Motto: The buck stops here (October 1939)

[Ben Zimmer]

On Sat, Jan 18, 2014 at 1:06 AM, ADSGarson O'Toole wrote:
>
> In an off list message Bill Mullins made an illuminating point about
> the 1939 rank of Brig. Gen. A. B. Warfield who was referred to as a
> Colonel in 1942 with a retired rank of brigadier general.
>
> [Begin Excerpt from Bill]
> It would happen occasionally that an officer would retire with a
> particular rank, then re-enter the service at a lower rank to fill a
> needed job.  Don't know if he drew a BG's retirement pay, drew an
> active BG's duty pay, or an active Col's duty pay.  I'd imagine that
> protocol issues could be awkward at times as well.  (Was he allowed to
> use a General Officer's parking spot?)
> [End excerpt from Bill]

To fill in the gaps a bit, here are some biographical notes on
Warfield that I previously collected (I believe I was the first to
identify Warfield as the keeper of the "buck stops here" sign on this
list back in '05)...

Augustus Bennett Warfield (b. July 24, 1878) was promoted to colonel
in 1930 and served as quartermaster supply officer and general
superintendent of the Army Transport Service of the New York General
Army Depot. He was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in 1936
when he was named assistant to the quartermaster general. He finished
his four-year term in 1940 and went on to command the Columbus General
Army Depot until 1942, when he reached the retirement age of 63. He
died on Mar. 3, 1960.

It appears that the rank of brigadier general went along with his
1936-40 post as assistant to the quartermaster general, and that he
reverted to the rank of colonel afterwards.

--bgz

--
Ben Zimmer
http://benzimmer.com/

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org