Roger B. Colton
Roger Baldwin Colton | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 15, 1887 |
| Died | January 28, 1978 (aged 90) |
| Allegiance | United States Of America |
| Service/ | United States Army |
| Rank | Major General |
| Battles/wars | Battle of the Kasserine Pass |
| Awards | Legion of Merit, Distinguished Service Medal |
Major General Roger Baldwin Colton (born 15 December 1887 in Jonesboro, Burke County, North Carolina) served as United States Army Air Communications Officer of Technical Services during World War II.[1]
Early life
Colton was the last of the eight brothers and sisters born to his parents of Irish descent. His father died when Roger was only six, with his mother passing away when he was at the age of sixteen. His cousins were already raising his brother, Henry Elliott, and they took him in after the death of his mother.
Education
Roger's cousins sent him to the Taft School from where he graduated at age 19, and later attended Yale University. He graduated from Yale at the age of 22 with a Bachelor of Science degree from the Yale Sheffield School of Science and a membership in the Sigma Xi and Theta Xi honorary societies.
Military service
General Dwight D. Eisenhower credited Roger for his successful re-organization of the United States Armed Forces and final defeat of the Nazis at Kasserine Pass, and the Invasion of Sicily. This would later earn him a promotion in September 1944 to Major General of the Army. He was awarded the Legion of Merit and the Distinguished Service Medal for his technical and executive skills in development and supplying of vital communications equipment despite critical shortages of materials.
Later career
Following World War II, Colton joined the International Telephone & Telegraph Corporation's Federal Telephone and Radio Corporation division as a vice president. In 1950, he became president of Federal Telecommunications Laboratories, the company's research division.[2]
Death
Roger died January 24, 1978 and was buried at his present grave site in the Arlington National Cemetery.[3]
References
- ^ Major General Roger Baldwin Colton a Biography ancestry.com
- ^ Aviation Week & Space Technology, Volume 52, page 11
- ^ Roger B. Colton Arlington Burial Site ancestry.com
External links
- Colton Biographies at Rootsweb Ancestry
- Roger Baldwin Colton, Major General at Arlington National Cemetery