Ralph McT. Pennell

Ralph McT. Pennell (August 18, 1882 – May 17, 1973) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of World War I and World War II, he attained the rank of major general, and was a recipient of the Legion of Merit and two awards of the Army Distinguished Service Medal. His career spanned 1906 to 1946, and included command of the: 34th Field Artillery Regiment; 1st Field Artillery Regiment; 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment; 15th Field Artillery Regiment; 52nd Field Artillery Brigade; 27th Infantry Division; Hawaii District; Field Artillery Replacement Training Center at Fort Sill; and United States Army Field Artillery School.

Early life Ralph McTyeire Pennell was born in Belton, South Carolina on August 18, 1882, a son of James Robert Pennell and Nannie Melvina (Browne) Pennell. He was raised and educated in the Martin Grove hamlet of Iva, South Carolina, and attended the Martin Grove School.

In 1901, Pennell competed for appointment to the United States Military Academy (West Point) and was chosen as an alternate. He passed, and joined the Class of 1906 in June 1902.

Pennell's classmates nicknamed him "Hap," short for "Happy," because of his demeanor and used the nickname throughout his life. He graduated from West Point in June 1906 ranked 54th of 78 students. Among his classmates were Jonathan M. Wainwright and Adna R. Chaffee Jr. He was transferred to the 5th Field Artillery Regiment in June 1912, but continued to serve as secretary. He was then assigned as a student at the United States Army Command and General Staff College, which he completed in August 1923 as a Distinguished Graduate.

In October 1942, Pennell was assigned to Newark, New Jersey as a member of the War Department Dependency Board, which established policies and procedures with respect to releasing information about killed and wounded soldiers to next-of-kin.

Distinguished Service Medal citation (1943) The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Major General Ralph McTyeire Pennell (ASN: 0-2150), United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility as Commanding General of an Infantry Division in the Hawaiian Department during the period 15 March 1942 to 1 November 1942. By outstanding ability, leadership, and energy, General Pennell brought his Division to a high degree of training and readiness for combat conditions. He showed remarkable ability in the disposition of his troops and in the location of positions with his command. As representative of the Military Governor of the Island of Hawaii, he personally solved the problems concerned with the government of this island, which has a large alien and alien descendent population. By reason of his qualities as an officer, a very difficult situation was handled in a superior manner and military civilian relationships were greatly improved. The singularly distinctive accomplishments of General Pennell reflect the highest credit upon himself and the United States Army.

General Orders: War Department, General Orders No. 2 (1943)

Legion of Merit citation Major General Ralph McT. Pennell performed outstanding service from April 1943 to August 1945 as commanding general, Field Artillery Replacement Center and as commandant, Field Artillery School, Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He restored the replacement training center, instituting a centralized personnel system which increased the efficiency of operations and effected savings of overhead personnel, and inaugurated training inspection teams to uncover flaws in procedures and to eliminate incompetent instructors. In all, some 40,000 replacements for the field artillery were trained under his supervision. As commandant of the field artillery school he carried out many important projects including the Metro Augmentation program, the expansion of the department of air training, the field artillery radar program and the redeployment short courses for officers and enlisted men scheduled for combat in the Pacific area.

General Orders: War Department, General Orders (1946)

Effective dates of promotions Pennell's effective dates of rank were:

Second Lieutenant, June 12, 1906 First Lieutenant, July 6, 1907 Captain, July 1, 1916 Major (temporary), August 5, 1917 Lieutenant Colonel (temporary), August 5, 1917 Colonel (temporary), July 30, 1918 Major, February 24, 1920 Lieutenant Colonel, January 21, 1930 Colonel, August 1, 1935 Brigadier General (temporary), January 29, 1941 Major General (temporary), February 26, 1942 Major General (retired), August 31, 1946

Later life After retiring from the army, Pennell resided in Lawton, Oklahoma and served as vice chairman and president of the Fort Sill National Bank. Colonel Robert Pennell (1915–1961). Margaret (1920-1953), whose health condition caused her to reside with her parents throughout her life.

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