{{short description|United States Army general}} {{Use American English|date=January 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox military person |name= George Veazey Strong |birth_date= {{birth date|1880|3|14}} |death_date= {{Death date and age|1946|1|10|1880|3|14}} |birth_place= Evanston, Illinois |death_place= Washington, D.C. |burial_place= |image=George V. Strong.JPG |caption= |allegiance= {{flagicon|United States}}United States of America |branch= 20px|United States Army seal United States Army |service_years=1904–1945 |service_number=0-1908 |rank= 30px Major General |commands= VIII Corps<br>Chief of Army Intelligence |battles= World War I<br/>World War II |awards= Distinguished Service Medal (2)<br/>Legion of Merit<br/>Purple Heart (2) |relations= |other_work= }} '''George Veazey Strong''' (March 14, 1880 – January 10, 1946) was a U.S. Army general with the rank of major general, who is most famous for his service as commander of the Military Intelligence Corps during World War II.
==Early life==
Strong was born on March 14, 1880, in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois, United States. His family later moved to Helena, Montana, where he attended Helena High School.<ref name=tribute>{{cite news |url=http://digital-library.usma.edu/digital/collection/assembly/id/887/rec/1 |title=George Veazey Strong |date=January 1947 |volume=V |issue=4 |page=6 |magazine=Assembly |access-date=2022-10-16}}</ref> Strong then attended the Michigan Military Academy for two years, graduating in 1900.<ref>[http://www.gwbhs.com/articles/starbucks.html The Michigan Military Academy] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060903062618/http://www.gwbhs.com/Articles/starbucks.html |date=2006-09-03 }}. Accessed on 2006-09-27.</ref> Subsequently, he attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, and was a graduate of Class of 1904, in which many of his classmates also later became famous generals, for example: Joseph Stilwell, Lesley J. McNair, Robert C. Richardson, Jr., Jay Leland Benedict, Innis P. Swift, Henry Conger Pratt, Francis Honeycutt, Charles F. Thompson, Fulton Q. Gardner, George R. Allin, William Bryden, Walter R. Fulton, Pelham D. Glassford, Irving J. Phillipson, Donald C. Cubbison or Thomas M. Robins.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://digital-library.usma.edu/libmedia/archives/oroc/v1903.pdf |title=United States Military Academy, Class of 1904 |publisher=digital-library.usma.edu |date=2010-07-04 |url-status=dead |accessdate=2013-09-12 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130903184946/http://digital-library.usma.edu/libmedia/archives/oroc/v1903.pdf |archivedate=2013-09-03 }}</ref> While at West Point, he was an award-winning fencer.<ref name=tribute/> Strong was also a graduate of Northwestern University Law School, earning a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1916.<ref name=register/>
During World War I, Strong served overseas in France with American Expeditionary Forces. Strong served as lieutenant colonel on the staff of IV Corps of the Second United States Army during the Battle of Saint-Mihiel and for his staff service in this assignments, he was awarded with Army Distinguished Service Medal<ref name=valor/> and later with two Purple Hearts.<ref name=register/>
===Distinguished Service Medal Citation===
The official U.S. Army citation for Strong's Distinguished Service Medal reads:
:'''General Orders:''' War Department, General Orders No. 38 (1922) :'''Action Date:''' World War I :'''Name:''' George Veazey Strong :'''Service:''' Army :'''Rank:''' Lieutenant Colonel :'''Company:''' Headquarters :'''Division:''' 2d Army, American Expeditionary Forces :'''Citation:''' ''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 Lieutenant Colonel (Judge Advocate General's Department) George Veazey Strong, 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. While on staff duty with Headquarters, 4th Army Corps and Headquarters, 2d Army, American Expeditionary Forces, Lieutenant Colonel Strong was in charge of all troop movements preparatory to the St. Mihiel attack and immediately following this attack, and was also in charge of all troop movements from the 4th Army Corps in the Toul sector to the Argonne front. By his tireless energy, keen foresight, and sound judgment he perfected the multifarious duties whereby all of these movements were carried to successful completion. During this period his services were conspicuously efficient and contributed materially to the success of these operations.''<ref name=valor>{{cite web|url=http://militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=18227 |title=Valor awards for George V. Strong|publisher=militarytimes.com |date=2010-07-04 |accessdate=2013-02-22}}</ref>
