Robert L. Spragins

Robert L. Spragins
Born	November 12, 1890 Huntsville, Alabama, United States
Died	December 26, 1964 (aged 74) Huntsville, Alabama, United States
Buried at	Maple Hill Cemetery, Huntsville, Alabama, United States
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1913–1944
Rank	Major General
Unit	Infantry Branch
Commands held	71st Infantry Division 44th Infantry Division
Battles/wars	Pancho Villa Expedition Vera Cruz Expedition World War I World War II
Awards	Army Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star Purple Heart Treasury Department Medal of Honor (Silver)

Major General Robert L. Spragins (November 12, 1890 — December 26, 1964) was a senior United States Army officer. He was notable for his command of the 71st and 44th Infantry Divisions in World War II.

Spragins was born in Huntsville, Alabama on November 12, 1890. His father Robert E. Spragins was a bank president who served in the Alabama State Senate and as chairman of the state Highway Commission. His mother Susan (Echols) Spragins was the daughter of a Confederate States Army officer. He attended the University of Alabama and the University of Virginia before entering the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York in 1909. He graduated on June 12, 1913, and was ranked 77th of 93 students. Among his fellow graduates were Geoffrey Keyes, Douglas T. Greene, Francis K. Newcomer, Louis A. Craig, Carlos Brewer, Richard U. Nicholas, Alexander Patch, Robert M. Perkins, Henry Balding Cheadle, Paul Newgarden, William R. Schmidt, Willis D. Crittenberger, Lunsford E. Oliver and Charles H. Corlett. All of these men would, like Spragins, become general officers in the future. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Infantry Branch of the United States Army and was assigned to the 19th Infantry Regiment, then stationed in in Texas.