John Southworth Upham, Jr.
Lieutenant General, U.S. Army

John Southworth Upham, Jr. was born at Camp Keithley, Mindanao, Philippines. His father was a rising Infantry leader that retired as a Colonel. A resident of no state, young Upham earned a Presidential appointment to the U.S. Military Academy and, upon graduation in 1928, was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry.

Following the usual unit assignments of a junior Infantry Officer. After service as a "P" in the Mathematics Department at West Point, he attended courses at Fort Benning, GA. It was there that Upham was drafted into the Tank Corps as an Infantry leader.

On D-Day, 6 June 1944, then-Lieutenant Colonel John Southworth Upham, Jr. was serving as Commanding Officer, 743rd Tank Battalion, attached to the 1st Infantry Division, First U.S. Army.

On that day, LTC Upham’s unit was in action against German forces at Omaha Beach in Normandy, France. Early on D-Day, when his 743rd Tank Battalion was landing in the assault, LTC Upham was directing operations by radio from a craft several hundred yards offshore. The unloading of tanks and men became increasingly difficult as, under the devastating enemy fire, tanks were knocked out and the wreckage impeded movement across Omaha Beach. Realizing the gravity of the situation, LTC Upham went over the side of his landing craft and waded ashore in the face of the German fire. After proceeding to the tanks, LTC Upham personally guided them across the fire-swept beach, and directed their fight to open the beach exit. Although he was seriously wounded twice, LTC Upham refused medical attention and instead remained exposed to the enemy fire as he coordinated the fire and movement of his tanks. Only after his battalion had seized its objective did LTC Upham allow himself to be evacuated for treatment of his wounds. LTC Upham’s determined leadership, courageous actions and extraordinary heroism that day earned him the U.S. Army's second highest award for valor, the Distinguished Service Cross.

After a lengthy hospital stay recovering from his D-Day injuries, Upham returned to full service on the Command and General Staff College faculty at Fort Leavenworth, KS. He then attended the Armed Forces Staff College and the National War College.

Upham's remaining assignments leading up to retirement were:

● 1955-58, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff of Operations, Department of the Army;
● 1958-60 Commanding General, 3rd Infantry Division;
● 1960-62 Commander, Armed Forces Staff College;
● 1962-64 After promotion to Lieutenant General, he was Commander, Second Army.

Lieutenant General Upham retired from the Army on 1 July 1964.

Medals and Awards

Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Medal
Purple Heart
American Defense Service Medal
American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with Arrowhead Pin and Bronze Star
World War II Victory Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Croix de Guerre with Palm (France)
Presidential Unit Citation

Distinguished Service Cross Citation

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Lieutenant Colonel John Southworth Upham, Jr. (ASN: 0-17178), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with the 743d Tank Battalion, attached to the 1st Infantry Division, in action against enemy forces on 6 June 1944, at Normandy, France. Early on D-Day, when his tank battalion was landing in the assault, Lieutenant Colonel Upham was directing operations by radio from a craft several hundred yards offshore. The unloading of tanks and men became increasingly difficult as, under the devastating enemy fire, tanks were knocked out and the wreckage impeded movement across the beach. Realizing the gravity of the situation, he went over the side of his landing craft and waded ashore in the face of the enemy fire. He proceeded to the tanks, personally guided them across the fire-swept beach, and directed their fight to open the beach exit. Though seriously wounded twice, he disdained to seek medical attention but continuously remained exposed to the enemy fire and coordinated the fire and movement of his tanks. It was only after his battalion had seized its objective that he was evacuated for his wounds. The extraordinary heroism, the personal bravery, and the determined leadership displayed by Lieutenant Colonel Upham reflects great credit upon himself and is in keeping with the highest traditions of the Armed Forces.

Headquarters, First U.S. Army, General Orders No. 68 (1944)

Death and Inurnment

Lieutenant General John Southworth Upham, Jr. died on 8 October 1993 in Alexandria, VA. His ashes are inurned at the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Arlington County, VA, in Columbarium Court 2, Section J, Column 1, Niche 5.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33468670/john-southworth-upham