George B. Duncan

Major General George Brand Duncan (October 10, 1861 – March 15, 1950) was a United States Army officer who served in numerous conflicts, most notably World War I, where he commanded the 82nd Division, now the 82nd Airborne Division.

Military career The son of Henry Timberlake Duncan Jr., mayor of Lexington, Kentucky, George Brand Duncan entered the United States Military Academy (USMA) in 1882, graduating 65 of 77 in June 1886 and receiving a position as a second lieutenant in the 9th Infantry. Several of his classmates included men who would, like Duncan himself, eventually rise to general officer rank, such as John J. Pershing, Charles T. Menoher, Walter Henry Gordon, Edward Mann Lewis, Mason Patrick, Julius Penn, Avery D. Andrews, John E. McMahon, Ernest Hinds, William H. Hay, James McRae, Lucien Grant Berry and Jesse McI. Carter.

French General Augustin Gérard, commanding the French Eighth Army, accompanied by Major General George B. Duncan, commanding the 77th Division, leaving the 77th's headquarters and passing by its Guard of Honor, Baccarat, France, June 1918.

Major General Charles Pelot Summerall, sat in the middle, along with members of his staff and senior commanders in his V Corps, pictured here in 1918 or 1919. Major General George B. Duncan, commanding the 82nd Division, is sat on the far left.

He was stationed in Cuba during the Spanish–American War, and he served with distinction during the Philippine–American War, helping to organize the Philippine Scouts.

After a term on the General Staff, Duncan reported to France in June 1917, two months after the American entry into World War I, where he served as the commander of the 26th Infantry Regiment, part of the 1st Division of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF). In September he was given command of the 1st Brigade, 1st Division.

He remained in this appointment until May 1918 when he was selected by General John J. Pershing, his classmate at West Point who was now in command of the AEF, to take over the 77th Division.

Duncan and fellow Major General Campbell King were the first two Americans ever honored with the Croix de Guerre.

Personal life Duncan married Mary Kercheval on October 23, 1895. The couple had two sons: Daniel, born in 1901, and Henry, born in 1903. Daniel, however, died as a child in 1906.

Duncan retired from military service in 1925. He is buried in Section D, Lot 120 in the Lexington Cemetery in Lexington, Kentucky.