Col. Arthur Harrison "Harry" Wilson Jr., born in Washington, D.C., in 1912, died Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2004, at his home in Fredericksburg. Son of Col. Arthur H. Wilson of Springfield, Ill., and Helen Brooks of Washington, D.C., Col. Wilson came from a long line of U.S Army officers, including his fraternal grandfather, Bluford Wilson of Springfield, Ill., and his great-uncle, Gen. James Harrison Wilson, one of Gen. Grant's cavalry generals.
He was a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1937, and was captain of the USMA Polo Team, which won the intercollegiate polo championship for three consecutive years.
During World War II, Col. Wilson was assigned to the 11th Airborne Division, 187th Regiment. His unit was engaged in campaigns in New Guinea and later in the final battles of Leyte Gulf and Manila in the Philippines, where he was battalion commander rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel in January 1944.
Following the end of the war, he became executive officer and regimental commander of the 11th Airborne Division, 187 Regiment, based in Hokkaido, Japan. He returned to the U.S. and Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., where he attended the Command and General Staff War College. His next assignment was Fort Campbell, Ky., where he was commander of the 187th Battalion.
In September 1950, he became a battalion commander of the 11th Airborne Division, 187th Regiment in Korea. He led the 187th "Rakkasans" night jump into Pyongyang during the Inchon Landing. It was the first combat parachute jump in the Korean War. He served on the front lines in Korea where he was promoted to colonel in 1951. He returned to Fort Campbell as regimental commander and chief of staff of the 11th Airborne Division. He left in 1953 to attend the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Ala.
The remaining years of his Army career included several years as the U.S. Army Attache with the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina 1958-62 and 1967-68 and as commanding officer of the Reserve Officer Training Program and professor of military science at the University of Virginia 1964-67.
He was a recipient of two Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit, five Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart, the Air Medal, Senior Parachutist Badge, two Combat Infantryman Badges and the Argentine Order of San Jorge.
He retired to Free Union near Charlottesville, where he raised thoroughbred horses, coached the University of Virginia polo team and received a Master of Arts degree at the University of Virginia. He bred several successful racehorses. In 1994, he moved to Fredericksburg, where he continued to breed thoroughbreds.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Molly Polk. He is survived by his six children, Ann Isacco of Greenville, Pa., Brooks Hernandez of McLean, Sarah Drennen of Shepherdstown, W.Va., Arthur Harrison Wilson III of Washington, D.C., and Fredericksburg, Esther Hannon of Fredericksburg, and James Mather Wilson of Charlottesville; 15 grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren.
A full military honors funeral for Col. Wilson will be held in Arlington National Cemetery on Jan. 3, 2005, at 10:30 a.m. A funeral will be held locally at St. Mary Catholic Church, 1009 Stafford Ave., Thursday, Nov. 18, at 4:30 p.m.
He was a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1937, and was captain of the USMA Polo Team, which won the intercollegiate polo championship for three consecutive years.
During World War II, Col. Wilson was assigned to the 11th Airborne Division, 187th Regiment. His unit was engaged in campaigns in New Guinea and later in the final battles of Leyte Gulf and Manila in the Philippines, where he was battalion commander rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel in January 1944.
Following the end of the war, he became executive officer and regimental commander of the 11th Airborne Division, 187 Regiment, based in Hokkaido, Japan. He returned to the U.S. and Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., where he attended the Command and General Staff War College. His next assignment was Fort Campbell, Ky., where he was commander of the 187th Battalion.
In September 1950, he became a battalion commander of the 11th Airborne Division, 187th Regiment in Korea. He led the 187th "Rakkasans" night jump into Pyongyang during the Inchon Landing. It was the first combat parachute jump in the Korean War. He served on the front lines in Korea where he was promoted to colonel in 1951. He returned to Fort Campbell as regimental commander and chief of staff of the 11th Airborne Division. He left in 1953 to attend the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Ala.
The remaining years of his Army career included several years as the U.S. Army Attache with the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina 1958-62 and 1967-68 and as commanding officer of the Reserve Officer Training Program and professor of military science at the University of Virginia 1964-67.
He was a recipient of two Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit, five Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart, the Air Medal, Senior Parachutist Badge, two Combat Infantryman Badges and the Argentine Order of San Jorge.
He retired to Free Union near Charlottesville, where he raised thoroughbred horses, coached the University of Virginia polo team and received a Master of Arts degree at the University of Virginia. He bred several successful racehorses. In 1994, he moved to Fredericksburg, where he continued to breed thoroughbreds.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Molly Polk. He is survived by his six children, Ann Isacco of Greenville, Pa., Brooks Hernandez of McLean, Sarah Drennen of Shepherdstown, W.Va., Arthur Harrison Wilson III of Washington, D.C., and Fredericksburg, Esther Hannon of Fredericksburg, and James Mather Wilson of Charlottesville; 15 grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren.
A full military honors funeral for Col. Wilson will be held in Arlington National Cemetery on Jan. 3, 2005, at 10:30 a.m. A funeral will be held locally at St. Mary Catholic Church, 1009 Stafford Ave., Thursday, Nov. 18, at 4:30 p.m.
