Hugh A. Drum

Hugh Aloysius Drum
Hugh Aloysius Drum
Born	(1879-09-19)September 19, 1879 Fort Brady, Chippewa County, Michigan
Died	October 3, 1951(1951-10-03) (aged 72) New York City, New York
Place of burial	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1898–1943
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands held	United States Army Command and General Staff College 1st Infantry Brigade 1st Infantry Division V Corps Area Hawaiian Department First Army II Corps Area Eastern Defense Command New York Guard
Battles/wars	Spanish–American War Veracruz Expedition Pancho Villa Expedition World War I World War II
Awards	Army Distinguished Service Medal (2) Silver Star
Other work	President, Empire State Inc.

Hugh Aloysius Drum (September 19, 1879 – October 3, 1951) was a United States Army lieutenant general.

Born at Fort Brady, Chippewa County, Michigan on September 19, 1879, Hugh A. Drum was the son of Captain John Drum (1864–1898), a career Army officer who was killed in Cuba during the Spanish–American War. His mother was Margaret Desmond of Boston.

In 1894, Drum graduated from Xavier High School in New York City, which he had attended while his father was an instructor at the school. (Hugh Drum was admitted to the Xavier High School Hall of Fame in 1931.) Initially intent upon a career as a Jesuit priest, he enrolled at Boston College. Under the provisions of a recently passed law allowing recognition for sons of officers who displayed exceptional bravery during the Spanish–American War, Drum was offered a direct commission as a second lieutenant on September 9, 1898, which he accepted. (He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston College in 1921.)

Joining the United States Army while the Spanish–American War and subsequent insurrections and conflicts were ongoing, he served with the 12th Infantry Regiment in the Philippines. He then served in the Philippines with the 25th Infantry Regiment. He participated in the Battle of Bayan in 1899, for which he received the Silver Citation Star which was converted to the Silver Star when that decoration was created in 1932.

Drum later served as aide-de-camp to Frank Baldwin before returning to a series of assignments in the United States. He completed the School of the Line (precursor to the Officer Basic and Advanced Courses) in 1911 as an honor graduate. He graduated from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in 1912, and later served there as an instructor.