Robert Lee Bullard
| Robert L. Bullard | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
January 5, 1861 Lee County, Alabama, United States |
| Died | September 11, 1947 (aged 86) New York City, United States |
| Buried at | West Point Cemetery |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1885–1925 |
| Rank |
 Lieutenant General
|
| Unit |
 Infantry Branch
|
| Commands held |
26th Infantry Regiment 1st Infantry Division III Corps Second Army |
| Battles/wars |
Spanish–American War Philippine–American War Mexican Border Service World War I |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Medal |
| Other work | President of National Security League author orator |
Lieutenant General Robert Lee Bullard (January 5, 1861 – September 11, 1947) was a senior officer of the United States Army. He was involved in conflicts in the American Western Frontier, the Philippines, and World War I, where he commanded the 1st Infantry Division (nicknamed "The Big Red One") during the Battle of Cantigny while serving on the Western Front. He later was an administrator in Cuba.
A native of Alabama, Bullard attended the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama , now Auburn University, and the United States Military Academy, graduated in 1885, and was appointed first lieutenant in 1892. He served in various capacities in the Spanish–American War, and in the Philippines from 1902 to 1904. He was made lieutenant colonel in 1906. In 1907, he was special investigator for the U.S. provisional government in Cuba, and the following year was superintendent of public instruction there. In 1911, he was promoted to colonel.
After the American entry in World War I, Bullard was quickly promoted to brigadier general (June 1917) and major general N.A. (August 1917). He commanded the 1st Infantry Division ("Big Red One") from December 1917 to July 1918.
During World War I, he led men in the Battle of Cantigny (1918) and captured the village of Cantigny. It had been held by the German Eighteenth Army. It was the site of a German advance observation point and strongly fortified. This was the first sustained American offensive of the war. It was considered a success in that it expanded the American front by about a mile. General John J. Pershing said of the attack:
...
Wikipedia