John L . Hines John Leonard Hines ( May 21 , 1868 – October 13 , 1968 ) was an American soldier who served as Chief of Staff of the U . S . Army from 1924 to 1926 . Biography . Born in White Sulphur Springs , West Virginia , Hines graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and was commissioned as a second lieutenant of Infantry on June 12 , 1891 . His first assignment was to the 2nd Infantry Regiment . Hines served with the regiment in Nebraska and Montana from 1891 to 1898 where he married Harriet Schofield " Rita " Wherry , one of the daughters of Brigadier General William M . Wherry and Alice Grammer . Hines served in Cuba during the Spanish - American War and in the Philippines during the Philippine - American War . He was adjutant of the Mexican Punitive Expedition in 1916 - 17 under General John J . Pershing . During World War I , Hines experienced a meteoric rise in rank as he was promoted from major to lieutenant colonel in May 1917 , then to colonel ( November 1917 ) , brigadier general ( April 1918 ) , and , in August 1918 , to temporary major general — four grades in 16 months . He assumed successively larger commands — from regiment to brigade , division , and finally , corps . Hines commanded the 1st Brigade , 1st Division , from May to August 1918 during which Hines time he received the Distinguished Service Cross , the second - highest U . S . Army decoration for valor , for " extraordinary heroism in action near Berzy - le - Sec , France , July 21 , 1918 . " On August 16 , 1918 , Hines took command of 4th Division . Hines commanded the 4th ID during the American operations at St . Mihiel and in the Meuse - Argonne until October 11 , 1918 . Hines then took command of III Corps , leading it during the final engagements of the war and the occupation of Germany . He was promoted to permanent major general in March 1921 . His post - war commands included the 5th Division , the 2nd Division and the VIII Corps Area . In December 1922 , he was assigned as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army , and became Army Chief of Staff on September 14 , 1924 . His Army biography states that as Chief of Staff , he " stressed the need for balance in funding and personnel for all parts of the permanent establishment , pointed up the effects of strength deficiencies upon Army capability to meet the provisions of the National Defense Act of 1920 , and urged action on housing and promotions to promote personnel retention . " On May 7 , 1925 Hines dedicated the landing field at the Vancouver Barracks in Vancouver , Washington to the memory of Lieutenant Alexander Pearson , Jr . who was killed on September 2 , 1924 in Fairfield , Ohio while flying the Curtiss R - 8 in preparation for the upcoming Pulitzer Trophy Race . In 1926 , after completing his tour as Army Chief of Staff , Hines took command of the IX Corps Area in California , which he led until 1930 . In 1930 , Hines became commanding general of the Department of the Philippines . He retired in May 1932 . Hines died in Washington , DC , at Walter Reed Army Medical Center at age 100 . He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery . The only American generals to have celebrated their 100th birthdays are John L . Hines , James Van Fleet , and William Glascow . Family and Legacy . On May 5 , 2000 , the United States Postal Service issued the " Distinguished Soldiers " stamps in which Hines was honored . Hines ' son , Col . John L . Hines , Jr . ( 1905 – 1986 ) , served in World War II with the 6th Armored Division , commanding the division ' s Combat Command A from November 1944 to March 1945 . He was twice decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross and was severely wounded outside Frankfurt , Germany when an 88mm antitank shell grazed his face .