Innis P. Swift
Encyclopedia
Innis Palmer Swift was a Major General
in the United States Army
. He was the grandson and namesake of Civil War
Major General Innis Newton Palmer
, as well as the grandson of Brigadier General Ebenezer Swift. His four decades of military service culminated in his commanding a Corps
during the liberation of the Philippines in World War II
.
and Susan Palmer. He graduated from West Point
in 1904 and was commissioned
in the cavalry
. He served as aide-de-camp
to General John J. Pershing
in the Philippines
and then served in Mexico
. While a First Lieutenant commanding C Troop, 13th Cavalry, he accompanied First Lieutenant George S. Patton
on the hunt for Julio Cardenas, commander of Pancho Villa's personal bodyguard. During World War I
he served as Assistant Chief of Staff
for the 86th Division.
Swift attended the U.S. Army Command and General Staff School
, graduating in 1923, and remained at the school as faculty
until 1929. In 1940 he was promoted to Brigadier General
, and in 1941 to Major General and placed in command of the 1st Cavalry Division and Fort Bliss
. He participated in the Louisiana Maneuvers
, where he coined the nickname used by army light observation aircraft when he told a pilot after a bumpy landing, "You looked just like a damn grasshopper!"
division, though it retained "Cavalry" in the name. He took his division to Australia
in July 1942 and remained in command through the Admiralty Islands campaign
after which he was reassigned to command I Corps. He was the oldest U.S. Corps commander to serve in World War II
. After the war he remained a close personal friend of Douglas MacArthur
.
. He died at Brooke Army Hospital
after a heart attack and was buried in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery
.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. He was the grandson and namesake of Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
Major General Innis Newton Palmer
Innis N. Palmer
Innis Newton Palmer was a career officer in the United States Army, serving in the Mexican-American War, the Civil War, and on the Western frontier....
, as well as the grandson of Brigadier General Ebenezer Swift. His four decades of military service culminated in his commanding a Corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
during the liberation of the Philippines in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Early life and career
Swift was born at Fort Laramie, Wyoming, the son of Major General Eben SwiftEben Swift
Eben Swift was a Major General in the United States Army.-Biography:Swift was born on May 11, 1854 at Fort Chadbourne to Captain Ebenezer Swift and his wife, Sarah. He would attend Racine College, Washington University in St. Louis, and Dickinson College. On May 18, 1880 he married Susan Bonaparte...
and Susan Palmer. He graduated from West Point
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
in 1904 and was commissioned
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
in the cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
. He served as aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to General John J. Pershing
John J. Pershing
John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...
in the Philippines
Philippine-American War
The Philippine–American War, also known as the Philippine War of Independence or the Philippine Insurrection , was an armed conflict between a group of Filipino revolutionaries and the United States which arose from the struggle of the First Philippine Republic to gain independence following...
and then served in Mexico
Pancho Villa Expedition
The Pancho Villa Expedition—officially known in the United States as the Mexican Expedition and sometimes colloquially referred to as the Punitive Expedition—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the paramilitary forces of Mexican insurgent Francisco "Pancho" Villa...
. While a First Lieutenant commanding C Troop, 13th Cavalry, he accompanied First Lieutenant George S. Patton
George S. Patton
George Smith Patton, Jr. was a United States Army officer best known for his leadership while commanding corps and armies as a general during World War II. He was also well known for his eccentricity and controversial outspokenness.Patton was commissioned in the U.S. Army after his graduation from...
on the hunt for Julio Cardenas, commander of Pancho Villa's personal bodyguard. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he served as Assistant Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
for the 86th Division.
Swift attended the U.S. Army Command and General Staff School
Command and General Staff College
The United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military officers. The college was established in 1881 by William Tecumseh Sherman as a...
, graduating in 1923, and remained at the school as faculty
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
until 1929. In 1940 he was promoted to Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
, and in 1941 to Major General and placed in command of the 1st Cavalry Division and Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in the U.S. states of New Mexico and Texas. With an area of about , it is the Army's second-largest installation behind the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. It is FORSCOM's largest installation, and has the Army's largest Maneuver Area behind the...
. He participated in the Louisiana Maneuvers
Louisiana Maneuvers
The Louisiana Maneuvers were a series of military exercises held all over north and west-central Louisiana, including Fort Polk, Camp Claiborne and Camp Livingston, in August and September 1941...
, where he coined the nickname used by army light observation aircraft when he told a pilot after a bumpy landing, "You looked just like a damn grasshopper!"
World War II
He transitioned the division from horse cavalry to essentially an infantryInfantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
division, though it retained "Cavalry" in the name. He took his division to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in July 1942 and remained in command through the Admiralty Islands campaign
Admiralty Islands campaign
The Admiralty Islands campaign was a series of battles in the New Guinea campaign of World War II in which the United States Army's 1st Cavalry Division occupied the Japanese-held Admiralty Islands....
after which he was reassigned to command I Corps. He was the oldest U.S. Corps commander to serve in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the war he remained a close personal friend of Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
.
Private life and death
Swift married the former Lucille G. Paddock and the couple had four daughters. After retiring in 1946 he lived in San Antonio. He retained interest in his old command, staying active in the 1st Cavalry Division Association and avidly following the division's activity in KoreaKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. He died at Brooke Army Hospital
Brooke Army Medical Center
Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio is part of the United States Army Medical Command. It is a University of Texas Health Science Center and USUHS teaching hospital and contains the Army Burn Center....
after a heart attack and was buried in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery
Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery
Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in the city of San Antonio in Bexar County, Texas. It encompasses , and as of the end of 2008, had 120,982 interments.- History :...
.