1888 – 1980
Gen. William H. Simpson commanded the 35th Inf Div from Oct. of 1941 to Apr. of 1942, during the defense of Southern California, the Louisiana Maneuvers, and the reorganization of the 35th into a Triangular Division. He later commanded the U. S. Ninth Army, leading it through some of the toughest fighting of WW II including the Battle of the Bulge and the entry through Holland into Germany, of which the 35th Division was a part. He was calm, modest, and totally dependable, and Gen. Eisenhower said that “If Simpson ever made a mistake, it never came to my attention.” He received two Army Distinguished Service Medals and a Silver Star. He died on Aug. 13, 1980, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.