Lucian 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	3rd Infantry Division VI Corps Fifteenth Army Fifth Army Third Army
Battles/wars	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)
Other work	Central Intelligence Agency – senior agent Germany, later Deputy Director for Coordination; Author

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. 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. He was briefly a schoolteacher before he decided to join the United States Army in 1917, due to the American entry into World War I on April 6. After training for three months as an officer, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Cavalry Branch. Unable to serve overseas during the war, as with many others destined to achieve high rank in the future, he remained in the United States during the war, serving with the 17th Cavalry Regiment at Camp Harry J. Jones, Douglas, Arizona.