William Bryden

William Bryden
Bryden circa 1941, when he was the army's Deputy Chief of Staff
Born	(1880-02-03)February 3, 1880 Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Died	January 20, 1972(1972-01-20) (aged 91) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Buried	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States
Service	United States Army
Years of service	1904–1946
Rank	Major General
Service number	0–1900[1]
Unit	U.S. Army Field Artillery Branch
Commands held	Department of Field Gunnery, School of Fire for Field Artillery 329th Field Artillery Regiment 15th Field Artillery Brigade 9th Field Artillery Brigade 16th Infantry Brigade and Fort George G. Meade 13th Field Artillery Brigade and Fort Bragg Fourth Corps Area Fourth Service Command Secretary of War´s Separation Board
Conflicts	Philippine–American War Pancho Villa Expedition World War I World War II
Awards	Army Distinguished Service Medal (3)
Spouse(s)	Ellen Barry (m. 1912–1972, his death)
Children	2
Relations	Raymond W. Bliss (cousin) Thomas Henry Barry (father-in-law)

William Bryden (February 3, 1880 – January 20, 1972) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of the Philippine–American War, Pancho Villa Expedition, World War I, and World War II, he attained the rank of major general and was three-time recipient of the Army Distinguished Service Medal. Bryden was best known for his assignment to several senior command positions, including the 15th Field Artillery Brigade (1918), 9th Field Artillery Brigade (1918–1919), 16th Infantry Brigade and Fort George G. Meade (1937–1938), 13th Field Artillery Brigade and Fort Bragg (1938–1940), Deputy Chief of Staff of the United States Army (1940–1942), Fourth Corps Area (1942), Fourth Service Command (1942–1944), and president of the Secretary of War´s Separation Board (1944–1946).

A native of Hartford, Connecticut, Bryden was raised in Hartford and Chelsea, Massachusetts. He graduated from the United States Military Academy (West Point) in 1904 and began a career in the Field Artillery Branch. His early assignments included Fort D. A. Russell, Wyoming and Fort Stotsenburg, Philippines. He was an instructor in mathematics at West Point from 1908 to 1912, and secretary of the Field Artillery School from May 1915 to June 1916. During World War I, Bryden served as assistant commandant of the School of Fire for Field Artillery and director of the school's Department of Field Gunnery, and received promotion to temporary colonel and temporary brigadier general in October 1918. In the closing days of the war, he commanded the 15th Field Artillery Brigade at Camp Stanley, Texas and the 9th Field Artillery Brigade at Camp McClellan, Alabama from November 1918 until the brigade was demobilized in February 1919.

Bryden's post-war assignments included instructor at the United States Army Command and General Staff College and executive officer in the Office of the Chief of Field Artillery. He commanded the 16th Infantry Brigade at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland from September 1937 to May 1938 and the 13th Field Artillery Brigade and Fort Bragg from May 1938 to June 1940. Bryden was the Deputy Chief of Staff of the United States Army from June 1940 to March 1942, and was promoted to major general in May 1941. He commanded the Fourth Corps Area (later redesignated the Fourth Service Command) from March 1942 until February 1944, when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 64. Because of the army's expansion for World War II, Bryden remained on active duty and served as president of the Secretary of War´s Separation Board. He retired for the second time in January 1946.

In retirement, Bryden resided in Washington, D.C. He died in Washington on January 20, 1972, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.