William Frew Train II

William Frew Train Retired Army Lieutenant General William Frew Train, II, a resident of the Peninsula Regent retirement community in San Mateo since 1989, passed away peacefully November 27, 2006, at age 98. Named after his father, born Jan. 23, 1908 in Savannah, GA, and raised there. The second oldest of five children, orphaned at age 17 after his mother died in 1918 and his father in 1925. In 1926 he enlisted in the army and then entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY, in 1927, graduating in 1931. In 1967 he retired from the army as a three-star general 41 years after he had enlisted as a private. During World War II he served with the 28th Division during the Battle of Huertgen Forest in November 1944, the bloodiest battle for Americans during the war in Europe, and then in the Battle of the Bulge, a massive surprise attack by the German Army in December 1944. He was awarded the Silver Star medal for his leadership and bravery in the latter battle. During the first year of the Korean War he participated in five campaigns as plans officer and chief plans officer for the Eighth Army, the operational command for the US forces in Korea. In his last three assignments he commanded the Fourth Division, the Army War College, and finally, First Army, responsible for Army activities in 15 northeastern states. He was married to Charlotte Gibner for over 70 years. The oldest of their three children, William Frew Train III, also went to West Point, graduating in 1959; he was killed in action in Vietnam in 1962, the first West Pointer to perish there. Gen. Train is survived by his wife, Charlotte, of San Mateo; son, Bruce, of Palo Alto; daughter, Leslie, of Mountain View; and grandson, Zachary, of San Jose. His cremated remains will be buried with full military honors at West Point on March 29, 2007, next to his eldest son. He has requested that, in lieu of flowers, donations in his memory be made to "the West Point Fund" of the Association of Graduates USMA, 698 Mills Road, West Point, NY 10996 (www.aogusma.org/wpf).