Edward Joseph O'Neill
Lieutenant General, U.S. Army

Edward Joseph O'Neill was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry in the Regular Army in 1924 after his graduation from the University of Vermont. He served in a variety of infantry commands and staff positions in the years between the World Wars, with a tour in Hawaii and attendance at the Infantry School at Fort Benning, GA, and the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, KS.

At the onset of World War II, O'Neill was a battalion commander in the 1st Infantry Division (US). In 1941, O'Neill became Assistant, then Chief G-4, or Chief of Supplies and Logistical Support for the Fifth U.S. Army's VI Corps (US) in the North Africa and Italian campaigns. He was responsible for supplying the Allied landing at Anzio, Italy, in Operation Shingle. O'Neill ended World War II as G-4 for U.S. Fifth Army.

In 1950, he was Deputy Chief of Staff of the European Command, re-designated Headquarters, U.S. Army, Europe. In August 1954, he was promoted to Brigadier General and later took command of U.S. Army Communication Zone, Europe, the logistics and support organization for U.S. Army, Europe. In that position on 12 May 1958, he selected one of 13 casketed remains of unknown U.S. soldiers from American military cemeteries in Europe to represent the unknowns from the European Theater of Operations during World War II. After a further selection of unknowns from the Atlantic and Pacific Theaters, the Unknown Soldier of World War II was interred in the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, 1958.

O’Neill next served as Army Chief of Staff in Europe in 1959. In March 1960, he was promoted to Lieutenant General and assumed the final assignment of his Army career; command of First U.S. Army at Fort Jay, Governors Island, NY. While there, he also served as Senior U.S. Army Representative to the United Nations Military Staff Committee.

LTG O’Neill retired on 31 March 1962 after 31 years of active duty.

Medals and Awards

Army Distinguished Service Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Army Commendation Medal
American Defense Service Medal
American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 2 Bronze Stars
World War II Victory Medal
Army of Occupation Medal
National Defense Service Medal

Post-Military Life

After retiring to Arlington, VA, O'Neill was a consultant for Aerojet General Corporation in Washington, DC, until 1970.

Death and Burial

Lieutenant General Edward Joseph O'Neill died of a heart attack on 9 January 1979 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.