James Hilliard Polk - Arlington VA - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Section 7A, Site 33

Description: From Find A Grave: General, U.S. Army. James Hilliard Polk was born on 13 December 1911 at Camp McGraw in Batangas in the Philippines, to Colonel Harding and Esther Fleming Polk. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1933 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Cavalry. Prior to World War II, he served in two cavalry regiments and attended the basic and advanced courses at the Cavalry School. In 1939 at the National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden, he won first place in the Individual Military and Police Jumping event. At the outbreak of World War II, he was assigned to West Point as a tactical officer. In 1943 he attended a shortened General Staff Course at Fort Leavenworth, KS, and, after graduation, joined the 106th Cavalry Group at Camp Hood, TX, as a Squadron Commander and later as Regimental Executive Officer. In Europe, the group fought in the hedgerows of Normandy and in the breakout from Saint-Lô. In early September 1944, Polk assumed command of the 3rd Cavalry Group, then in combat near Metz, France, and commanded it until the end of the war. During this time the unit was known as "Task Force Polk" and spearheaded many advances by General Walton Walker's XX Corps; part of General George S. Patton's Third Army. After brief occupation duty in Germany at the end of World War II, Polk returned to the U.S. and became Chief of Tactics at the Ground General School at Fort Riley, KS. He later attended the Armed Forces Staff College. In 1948 he went to Tokyo in the G-2 (Intelligence) section of the U.S. Far East Command for the next three years. During the Korean War, Polk was assigned as G-2 to General Ned Almond's X Corps and later as G-2 to General James Van Fleet's 8th Army. He participated in three campaigns. In August 1951 he returned stateside to attend the National War College, and was later assigned as an instructor at the Army War College. He was then made Chief of Staff of the 3rd Armored Division at Fort Knox, KY, participating in their move to Germany. In July 1956 he was promoted to Brigadier General and became Assistant Division Commander of the 3rd Armored Division. Polk was next assigned as Assistant Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations, Land Forces Central Europe at NATO Headquarters at Fontainebleau, under General Dr. Hans Speidel. Polk then returned to the U.S. and became Director of the Policy Planning Staff in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. Upon his promotion to Major General, Polk took command of the 4th Armored Division, followed by being the U.S. Commandant in Berlin from 2 January 1963 to 31 August 1964, during a time of increased Cold War tensions and President John F. Kennedy's visit to Berlin in June 1963. Polk became Commanding General of V Corps on 1 September 1964. In 1966 he returned to CONUS to become Assistant Chief of Staff for Force Development. He returned to Europe at the end of that year, first as Deputy Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Army Europe, and six months later became Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR). He retired from active duty on 1 April 1971. Date of birth: 12/13/1911 Date of death: 02/18/1992 Area of notoriety: Military Marker Type: Monument Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: None Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

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