Owen Summers Jr.

Owen Summers Jr. (May 23, 1890 – April 2, 1971) was a decorated U.S Army officer serving in both World War I and World War II.

Early years Summers was born in Portland, Oregon, the son of Brev. Brigadier General Owen Summers Sr. and Clara Summers. His father had commanded all Oregon military forces serving in the Philippines during the Spanish–American War. Educated locally in Oregon, Owen Summers Jr. received officers training and joined the 91st Infantry Division in 1917 as a second lieutenant. After training at Camp Lewis in Washington, the Division shipped off for France. Summers fought in several key battles in World War I, including the St. Mihiel Offensive in France, and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in the final major offensive of the war. Summers was promoted to captain, and made an aide-de-camp for the division commander, General William H. Johnston. When the Division returned to the Northwest, Summers served at Vancouver Barracks in 1919. In 1920, Summers was commissioned a captain in the regular Army. He was a major with the 7th Infantry Regiment at Vancouver Barracks from 1935 to 1937, serving under General George C. Marshall. Summer then commanded the 33rd Infantry Regiment. Late in 1941, Summers was promoted to Brigadier General, and put in command of the Trinidad Mobile Force. During this combat period General Summers received multiple Legion of Merit awards, a Silver Star, and, after being wounded, a Purple Heart. In April, 1945, the general was assigned to command Task Force "A", which was to go to the Oslo Zone in Norway to disarm Germans and repatriate them to Germany. As the center of German and Norwegian administration, the Oslo command assisted in many of the arrests, imprisonments, and in some cases executions of German sympathizers and German occupational government officials. Summers returned to the United States in December, 1946, and retired from the U.S. Army in June, 1947.

After retiring, Summers and his wife moved to Vancouver, Washington.

Civic contributions He served as chairman of the blood bank program of the Clark County Red Cross Chapter from 1954 to 1957. He was a former president of the Clark County Historical Society and a former president and one of the leaders in establishing the Clark County Historical Museum. General Summers was on the board of directors of the National Historic Sites Commission, a member of the Companions of the Military Order of World Wars of Portland, a member and president of the Vancouver Rotary Club, and served on the board of directors of Junior Achievement. He was a member and vestryman of St. Luke's Episcopal Church (Vancouver, Washington) and a faithful churchman. He was Sr. Warden of the parish in 1956. In memory of General Summers, a flag was created and installed in the church that is an exact replica of the standard of the Regiment of Mounted Riflemen which arrived at Fort Vancouver on October 19, 1848.

Owen Summers Jr. died in Vancouver WA, on April 2, 1971.