Wesley Hamilton; Nation’s Oldest General
Brig. Gen. Wesley Hamilton, 96, the nation’s oldest general. In 1917, he enlisted as a private in the Washington Coast Artillery and served in World War I, becoming a first sergeant. Active in the Washington National Guard Reserve until 1940, he was recalled to duty to start a new regiment. In 1942, he re-entered the Army as a major. Hamilton commanded a mortar battalion that landed at Normandy with Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower in June, 1944, ending his war service with the rank of colonel. He was promoted to brigadier general in 1955 and retired two years later. On Monday in Seattle.
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