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 [decorative delimiter] Class of 1879

Vol. III
p325
2816

(Born Ind.)

Will T. May

(Ap'd Ind.)

57

Born Crawfordsville, IN.​a

Military History. — Cadet at the Military Academy, July 1, 1875, to June 13, 1879, when he was graduated and promoted in the Army to

Second Lieut., 15th Infantry, June 13, 1879.

Served: on frontier duty at Ft. Union, N. M., Sep. 28, 1879, to Oct. 31, 1881, — Ft. Lewis, Col., to Nov. 26, 1882, — Ft. Stevenson, Dak., to June 22, 1883, — and Ft. Buford, Dak., to May 29, 1886; and as Professor of Military Science and Tactics at De Pauw University, Greencastle, Ind., to Jan. 15, 1890.

First Lieut., 15th Infantry, Feb. 27, 1888.

Vol. IV
p320
[Supplement, Vol. IV: 1890‑1900]

Military History. — Served: At Fort Pembina, N. D. (Post Adjutant, A. G. O., Topographical Officer, Range Officer, Post Treasurer, A. A. Q. M., and A. C. S., from March 31), Jan., 1890 to May, 1891; with regiment at Fort Sheridan, Ill., May, 1891 to Oct., 1893 (in charge of bicycle detachment);​b appointed Regimental Adjutant, April 30; Post Adjutant and Regimental Recruiting Officer; resigned Regimental Adjutancy, May 15, 1893; on recruiting service, Columbus Barracks, O., Oct. 1, 1893 to Aug. 6, 1895; with company at Fort Sheridan, Ill., Aug. 7, 1895 to Oct., 1896; with regiment to Department of Arizona, Oct., 1896; at Fort Grant, Ariz., to June, 1897. — On duty with National Guard, State of Indiana, June 7, 1897 to April, 1898.

(Captain of Infantry, 15th Infantry, April 26, 1898)

 p321  — Mustering Officer, Indiana Volunteers, April 25, 1898. — Mustered in 157th, 158th, 159th, and 160th regiments Indiana Volunteer Infantry, also 27th and 28th light batteries.

(Lieut.‑Colonel, 157th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, May 10, 1898)

Served: With regiment at Camp George H. Thomas, Ga., Tampa and Fernandina, Fla. — Mustering Officer, 3d Division, 4th Army Corps, Field and Summary Court Officer. — Chief Mustering Officer, State of Indiana, Oct., 1898. — Mustered out 157th, 158th, and 159th regiments Indiana Volunteers, also 27th and 28th Indiana light batteries, and 14th U. S. Volunteer Signal Company.

(Honorably mustered out of Volunteer Service, Nov. 1, 1898)

— Joined company at Nuevitas, Cuba, Feb. 5, 1899. — On sick leave, June 4 to Aug. 18. — On recruiting service, New York City, Aug. 19, 1899 to ––––

Vol. V
p299
[Supplement, Vol. V: 1900‑1910]

(Name given in Army Register, is Willis T. May)

Military History. — Served: On recruiting service, New York City, Aug. 19, 1899 to Dec. 1899; joined company in Dec., 1899, at Madison Barracks; changed station to Plattsburg Barracks, July, 1900; transferred to company D, to accompany command to China; transfer revoked; in command with all duties at Plattsburg Barracks, to Dec. 29, 1900; joined regiment at Nueva Caceres, Camarines Norte,  p300 P. I., and appointed Regimental Adjutant, March 30, 1901; Provost Marshal and Provost Judge, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, 3d District, Department Southern Luzon; changed station to Sorsogon, June 28; sailed for the U. S., arriving at San Francisco, Sept. 11, 1902; on duty at Monterey, California, to Oct. 24; on leave for three months; on duty at Monterey, California, to Oct. 25, 1903; on recruiting service at New Haven, Conn., to Sept. 1, 1905; rejoined regiment at Monterey and accompanied it to the Philippines.

