Lucian K. Truscott

Lucian King Truscott, Jr.
Born	January 9, 1895 Chatfield, Texas, United States
Died	September 12, 1965 (aged 70) Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1917–1947
Rank	General
Unit	Cavalry Branch
Commands held	5th Cavalry Regiment 3rd Infantry Division VI Corps Fifteenth Army Fifth Army Third Army
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Distinguished Service Cross Army Distinguished Service Medal (2) Navy Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit Purple Heart
Relations	Lucian Truscott IV (grandson)

General Lucian King Truscott, Jr. (January 9, 1895 – September 12, 1965) was a highly decorated senior United States Army officer, who saw distinguished active service during World War II. Between 1943–45, he successively commanded the 3rd Infantry Division, VI Corps, Fifteenth Army and Fifth Army. He was, along with Alexander Patch and James Van Fleet, among the few U.S. Army officers to command a division, a corps, and a field army on active service during the war.

Truscott was born in Chatfield, Texas, to an English father and an Irish mother. Raised primarily in Oklahoma, he attended grade school and a year of high school in the hamlet of Stella, near Norman. At age 16, he claimed to be 18 and a high school graduate, attended the summer term of the state normal school in Norman, and received his certification as a teacher. He taught school before he decided to join the United States Army in 1917, due to the American entry into World War I. Truscott applied for officer training, falsely claiming to be a high school graduate, and that he had completed the equivalent of a year of college. After completing the officer training camp at Fort Logan H. Roots, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Cavalry Branch. During the war, he remained in the United States to patrol the border with Mexico, and served with the 17th Cavalry Regiment at Camp Harry J. Jones, Douglas, Arizona.

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