Brigadier General Robert Moore Blanchard, Jr.
USMA 1933
Brigadier General Robert Moore Blanchard, Jr., USA (Ret.), beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, died on December 19, 1999, at the age of 90 years, 9 months in San Antonio, TX. He was born April 3, 1909, at Fort Sheridan, IL, the son of Colonel Robert Moore Blanchard and Mary Wallace DeWitt Blanchard. He was the grandson of B/General Calvin DeWitt, the first Commandant of the first Army Medical School in the early part of this century. In the first class were his father and his uncle (later Major General Wallace DeWitt).
General Blanchard graduated from Punaho High School in Honolulu, HI and graduated from West Point in the class of 1933. His first station as an Infantry Officer was Fort Crook, NE. On December 26, 1934, he married Ann Keller, daughter of Colonel Frank Keller (Cavalry) and Margaret Keller. During WWII, he served as G-2 Operation Officer and G-2 Air for 1st Army during the invasion of Normandy and subsequent European operations. Later, General Blanchard served 1-1/2 years as an operational advisor to a Greek Major General during the Greek insurrection, 1948-1949. He accompanied the 3rd Infantry Division to Korea as Commander of the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry, in 950. In turn, he served as Deputy Assistant Division Commander, 3rd Division, and Commander of the 8th Cavalry Regt.,1st Calvary Division, in combat until early June 1951. He then returned to the U.S. to attend the Armed Forces Staff College, and later the National War College. In 1955, he was assigned to Headquarters, Allied Forces Southern Europe, Naples, Italy, for duty in the Plans and Operations Division. In. 1958, General Blanchard returned to the States as Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3, 4th Army. On May 11,1960, he became Chief, Army Section, MAAG, Taiwan. After serving as 3rd Army Chief of Staff at Ft. McPherson, GA, he retired from active duty in 1963. Decorations include Legions of Merit, Silver Star, Bronze Star for Valor, Commendation medals, and numerous campaign medals for WWII, Korea, Greece, Belgium and Thailand.
Brigadier General Blanchard is survived by his wife, Ann, of nearly 65 years; by his son, LTC (Ret.) Robert DeWitt Blanchard and wife Mary; daughters, Margaret Blanchard, West Topsham, VT and Ann Blanchard, Fort Ann, NY, Mary Blanchard Bowe and husband, Robert, Schertz, TX; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; and a nephew, John Williams.
A Rosary will be recited on Wednesday, December 22, 1999, at 5:00 PM. at the Main Post Chapel, Ft. Sam Houston. Funeral Services Thursday, December 23, 1999, at 1:30 P.M. at Main Post Chapel (Gift Chapel), Fort Sam Houston with Interment in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery with Full Military Honors. The family requests in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Sisters Care, 830 W. Mulberry, San Antonio, TX 78212, or St. Peter/St. Joseph's Children's Home, 919 Mission Rd., San Antonio, TX 78210, or to Santa Rosa Children's Hospital. Honorary Pallbearers will be the Class of 1933 West Point Graduates.
SUNSET
Funeral Home
1701 Austin Hwy. 828-2811
"For Those Who Care"
(Reprinted from San Antonio Express News, Sunday, January 23, 2000)