USMA Class of 1885. Cullum No. 3087.
United States Army officer. Born to James and Martha Garner Buck. He was a member of the West Point class of 1885. After being accepted for admission to West Point, he attended a prep school nearby to prepare himself academically. There he was subjected to harassment and hazing resulting in a confrontation in which he fatally shot a classmate. He was arrested, indicted by a grand jury, tried and acquitted by a trial jury in New York. He was allowed to take the entrance exams for West Point pending trial, and was admitted to West Point after his acquittal. After graduation in 1885, Buck was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army's 16th Infantry Regiment and served frontier duty from 1885 to 1889. After completing a brief tour of duty in the Philippines, he returned to the United States to serve as commandant of cadets at Baylor University from 1893 to 1894. Upon the outbreak of the Spanish–American War in 1898, Buck entered the Second Texas Volunteer Infantry as a major and was honorably mustered out of the unit at the end of the war. On March 1, 1899, Buck was promoted to captain and became commandant of cadets at the University of Missouri, a position he held until 1902. During this period he completed three separate tours of duty in the Philippines during the Philippine–American War and married his wife Susanne Long on December 30, 1908. In 1914, Buck was promoted to the rank of colonel and sent to the US–Mexican border. A year later, he joined the Massachusetts National Guard. On June 12, 1917, two months after the United States entered WWI, Buck became the commander of the 28th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division. He was promoted to brigadier general on August 5 and given command of the 1st Division's 2nd Infantry Brigade, which he led during the battles of Cantigny and Soissons. Buck was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Cross, the French Croix de Guerre, and the French Legion of Honor for his role in the capture of Berzy-le-Sec. He was promoted to major general on August 8, 1918, and went on to command the 3rd Infantry Division and the 34th Infantry Division.
Buck returned to the United States on November 15, 1918, where he commanded Camp MacArthur in December 1918 and Camp Meade in March 1919. From May 1919 to March 1920 he was assigned to the Mexican–American border near Laredo, Texas, later transferring to Fort Crook in April 1920. His final assignment was as acting chief of staff of the 90th Infantry Division Organized Reserves at Camp Travis (now part of Fort Sam Houston) on August 15, 1921. He retired in 1924, but shortly thereafter was recalled to active duty for seven years.
Buck married two more times to Susanne Alyda Long and Virginia E. Rodgers. His first two wives died, leaving him a widower. He married his third wife in 1949, four months before his death. She was his nurse and was age 40 at the time of their marriage.
General Buck died suddenly at an Association of Texas Pioneers Valentine party, just as he prepared to dance a polka. Besides his young bride, he was survived by his two sons, B.B Buck, Jr., of Port Arthur, Texas, and Colonel J. B. Buck, of Orlando, Florida; and four daughters, Mrs. John Breit, Washington; Mrs. G. W. Munday, Dayton, Ohio; Mrs. R. F. Tate, Washington; and Mrs. James Churchill, San Antonio.
Contributor: THR (48277533)
USMA Class of 1885. Cullum No. 3087.
United States Army officer. Born to James and Martha Garner Buck. He was a member of the West Point class of 1885. After being accepted for admission to West Point, he attended a prep school nearby to prepare himself academically. There he was subjected to harassment and hazing resulting in a confrontation in which he fatally shot a classmate. He was arrested, indicted by a grand jury, tried and acquitted by a trial jury in New York. He was allowed to take the entrance exams for West Point pending trial, and was admitted to West Point after his acquittal. After graduation in 1885, Buck was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army's 16th Infantry Regiment and served frontier duty from 1885 to 1889. After completing a brief tour of duty in the Philippines, he returned to the United States to serve as commandant of cadets at Baylor University from 1893 to 1894. Upon the outbreak of the Spanish–American War in 1898, Buck entered the Second Texas Volunteer Infantry as a major and was honorably mustered out of the unit at the end of the war. On March 1, 1899, Buck was promoted to captain and became commandant of cadets at the University of Missouri, a position he held until 1902. During this period he completed three separate tours of duty in the Philippines during the Philippine–American War and married his wife Susanne Long on December 30, 1908. In 1914, Buck was promoted to the rank of colonel and sent to the US–Mexican border. A year later, he joined the Massachusetts National Guard. On June 12, 1917, two months after the United States entered WWI, Buck became the commander of the 28th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division. He was promoted to brigadier general on August 5 and given command of the 1st Division's 2nd Infantry Brigade, which he led during the battles of Cantigny and Soissons. Buck was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Cross, the French Croix de Guerre, and the French Legion of Honor for his role in the capture of Berzy-le-Sec. He was promoted to major general on August 8, 1918, and went on to command the 3rd Infantry Division and the 34th Infantry Division.
Buck returned to the United States on November 15, 1918, where he commanded Camp MacArthur in December 1918 and Camp Meade in March 1919. From May 1919 to March 1920 he was assigned to the Mexican–American border near Laredo, Texas, later transferring to Fort Crook in April 1920. His final assignment was as acting chief of staff of the 90th Infantry Division Organized Reserves at Camp Travis (now part of Fort Sam Houston) on August 15, 1921. He retired in 1924, but shortly thereafter was recalled to active duty for seven years.
Buck married two more times to Susanne Alyda Long and Virginia E. Rodgers. His first two wives died, leaving him a widower. He married his third wife in 1949, four months before his death. She was his nurse and was age 40 at the time of their marriage.
General Buck died suddenly at an Association of Texas Pioneers Valentine party, just as he prepared to dance a polka. Besides his young bride, he was survived by his two sons, B.B Buck, Jr., of Port Arthur, Texas, and Colonel J. B. Buck, of Orlando, Florida; and four daughters, Mrs. John Breit, Washington; Mrs. G. W. Munday, Dayton, Ohio; Mrs. R. F. Tate, Washington; and Mrs. James Churchill, San Antonio.
Contributor: THR (48277533)
Gravesite Details
Major General, US Army, World War I
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