John McAuley Palmer (general)

John McAuley Palmer
Brigadier General John M. Palmer during World War II
Born	(1870-04-23)April 23, 1870 Carlinville, Illinois
Died	October 26, 1955(1955-10-26) (aged 85) Washington, D.C.
Place of burial	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1892–1926, 1941–1946
Rank	Brigadier General
Commands held	58th Infantry Brigade 19th Infantry Brigade
Battles/wars	Spanish–American War World War I World War II
Awards	Distinguished Service Medal (2)
Other work	Author

John McAuley Palmer (April 23, 1870 – October 26, 1955) was a soldier and administrator in the United States Army.

Born in Carlinville, Illinois, he was the son of John and Ellen Palmer, and the grandson and namesake of John McAuley Palmer, a famous American Civil War general and Governor of Illinois. He was educated in Springfield, Illinois, graduated from West Point in 1892, and was appointed a second lieutenant of infantry, initially assigned to the 15th Infantry at Fort Sheridan, Illinois. He participated in the suppression of the Chicago railroad riots of 1894, then went to Cuba as an aide to Samuel S. Sumner (1898–1899) during the Spanish–American War.

Following his Cuba service, he became a member of the China Relief Expedition (1900–1901), then an instructor and assistant professor of chemistry at West Point (1901–1906). Following this academic stint, he was then assigned a billet as governor of Lanao District on Mindanao in the Philippines (1906–1908). Upon return from Far East Service, he was a student at the United States Army Command and General Staff College. After graduating he was assigned to the War Department General Staff under the command of the then-Army Chief of Staff Leonard Wood (1908–1910). During this period of service he received recognition as a writer and advocate on military theory.