Anthony McAuliffe - History

History

McAuliffe was born in Washington, D.C., on July 2, 1898. He was a student at West Virginia University from 1916 to 1917. McAuliffe was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon Social Fraternity while at West Virginia University. He enrolled at West Point in 1917. McAuliffe was part of an accelerated program and graduated briefly after the end of World War I, in November 1918. During this time period he visited Europe for a short while and toured through several battlefields. Then when he was assigned to field artillery, he graduated from the Artillery School in 1920. For the next 16 years, McAuliffe would carry out typical peacetime assignments. By 1935, he had been promoted to the rank of captain. Afterwards, he was chosen to attend the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. In June 1940, McAuliffe graduated from the United States Army War College. Just before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941, he was promoted yet again, temporarily becoming a lieutenant colonel with the Supply Division of the War Department General Staff. While in this position, McAuliffe supervised the development of such new technology as the bazooka and the jeep. He rose through the ranks to four-star General in 1955.