John Charles French, Lieutenant Colonel, and veteran of the First World War and the War in the Philippines. John was born 5/18/1880, in Missouri. He died in California, 11/14/1949, and is buried at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California. Colonel French had a long and illustrious military career that spanned the 33-year period from 1899, to 1932. He was a classmate and friend of Douglas MacArthur and was an aide to General John J. Pershing, General of the Armies and Commanding General of U.S. Expeditionary Forces in the Great War. His military career would take him around the world, from the Philippine Islands and Mexico at the beginning of the century to France, Germany, and Armenia at the height of World War One. He ended his career as a military instructor in Missouri. Colonel French began his service as a nineteen-year old cadet at West Point on 6/13/1899, joining such notable June 1899 classmates as MacArthur and Ulysses Grant, the grandson of the celebrated Lt. General. He received his commission from the state of Kansas with the assistance of the governor. From the beginning, it is evident that Charles struggled with the point's rigorous academics. He resigned after just a few months, but was reinstated, only to be discharged effective January 20, 1900, for deficiencies in mathematics and drill instruction. He was admitted for another try on June 19, 1900, but was again discharged, this time for good, on January 31, 1902, for his deficiency in mathematics. For the full year 1901, John ranked 103rd of the 141 cadets in his class. The day after John left the Point, on January 20, 1902, he immediately volunteered for the National Army as a Private in Troop I, 11th U.S. Cavalry. At that time, the Army was in the final stages of the bloody war with Filipino insurgents in the Philippines. John was deployed to the Philippines from Fort Myer. While in Troop I, he was promoted to Corporal, then Sergeant. He accepted a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Army's 24th Infantry on 10/10/1904, and then First Lieutenant, on 3/11/1911. For the most part, he was stationed in the Philippines until 1913. From April to December 1914, he took part in the occupation of Vera Cruz, Mexico during a bloody period in the Mexican Revolution. From 1914 to 1917, he was assigned to another Infantry Division, and then to the 61st Infantry, also in 1917. He received a promotion to Captain on July 1, 1916, and then received a temporary promotion to Major, from 8/5/1917 to 11/17/1917, and then Adjutant in the 62nd Depot Brigade, 11/1917, to 2/1918. He left for France to join the U.S. Expeditionary Force in 1918, and was part of the General Staff, 3/1918 to 6/1/1918. In 8/1918, he departed France for Armenia, where he served until 10/1919. In 1919, he was designated G-1, 29th Division, Assistant G-3, 5th Corps, Assistant S.O.S. Regulating Officer. In 1919 and 1920, he was part of the 55th Infantry, 13th Brigade. On 7/1/1920, he was promoted to Major and assigned with the 7th Division, where he stayed until 9/1921. From late in 1921 until the fall of 1922, he attended the School of the Line (Officer Training School) at Leavenworth, Kansas and then was assigned to the 3rd Infantry. Finally, he was assigned to the 10th Infantry from 6/1923 until 7/1/1927. From that point until at least 6/1928, he was an instructor in the Missouri National Guard. On 12/13/1928, he received his commission as Lt. Colonel. At his own request, he retired from military service on 7/31/1932. Colonel French is the son of John French and Jane Patience Histad, widow of Civil War veteran Thomas Wright. Colonel French's parents emigrated from Bishop Auckland England in 1860 and were married 1/18/1868. John is said to have married Mable, maiden name unknown in 1905, but her fate is not known. He was married to Elizabeth, nee Walsh, from Iowa in 1940. Jack had no children.