(Major, 15th Infantry, Aug. 14, 1903)

— With regiment at Camp Keithley, Mindanao, P. I., to July, 1905; on leave of absence, to Jan. 11, 1907, then with regiment at Camp Keithley; in command of regiment, Aug. 1 to Nov. 20, when regiment arrived at Nagasaki, Japan; arrived with regiment at Fort Douglas, Dec. 17, 1907; on leave of absence, Dec. 28 to Jan. 19, 1908; commanding 2d Battalion, 15th Infantry, to ––––

Vol. VI
p281
[Supplement, Vol. VI: 1910‑1920]

(Willis Thompson May, Born Sept. 3, 1857.)

(Entered the Academy and was graduated as Will Thompson May; name changed in 1903 to Willis Thompson May.)º

Military History. —

Major, 15th Infantry, Aug. 14, 1903.

At Fort Douglas, Utah, commanding 2nd Battalion, 15th Infantry, Jan. 20, 1908, to Dec. 25, 1910; at Fort Leavenworth, Kans., at Field Officer's School, Jan. 6 to

(Lieut.‑Colonel of Infantry, March 3, 1911)

Mar. 8, 1911; at San Antonio, Texas, with 15th Infantry, March 13 to July, 1911; on leave of absence, July 25 to Aug. 25, 1911; at Army War College, Washington, D. C., Sept. 16, 1911, to May 1, 1912; on sick leave to June 1, 1912;

(Assigned to 7th Infantry, May 8, 1912)

joined regiment at Fort Leavenworth, Kans., June 1, 1912;

(Transferred to 28th Infantry, Oct. 2, 1912)

 p282  at Fort Snelling, Minn., with regiment, Oct. 16, 1912, to Feb. 25, 1913; at Galveston, Texas, with regiment, March 1 to June 25, 1913; on leave of absence to

(Colonel of Infantry, July 19, 1913)

Sept. 5, 1913; en route to Philippines, Sept. 5 to Oct. 3, 1913;

(Assigned to 8th Infantry, Oct. 3, 1913)

with 8th Infantry to Jan. 1, 1914;

(Assigned to 13th Infantry, Jan. 1, 1914)

at Fort William McKinley, P. I., commanding 13th Infantry, Jan. 1 to Aug. 15, 1914;

(Assigned to 24th Infantry, Aug. 15, 1914)

at Camp McGrath, Batangas, P. I., commanding 24th Infantry and post, Aug. 16, 1914, to Jan. 15, 1915; en route to U. S., Jan. 15 to Feb. 13, 1915; on leave of absence to March 25, 1915;

Colonel, U. S. A., Retired, March 25, 1915
At His Own Request, After Over 30 Years' Service.

After retirement, resided at Los Angeles, Cal., to Oct. 8, 1917, when he was recalled to active duty; at State College of Washington, Pullman, Washington, Professor of Military Science and Tactics Oct. 8, 1917, to Sept. 11, 1918; at same institution, Commanding Officer, Students Army Training Corps, Sept. 11, 1918, to

Vol. VII
p163
[Supplement, Vol. VII: 1920‑1930]

Military History: —

Colonel, U. S. A., Retired, Mar. 25, 1915,
At His Own Request, After Over 30 Years' Service.

At State College of Washington, Pullman, Wash., Commanding Officer, Students Army Training Corps, Sept. 11, 1918, to Feb. 21, 1919, when he was relieved from further active duty.

Died, Aug. 27, 1926, at San Francisco, Calif.: Aged 68.

Portrait and obituary in Annual Report, Association of Graduates, for 1928.

Buried, San Francisco National Cemetery, San Francisco, CA.


Thayer's Notes:

a Col. May's birthplace is from his AOG obituary.

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b Lt. May was the author of Cyclists' Drill Regulations, United States Army (Pope Manufacturing Co., Boston, Mass., 1892).


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