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Library » Subject Guides » McNair, Lesley


COLLECTIONS

McNair, Lesley

Lesley James McNair was born May 25, 1883 in Verndale, MN. His family moved to Minneapolis, where high school was available for McNair and his siblings. While he was on the waiting list for the U.S. Naval Academy, he accepted an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy, and began attending in August 1900.
McNair commissioned into artillery, but soon transferred to ordnance. His first project was improving artillery used in mountainous areas where the large heavy caissons couldn’t go. McNair did studies in metallurgy and other topics that gave him experience in laboratory experiments. He also learned to use forges, lathes, and other equipment.
In 1909, he returned to artillery, and served at Fort Riley, KS, during the testing of defenses against howitzers. McNair served at the Field Artillery School, and spent time in France before World War I observing French artillery in training. McNair participate in the Pancho Villa Expedition.
He was assigned to the 1st Division in 1917, and was in charge of pre-mobilization training for the division. His roommate on the ocean voyage to France was Maj. George Marshall. McNair was promoted to temporary brigadier general in June 1918, at that time the youngest general officer in the Army, at 35. During the war, he served as the chief of artillery training and tactics.
After the war, McNair served on the faculty at the School of the Line (now Command and General Staff College) at Fort Leavenworth, KS. He was then sent to Fort Shafter, HI, to study coastal defenses. In 1924, McNair served with the ROTC at Purdue University. McNair then attended the Army War College. He was then assigned to the Field Artillery Center and School and pioneered accuracy techniques including forward observers and direct fire rather than timed or rolling barrages. In 1934, McNair was put in charge of CCC camps in MS and LA.
McNair became the commandant of Command and General Staff College to reorganize training at the school at the behest of George Marshall. During 1940 and 1941, he was in charge of the large training at the Louisiana Maneuvers. In 1942, McNair became commander of Army Ground Forces. He was injured in North Africa in 1943 when he went to see how effective the training had been. In 1944, while observing troops in France, McNair was killed by Eighth Air Force bombs dropped short of their target in a close-air-support role.
McNair is buried in the Normandy American Cemetery in France.
To find other items that the Marshall Foundation has on transportation, search “McNair” in the library catalog: https://www.marshallfoundation.org/library/results/
Digitized items in the George C. Marshall archives:

1-561 To Brigadier General Lesley J. McNair, February 23, 1939
1-568 To Brigadier General Lesley J. McNair, March 28, 1939
1-570 To Brigadier General Lesley J. McNair, April 19, 1939
1-573 To Brigadier General Lesley J. McNair, May 3, 1939
2-026 To Brigadier General Lesley J. McNair, August 7, 1939
2-032 To Brigadier General Lesley J. McNair, August 16, 1939
2-058 To Brigadier General Lesley J. McNair, September 29, 1939
2-109 To Brigadier General Lesley J. McNair, January 24, 1940
2-153 To Brigadier General Lesley J. McNair, April 9, 1940
2-485 Memorandum for General McNair, June 18, 1941
3-129 Memorandum for General McNair, March 14, 1942
3-167 Memorandum for General McNair, April 25, 1942
3-222 Memorandum for General McNair, June 11, 1942
3-306 Memorandum for General McNair, October 22, 1942
3-341 Memorandum for General McNair, September 28, 1942
3-348 Memorandum for General McNair, October 1, 1942
3-349 Memorandum for General McNair, October 1, 1942
3-359 Memorandum for General McNair, October 6, 1942
3-377 Memorandum for General McNair, October 22, 1942
3-403 Memorandum for General McNair, November 12, 1942
3-426 Memorandum for General McNair, November 28, 1942
3-432 Memorandum for General McNair, December 1, 1942
3-503 Memorandum for General McNair, February 7, 1943
3-505 Memorandum for General McNair, February 8, 1943
3-578 Memorandum for General McNair, March 29, 1943
3-582 Memorandum for General McNair, March 31, 1943
3-623 To Mrs. Lesley J. McNair, April 26, 1943
4-002 Memorandum for General McNair, June 8, 1943
4-060 Memorandum for General McNair, July 28, 1943
4-070 Memorandum to General McNair, August 4, 1943
4-099 Memorandum for General McNair, September 3, 1943
4-133 Memorandum for General McNair, October 13, 1943
4-215 Memorandum for General McNair, January 26, 1944
4-264 Memorandum for General McNair, February 20, 1944
4-266 Memorandum for General McNair, February 22, 1944
4-318 Memorandum for General McNair, March 24, 1944
4-344 Memorandum for General McNair, April 12, 1944
4-420 Memorandum for General McNair, June 23, 1944
4-465 To Mrs. Lesley J. McNair, July 26, 1944

Collection Formats:

War Department Chiefs and Executives, October 19,
Collection: F. Gorham Brigham Collection

Documents


Organization Chart Offices of the Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff & Secretary, General Staff, September 15,
Collection: F. Gorham Brigham Collection

Documents


Organization Chart Offices of the Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff & Secretariat, General Staff, March 1,
Collection: F. Gorham Brigham Collection

Documents


Statistics Branch War Department General Staff organization chart
Collection: F. Gorham Brigham Collection

Documents


Secretariat, War Department General Staff, June 7,
Call Number: GCM 7890 Collection: F. Gorham Brigham Collection, George C. Marshall Photographs

Photographs


Handshake after award from Gen. George C. Marshall, 1945
Collection: F. Gorham Brigham Collection

Photographs


Legion of Merit awarded by Gen. George C. Marshall, 1945
Collection: F. Gorham Brigham Collection

Photographs

Legion of Merit awarded by Gen. George C. Marshall


Newspaper clipping of Pershing attending Brown-Marshall Wedding, October 12,
Collection: George Catlett Marshall and Katherine Tupper Marshall Collection

Notice of Marshall-Brown wedding


Invitation list to wedding of Katherine T. Brown and Lt. Col. George C. Marshall, 1930
Collection: George Catlett Marshall and Katherine Tupper Marshall Collection

Documents

Inivtation list to the wedding of Katherine T. Brown and Lt. Col. George C. Marshall


Marshall Day at Virginia Military Institute, May 15,
Author: Virginia Military Institute
Collection: George C. Marshall Collection

Documents

Marshall Day Virginia Military Institute


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