Elmer P. Yates Explained

Elmer P. Yates
Birth Name:Elmer Parker Yates
Birth Date:19 December 1917
Birth Place:Bangor, Maine
Death Place:Ogdensburg, New York
Allegiance:United States of America
Branch:United States Army
Serviceyears:1941–1971
Rank:Major General
Unit:U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Battles:
Awards:
Relations:Donald Norton Yates

Elmer Parker Yates (December 19, 1917 – August 14, 2011)[1] [2] was a major general in the United States Army Corps of Engineers who saw service in the Vietnam War. He was the younger brother of United States Air Force Lieutenant General Donald Norton Yates.

Early life and education

Yates was born in Bangor, Maine, to Archie O. and Gertrude A. (Wilson) Yates and attended Bangor High School. He spent one year at the Stanton Preparatory Academy in Cornwall, New York, before entering the United States Military Academy in 1937. Yates graduated second in the West Point class of 1941, winning three of the fifteen available academic awards, including the Robert E. Lee Saber for the highest standing in mathematics.[3] On graduation, he entered the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

In 1946, Yates graduated from the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. From June 1948 to June 1950, he attended the Cornell University Graduate School and completed an M.S. degree in engineering physics. His thesis was entitled "Soil moisture determination by neutron scattering."[4] In 1963, Yates graduated from the National War College.[5]

Career

During World War II, Yates served with the 3rd Engineer Battalion, 24th Infantry Division in Hawaii and the Philippines. From June 1945 to June 1948, he was an instructor of military art and engineering at the Military Academy.[6]

From 1950 to 1952, Yates was stationed in Albuquerque, New Mexico. From 1952 to 1954, he was assigned to Killeen Base, Texas. From 1954 to 1956, Yates served a tour of duty in South Korea. From 1956 to 1962, he worked at the Atomic Energy Commission and the Pentagon while living in Arlington, Virginia. In August 1961, Yates was promoted to colonel.[5]

Yates did two tours of duty as a senior officer during the Vietnam War. In 1968–1969, he was deputy chief of the Engineering Division of the U.S. Army Vietnam. In 1969–1970, he was director of construction in Vietnam, with the rank of brigadier general. Yates was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal and Air Medal for his Vietnam service.[7]

In 1963–1966, Yates was chief engineer of the Corps' Philadelphia District. In 1966–1968, he was chief engineer of the North Pacific Division, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and responsible for the Columbia River Basin. In 1970, he became director of installations in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics with the rank of major general. Yates retired from active duty in 1971.[7] He received a Distinguished Service Medal and two awards of the Legion of Merit for his domestic service in the Army.[7] [8]

Family and later life

Yates began dating Natalie Duty while still in high school. They were married on June 29, 1941. Yates and his wife had a son, daughter and three granddaughters.[9]

After retirement, Yates and his wife moved to Trenton, Maine. He died at the home of his son in Ogdensburg, New York on August 14, 2011.[10]

Notes and References

  1. Maine Birth Records, 1621-1922 (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), 2010.
  2. Web site: Elmer P. Yates Obituary – Ogdensburg, New York . Tributes.com . 2012-04-21.
  3. New York Times, June 10, 1941; ibid, April 2, 1941
  4. Soil moisture determination by neutron scattering . Elmer Parker . Yates . 1950 . Cornell University . Ithaca, New York . 2024-09-28.
  5. Book: U.S. Army Register: United States Army Active and Retired List . January 1, 1966 . I . 621 . U.S. Government Printing Office . Washington, D.C. . 2024-09-28.
  6. Book: Biographical register of the officers and graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York since its establishment in 1802: Supplement, 1940–1950 . December 1955 . IX . 1102 . The Association of Graduates, U.S. Military Academy . 2024-09-28.
  7. Book: https://books.google.com/books?id=cNeqibq2y1EC&pg=PA494 . Official Register of the Officers and Cadets . Class of 1941—Register of Graduates . 1971 . 494 . United States Military Academy . 2024-09-28.
  8. Web site: Elmer P. Yates . Military Times . Sightline Media Group . 2024-09-28.
  9. Web site: Natalie Yates Obituary . October 22–23, 2010 . Legacy.com . 2024-09-28.
  10. Web site: Elmer Yates Obituary . August 19, 2011 . Legacy.com . 2024-09-28.