General John Leonard Hines was born in White Sulphur Springs May 21, 1868.  He was appointed to the Military Academy at West Point in 1887, graduated in 1891. With the outbreak of the Spanish-American War in 1898, he volunteered for combat duty and was awarded the silver citation star for gallantry in action against Spanish forces at Santiago, Cuba, on July 1, 1898. He participated in the Santiago Campaign; served at Cienfuegos, Cuba, during the occupation until 1900.  Promoted to major, he served with General John J. Pershing as adjutant general of the 1916 Mexican expedition in pursuit of Pancho Villa.

Hines was Assistant Adjutant General of the American Expeditionary Force in France until October 27, 1917.  Having been promoted to the rank of Colonel, he commanded the 16^th Infantry of the First Division in the Auseauville Sector.  Successively, he was assigned as Brigadier General commanding the First Brigade of the First Division and Major General in command of the Fourth Division, which he commanded in the Battle of St. Mihiel and part of the Meuse-Argonne offensive.  He commanded the 3d Army Corps during the closing stages of the offensive and during the march into and occupation of Germany. 

Dugout used by officers of the 4th Div., near Buisy.

It was opened by Major General John L. Hines, who may be seen in the center of the picture.

John Leonard Hines

By Joyce Ballantyne Brand
Oil on canvas, 72" x 36", 1974

After returning to the United States in 1919, he was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff on December 5, 1922, and succeeded General Pershing as Army Chief of Staff on September 13, 1924.

General Hines received the Distinguished Service Cross and the Distinguished Service Medal and was awarded the following decorations:  Commander of the Order of Leopold (Belgium); Knight Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (Great Britain); Commander of the Legion of Honor (France); Croix de Guerre with Palm (France); Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown (Italy); and Medal of La Solidaridad (Panama).

He retired May 31, 1932 and was promoted to General in 1940.  General Hines died on October 13, 1968 at Walter Reed Army Hospital at the age of 100.  He is buried at Arlington National Cemetary.

Hines was the only American officer during World War I to command successively in battle a regiment, brigade, division and corps, and one of only two American generals to celebrate their 100^th birthdays.

U.S. Postal Service Salutes Distinguished Soldiers

Issue Date: May 3, 2000

WASHINGTON - Four World War II soldiers who were honored by the U.S. Postal Service when it issued the Distinguished Soldiers commemorative postage stamps on May 3, 2000 at the Pentagon.   Honored were Audie L. Murphy, Omar N. Bradley, John L. Hines and Alvin C. York, American war heroes featured on the pane of four first-class stamps.