Upton BIRNIE

                   Occupation: PRINCIPAL OFFICIAL OF THE WAR DEPARTMENT AND DEPARTMENT OFTHE ARMY,
26 March 1934-25 March 1938 Chief of Field Artillery

Notation: Upton Birnie, Jr., the nephew of COL Rogers Birnie, Class of1872, was born at Carlisle, PA, in 1877. He was appointed to West Pointafter finishing his junior year in High School in Philadelphia.


BIOGRAPHY: Upton Birnie, Jr., the nephew of COL Rogers Birnie, Class of1872, was born at Carlisle, PA, in 1877. He was appointed to West Point after finishing his junior year in High School in Philadelphia.

BIOGRAPHY: While at the Academy, Birnie was the hop manager each year,cadet first sergeant, and acting first sergeant during First Class Camp.He graduated 23rd in the class.

BIOGRAPHY: After graduation, Birnie went to Cuba, assigned to the SantaClara Battery and Battery No. 5 in Havana until 1901 and then with the29th Battery, Field Artillery, until 1902. His next assignment was to Ft.Sill, OK, with the 29th Battery. In 1906, he was an Honor Graduate of theInfantry and Cavalry School at Ft. Leavenworth, KS. He then was permanently assigned to the Field Artillery. He also attended the Army Staff College and joined the 6th Field Artillery at Ft. Riley. The Army War College in Washington Barracks, DC, was his assignment in 1912. Fromthere, he joined the 2d Field Artillery and was stationed in Stotsenburg,Philippines, until 1915.

BIOGRAPHY: Unlike many of his classmates, Birnie went overseas during WWI without having to endure months in a training camp. He was with the 6thField Artillery in France in 1917 and then was assigned to General Staff duty with the A.E.F. He was involved in the Battle of Chemin des Dames in1917 and with American troops in the St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne Offensives in 1918. For his efforts, Birnie received the DistinguishedService Medal, and was named an officer of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus by Italy, an officer of the Order of Leopold by Belgium, anOfficer of the Legion of Honor by France.

BIOGRAPHY: In 1920, as a colonel, Birnie was sent back to the Army War College for a second time. He stayed at the college as an instructor for the next four years. In 1934, Birnie was selected by President Roosevelt as Chief of Field Artillery and was the first graduate of the Class of 1900 to be promoted to major general.

BIOGRAPHY: MG Birnie retired in 1938 and died in 1957 in Arlington, VA,at the age of 80.