Col. Arthur Harrison "Harry" Wilson Jr., born in Washington, D.C., in 1912, died Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2004, at his home in Fredericksburg. Son of Col. Arthur H. Wilson of Springfield, Ill., and Helen Brooks of Washington, D.C., Col. Wilson came from a long line of U.S Army officers, including his fraternal grandfather, Bluford Wilson of Springfield, Ill., and his great-uncle, Gen. James Harrison Wilson, one of Gen. Grant's cavalry generals.
He was a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1937, and was captain of the USMA Polo Team, which won the intercollegiate polo championship for three consecutive years.
During World War II, Col. Wilson was assigned to the 11th Airborne Division, 187th Regiment. His unit was engaged in campaigns in New Guinea and later in the final battles of Leyte Gulf and Manila in the Philippines, where he was battalion commander rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel in January 1944.
Following the end of the war, he became executive officer and regimental commander of the 11th Airborne Division, 187 Regiment, based in Hokkaido, Japan. He returned to the U.S. and Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., where he attended the Command and General Staff War College. His next assignment was Fort Campbell, Ky., where he was commander of the 187th Battalion.
In September 1950, he became a battalion commander of the 11th Airborne Division, 187th Regiment in Korea. He led the 187th "Rakkasans" night jump into Pyongyang during the Inchon Landing. It was the first combat parachute jump in the Korean War. He served on the front lines in Korea where he was promoted to colonel in 1951. He returned to Fort Campbell as regimental commander and chief of staff of the 11th Airborne Division. He left in 1953 to attend the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Ala.
The remaining years of his Army career included several years as the U.S. Army Attache with the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina 1958-62 and 1967-68 and as commanding officer of the Reserve Officer Training Program and professor of military science at the University of Virginia 1964-67.
He was a recipient of two Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit, five Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart, the Air Medal, Senior Parachutist Badge, two Combat Infantryman Badges and the Argentine Order of San Jorge.
He retired to Free Union near Charlottesville, where he raised thoroughbred horses, coached the University of Virginia polo team and received a Master of Arts degree at the University of Virginia. He bred several successful racehorses. In 1994, he moved to Fredericksburg, where he continued to breed thoroughbreds.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Molly Polk. He is survived by his six children, Ann Isacco of Greenville, Pa., Brooks Hernandez of McLean, Sarah Drennen of Shepherdstown, W.Va., Arthur Harrison Wilson III of Washington, D.C., and Fredericksburg, Esther Hannon of Fredericksburg, and James Mather Wilson of Charlottesville; 15 grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren.
A full military honors funeral for Col. Wilson will be held in Arlington National Cemetery on Jan. 3, 2005, at 10:30 a.m. A funeral will be held locally at St. Mary Catholic Church, 1009 Stafford Ave., Thursday, Nov. 18, at 4:30 p.m.
He was a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1937, and was captain of the USMA Polo Team, which won the intercollegiate polo championship for three consecutive years.
During World War II, Col. Wilson was assigned to the 11th Airborne Division, 187th Regiment. His unit was engaged in campaigns in New Guinea and later in the final battles of Leyte Gulf and Manila in the Philippines, where he was battalion commander rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel in January 1944.
Following the end of the war, he became executive officer and regimental commander of the 11th Airborne Division, 187 Regiment, based in Hokkaido, Japan. He returned to the U.S. and Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., where he attended the Command and General Staff War College. His next assignment was Fort Campbell, Ky., where he was commander of the 187th Battalion.
In September 1950, he became a battalion commander of the 11th Airborne Division, 187th Regiment in Korea. He led the 187th "Rakkasans" night jump into Pyongyang during the Inchon Landing. It was the first combat parachute jump in the Korean War. He served on the front lines in Korea where he was promoted to colonel in 1951. He returned to Fort Campbell as regimental commander and chief of staff of the 11th Airborne Division. He left in 1953 to attend the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Ala.
The remaining years of his Army career included several years as the U.S. Army Attache with the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina 1958-62 and 1967-68 and as commanding officer of the Reserve Officer Training Program and professor of military science at the University of Virginia 1964-67.
He was a recipient of two Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit, five Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart, the Air Medal, Senior Parachutist Badge, two Combat Infantryman Badges and the Argentine Order of San Jorge.
He retired to Free Union near Charlottesville, where he raised thoroughbred horses, coached the University of Virginia polo team and received a Master of Arts degree at the University of Virginia. He bred several successful racehorses. In 1994, he moved to Fredericksburg, where he continued to breed thoroughbreds.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Molly Polk. He is survived by his six children, Ann Isacco of Greenville, Pa., Brooks Hernandez of McLean, Sarah Drennen of Shepherdstown, W.Va., Arthur Harrison Wilson III of Washington, D.C., and Fredericksburg, Esther Hannon of Fredericksburg, and James Mather Wilson of Charlottesville; 15 grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren.
A full military honors funeral for Col. Wilson will be held in Arlington National Cemetery on Jan. 3, 2005, at 10:30 a.m. A funeral will be held locally at St. Mary Catholic Church, 1009 Stafford Ave., Thursday, Nov. 18, at 4:30 p.m.
Gravesite Details
COL US ARMY; WORLD WAR II; KOREA; VIETNAM
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