==Between wars== Strong served as a law professor at West Point from 1920 to 1922.<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cNeqibq2y1EC&pg=PA312 |title=Official Register of the Officers and Cadets |chapter=Class of 1904—Register of Graduates |date=1971 |page=312 |publisher=United States Military Academy |access-date=2022-10-16}}</ref> He graduated from the United States Army War College in 1924, the advanced course at the United States Army Infantry School in 1929 and the Command and General Staff School in 1931. Strong was promoted to brigadier general on June 1, 1938.<ref name=register>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kocZAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA820 |title=Official Army Register |date=1941-01-01 |page=820 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |location=Washington, D.C. |access-date=2022-10-16}}</ref>
==World War II==
In 1940, Strong was appointed commander of the Seventh Corps Area and promoted to major general on April 3, 1941, serving in this capacity until May 1941, when he was reassigned to the VIII Corps as its commander. He succeeded Walter Krueger, who was promoted and transferred.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.generals.dk/general/Strong/George_Veazey/USA.html |title=Biography of Major General George Veazey Strong (1880 – 1946)|publisher=generals.dk |date=2010-07-04 |accessdate=2013-02-22}}</ref><ref name=obit/> Strong stayed in this capacity until 1942, where he was succeeded by Major General Daniel Isom Sultan.
Strong was chosen to become U.S. Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence (G-2). Major General Strong served in this capacity until January 1944, when he was succeeded by Major General Clayton Bissell. Subsequently, he was retired, but remained employed by the army and attached to the War Department. Strong finally retired in June 1945 and died the following year at Doctors Hospital in Washington, D.C. at the age of 65.<ref name=obit>{{cite news |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1946/01/12/88331349.pdf |title=Maj. Gen. Strong, G-2 Ex-Head, Dies |date=1946-01-12 |page=15 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=2022-10-16}}</ref> He was buried at the West Point Cemetery on January 15, 1946.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/index.html#/search-all/results/1/CgZTdHJvbmcSBkdlb3JnZRoBVg--/ |title=Strong, George V |website=Army Cemeteries Explorer |publisher=U.S. Army |access-date=2022-10-16}}</ref>
For his service during World War II, he was awarded with Oak Leaf Cluster to his Army Distinguished Service Medal and Legion of Merit.<ref name=valor/>
==Decorations==
Here is Major General Strong's ribbon bar:
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;" |colspan="4"| {{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=U.S. Army Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Legion of Merit ribbon.svg|width=106}} {{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Purple Heart ribbon.svg|width=106}} |- |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Mexican Border Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=3|type=service-star|ribbon=World War I Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=106|alt=}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Army of Occupation of Germany ribbon.svg|width=106|alt=}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=American Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106|alt=}} |- |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=106|alt=}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign ribbon.svg|width=106|alt=}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=106|alt=}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Legion Honneur Chevalier ribbon.svg|width=106|alt=}} |} {| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;" |- !1st Row |colspan="5"|Army Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster |colspan="5"|Legion of Merit |colspan="5"|Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster |- !2nd Row |colspan="4"|Mexican Border Service Medal |colspan="4"|World War I Victory Medal with three Battle Clasps |colspan="4"|Army of Occupation of Germany Medal |colspan="4"|American Defense Service Medal |- !3rd Row |colspan="4"|American Campaign Medal |colspan="4"|European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal |colspan="4"|World War II Victory Medal |colspan="4"|Knight of the Legion of Honor (France) |- |}
==References== <references/>
==External links== * {{Internet Archive author |sname=George Veazey Strong |sopt=t}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Strong, George Veazey}} Category:1880 births Category:1946 deaths Category:Military personnel from Evanston, Illinois Category:United States Military Academy alumni Category:American male fencers Category:Military personnel from Montana Category:Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law alumni Category:United States Army personnel of World War I Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Category:United States Military Academy faculty Category:United States Army War College alumni Category:United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni Category:United States Army generals Category:United States Army generals of World War II Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit Category:American recipients of the Legion of Honour Category:Burials at West Point Cemetery Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:Military personnel from Helena, Montana Category:Sportspeople from Helena, Montana