John William Kilbreth

John William Kilbreth (February 18, 1876 – July 24, 1958) was an American brigadier general who served during World War I. He received the Army Distinguished Service Medal for his accomplishments as Director of the Department of Firing at Fort Sill, Oklahoma's United States Army Field Artillery School.

Early life John William Kilbreth, often referred to as J. William Kilbreth, was born in Manhattan, New York on February 18, 1876, the son of John William Kilbreth Sr. and Mary (Culbertson) Kilbreth. His family included his father's brother, James Truesdell Kilbreth, an attorney who served as Collector of the Port of New York. He attended the Westminster School in Dobbs Ferry, New York, then began attendance at Harvard College. While in college, Kilbreth was a member of the Hasty Pudding Club.

Start of career On September 9, 1898, Kilbreth was commissioned as a second lieutenant of Field Artillery. Assigned to the 4th Artillery Regiment, Kilbreth performed Spanish–American War coast artillery duty with Battery M at Fort Delaware, Delaware and the Harbor Defenses of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He served in the Philippines from March 1899 to August 1901, during the Philippine–American War, and was promoted to first lieutenant in May 1901. In 1911, he was assigned to temporary duty as inspector general of National Guard units in the 2nd Inspection District, which included New York City.

In March 1912, Kilbreth was court-martialed, accused of failure to pay three minor debts totaling $22.65 (about $670 in 2022). In addition, he was charged with neglect of duty for allegedly failing to visit units at remote locations beyond the New York City area.

Continued career In 1912, Kilbreth was assigned to the Mounted Service School at Fort Riley, where he was the commander of the Training School for Bakers and Cooks.

When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, Kilbreth was stationed at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii with the 9th Artillery.

Kilbreth demobilized at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, and was assigned to command the post. In 1930, the United States Congress enacted a law permitting World War I general officers to retire at their highest rank, and Kilbreth was promoted to brigadier general on the retired list. He was buried at Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio.