Kelley departed with the regiment for the Philippines in June 1903. Once there he was posted to Sorsogon in southeastern Luzon. Allowed leave in mid-1905, 2LT Kelley then reported to Fort Thomas, Kentucky. It is probable that 2LT Kelley served with the 4th Regiment in the Ute campaign in1906. Reginald was promoted to 1LT and reassigned to the 5th Infantry Regiment in May 1909 but returned to the 4th after only 1 month and returned to the Philippines until 1910 when the regiment returned to the United States. 

Reginald married Ione Candace Dille on 28 Jun 1910. He was assigned to the 4th Infantry Regiment at Fort Crook, Nebraska at that time. A daughter, Esther Myrick Kelley, was born at Fort Crook on 11 Dec 1911. She would be the couple's only child.

Promotions came quickly during the first World War. Promoted to MAJ on 20 Aug 1917 and assigned as inspector (IG) 29th Division at Camp McClellan near Anniston, Alabama. He went to France with the 29th in 1918 and was detailed at the Division Machine Gun officer to plan and coordinate the machine gun defense in the 29th Division sector. MAJ Kelley was promoted  to LTC on 30 Jul 1918 and to COL on 1 Nov 1918 commanding the 116th Infantry Regiment in the Meuse-Argonne offensive after relieving COL Harris on 10 Oct 1918. He was gassed in training on 4 Dec 1918 and returned from France, 3 Aug 1919. COL Kelley was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for his service during the war. The citation reads as follows:

"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 Colonel (Infantry) Reginald H. Kelley, 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. First as Division Machine-Gun Officer and later as Commanding Officer, 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Division, Colonel Kelley displayed sterling qualities of leadership. By his high military attainments, sound judgment, and self-sacrificing devotion to duty he proved to be a material factor in the successes achieved by the 29th Division in the offensive actions in which they participated."

He served in the Quartermasters Corps from 13 Aug 1919 to 24 Aug 1919. He graduated from the School of the Line in 1922. COL Kelley then graduated from General Staff School 1923 and from 1923 to 1927 was an associate professor of military science and tactics and the University of California. He attended and graduated from the U.S. Army War College in 1928. COL Kelley was assigned 1929-1932 to Minneapolis, Minnesota as instructor of the National Guard in that state. In 1933 he was at Fort Benning as Director of Department of Experiment.

Ione passed away from injuries sustained in an automobile accident in Newnan, Georgia in 1935. COL Kelley then returned to the Philippines and commanded the 45th Infantry Regiment of the 23rd Infantry Brigade (Philippine Scouts) in 1937 at Fort McKinley, Philippines. It was in 1937 on this tour of duty that he met and married Ruth Steere Reno Fuller on 18 Sep 1937 in a ceremony attended by General and Mrs. Douglas MacArthur. He was next assigned as Chief of Staff of the 87th Infantry Division from 25 Aug 1940 to when he retired 9 Jun 1942 due to disability in line of duty. He was 62 years old at that time. However, it appears that he may have returned to active duty in some roll from 1 Jul 1942 to 20 Feb 1944 due to wartime exigencies. 

After retirement Reginald and Ruth lived a more normal life moving to Melrose, Florida. Reginald became the senior warden of the Trinity church in Melrose and Ruth worked in the Women's Auxiliary of the Diocese of Florida becoming president of that organization. There is little to no public record after his retirement possibly due to health concerns.

COL Kelley died on 18 Oct 1963 in Jacksonville, Florida. He was interred in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

Brother of CPT (Chaplain) Leslie Constant Kelley. They were the great, great, great-grandsons of Elihu Stow who was a soldier in the Revolutionary army during nearly the entire war. He enlisted as a private in Capt. Alden's company, Samuel Webb, Colonel, April 21, 1777, was mustered in Nov. 1777, taken prisoner, exchanged, July l, 1778, promoted to Corporal, March 20, 1780; Sergeant, July 1, 1781. Reginald's father had served as a 2LT in B Company 100th Ohio Infantry (USA) during the Civil War. Reginald's daughter together with her husband and 3 of their children were interned in the Philippines by the Japanese during WWII.

Note: This memorial was published 50-years after his death.

COL Hobart Blauvelt Brown

COL Hobart Blauvelt Brown was born 2 Oct 1884 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. He was the first of 7 children born to John Spear and Annie (Blauvelt) Brown. His father worked as a store clerk, teamster, and salesman. Hobart was working as a railroad clerk in 1900 and living with parents at 160 Garside Street in Newark, New Jersey. His mother died at the age of 41 in 1901.

Hobart enlisted in "Essex Troop" a New Jersey militia cavalry unit, as a PVT. He was promoted to CPL in May 1909. At that time he was working as a cashier for the Fireman's Insurance Company.

In 1916 New Jersey provided soldiers to respond to the emergency along the Mexican border and CPT Hobart  was stationed at Camp Funston, at Douglas, Arizona from June through October 1916 and during this time was promoted to MAJ commanding 1st Squadron, Essex troop having expanded to 3 troops of cavalry. He married Mary Elizabeth James in March 1917 and then moved with unit to Sea Girt in July 1917 in preparation for movement to Camp McClellan near Anniston, Alabama.

After arriving at Camp McClellan, the old 1st Squadron was reorganized as the 104th Military Police Battalion at Camp McClellan and MAJ Brown commanded from September 1917 to April 1918 during which time he was promoted to LTC and served as post Provost Marshall. At this time there was a lot of shuttling about of officer and LTC Brown and he briefly served as commander of the 116th Infantry during June 1918 at Camp McClellan. He shipped out to France with the 116th on 15 June 1918 and once there he was re-assigned as Commander of the 114th Infantry which was composed of New Jersey National Guard units that had been reorganized at Camp McClellan. He led the unit during the Meuse-Argonne offensive in October 1918.

After the armistice on 11 Nov 1918 he was again reassigned this time as Deputy Provost Marshall General of American Expeditionary Force in France and served in this position until February 1919. For his service during the war he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. 

Returning to the United States he met his infant daughter for the first time. Shortly thereafter he was appointed Assistant Treasurer of Fireman's Insurance Company in April 1919. Hobart with George H. McCarter applied for and received a charter for American Legion in New Jersey on 24 May 1919 and was elected as the first commander of the New Jersey American Legion. This obviously was an extremely busy time for COL Brown and he refused command of 6th New Jersey Infantry in July 1919, not wanting to continue service.

He was then appointed as treasurer of Fireman's Insurance Company and in 1920, with his family, lived in the home of his mother-in-law 1920 on West 79th Street in New York City. However, military service was a continuing interest and in 1926 he was commanding the 302nd Cavalry Regiment, 61st Cavalry Division. Hobart was elected as Vice President and Secretary of  Insurance Shares Corporation in September 1927. He continued in this work, living with his extended family in New York City until he was called to active duty with his unit on 13 Apr 1941. He was selected to establish a Women's Army Corps training center at Fort Oglethorpe and was commanding that facility effective 1 Jan 1943. Mary died on 29 Apr 1946. He married Helen Bowden on 14 Oct 1947.

COL Brown retired from military on 29 Jun 1948 as a COL of Cavalry. He and Helen moved to 156 Palmetto Road, Clearwater, Florida. COL Brown died on 2 Jun 1955 in Belleair, Florida and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. A granddaughter survives.

Hobart had 2 brothers who also served in the military. John Vincent Brown retired from the United States Air Force as a COL. Perry Terhune Brown retired from the United States Navy as a LtCmdr.

Note: this is published 40-years after his death.