Lesley J. McNair
General Lesley James McNair was an American Army officer who served during World War I and World War II. He was the unsung architect of the US Army who played the leading role in training Army ground forces in the states before they were sent to combat. He concentrated on advanced officer education, using innovative weapons systems extensive fieldtesting of doctrine streamlining for efficiency realistic combat training, and combined army tactics with an emphasis on mobility of mechanized forces.
He was born in Verndale, Minnesota, the son of James and Clara Manz McNair. He graduated eleventh in a class of 124 from the United States Military Academy and was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant of Artillery . He then served in a series of ordnance and artillery appointments in Utah, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. . He was promoted to 1st lieutenant and captain and was then assigned to the 4th Artillery Regiment in the west . While attached to the regiment he was sent to France to observe French artillery training for a period of seven months and upon return took part in Major General Frederick Funstons expedition to Veracruz . He then saw service under General John J. Pershing, in the Pancho Villa Expedition, and was promoted to major .
Source: Wikipedia