Terry de la Mesa Allen Sr.

Terry de la Mesa Allen Sr.
Nickname(s)	"Terrible Terry"
Born	April 1, 1888 Fort Douglas, Utah, United States
Died	September 12, 1969 (aged 81) El Paso, Texas, United States
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1912–1946
Rank	Major General
Unit	Cavalry Branch
Commands held	3rd Battalion, 358th Infantry Regiment 3rd Cavalry Brigade 2nd Cavalry Division 1st Infantry Division 104th Infantry Division
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Army Distinguished Service Medal (2) Croix de Guerre Silver Star Legion of Merit Purple Heart (2)

Major General Terry de la Mesa Allen Sr. (April 1, 1888 – September 12, 1969) was a senior United States Army officer who fought in both World War I and World War II. Allen was a decorated World War I veteran who commanded the 1st Infantry Division in North Africa and Sicily from May 1942 until August 1943. He was later selected to lead the 104th Infantry Division as divisional commander, a post he held until the end of the war.

Allen was born in Fort Douglas, Utah, to Colonel Samuel Allen and Consuelo "Conchita" Alvarez de la Mesa. Allen's family had a long line of military tradition. Besides his father, Allen's maternal grandfather was Colonel Carlos Alvarez de la Mesa, a Spanish national who fought at Gettysburg for the Union Army in the Spanish Company of the "Garibaldi Guard", officially known as the 39th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, during the American Civil War. Allen grew up in various military bases because of his father's military career and in 1907, received an appointment to the United States Military Academy (West Point) in New York. Unlike most American World War II generals, Allen was also a Roman Catholic.

From all reports, Allen was not only respected but was warmly regarded by his troops of his 1st Infantry Division, particularly the enlisted men. Like General George Patton, Allen's superior for much of the war, Allen generally placed his headquarters far forward, as close to the front line as possible. Unlike Patton, however, Allen did not bother greatly with his military appearance, frequently going without clean uniforms and haircuts. He was also reportedly the only American general officer in the European and North African theaters who preferred to sleep on the ground, rather than on a cot or in a bed. However, despite a casual attitude toward his own personal appearance, Allen did not tolerate slovenliness or incompetence in the troops under his command. He expected his soldiers to keep their weapons and equipment in perfect working order and trained the men constantly to keep them combat ready.

...
Wikipedia