Lawrence Joseph Lincoln
Lawrence Joseph Lincoln (1909–2000) was a native of Harbor Beach, Michigan. He was commanding officer of Fort Sam Houston for the period June 1967–August 1968. Early life and education. He was born January 2, 1909, on the family farm in Harbor Beach, Michigan. His parents were Burr Buchanan Lincoln and school teacher Esther Elizabeth Hoare Lincoln. He had two sisters and two brothers. A 1926 graduate of Harbor Beach High School, he attended Ferris State University, Western Michigan University and George Washington University. His older brother George graduated from United States Military Academy (USMC) in 1929 , leaving a vacancy in political appointments to the school. US Congressman Louis C. Cramton appointed Lawrence to the fill the vacancy. In addition to his scholastic achievements, he was athletically inclined. Military career. After his 1933 USMC graduation at the top five percent of his class, Lincoln was commissioned into the United States Army Corps of Engineers. During WWII, he was on the 1943-44 planning staff of Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander, Southeast Asia Theater. He served on the US–Soviet Joint Commission in 1945, following the end of WWII. Following the end of the war, Lincoln  was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal for his over-all contributions as part of the War Department General Staff, during World War II. For the next 20 years, Lincoln was assigned to a variety of engineering and construction projects. During the 1960s, Lincoln was put in command of Fort Belvoir in Fairfax, Virginia, as well as the Engineer Officer Basic Course. Lincoln was Deputy Chief of Staff for logistics 1964-67. In June 1967, he was named commander of Fort Sam Houston. In August 1968, Lincoln announced his retirement, and turned command of Fort Sam Houston over to his  successor, Lt. General Harry H. Critz. Personal life. Lincoln and his wife Mary were the parents of one daughter, and two sons who both served in the military. His older brother, Army Brigadier General George Arthur Lincoln (1907-1975), was an aide to General George C. Marshall, and became a top strategist for the Allies during World War II. In 1955, the Michigan Centennial Farm Program was created to recognize farms that had been family holdings for at least 100 years. The Lincoln family farm was eligible and officially designated the Lincoln Centennial Farm. Following his death in the year  2000, Lincoln was buried with honors at the Arlington National Cemetery.