Nathan Bedford Forrest III Brigadier General, United States Army Air Force |
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| Born
at Memphis, Tennessee, April 7, 1905, the son of Nathan Bedford and Mattie
Patterson (Patton) Forrest. He was a student at Georgia Tech, 1923-24 and
graduated from West Point in 1928. He married Frances Brassler, November
22, 1930.
He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant, 1928, and advanced through the ranks to Brigadier General in November 1942. He was serving as Chief of Staff of the Second Air Force when reported missing-in-action on a bombing mission over Kiel, Germany, on June 13 , 1943. He had lived at 115 West 9th Street, Spokane, Washington. He is buried in Section 3 of Arlington National Cemetery. Thanks to Russell P. Dodge II and historian-author Shelby Foote, I have learned that he was the only son of the only son of of the only son (grand grandson) of Confederate Lieutenant General Nathan Bedford Forrest. According to Mr. Foote, he had no children and his sister had two daughters. Therefore the line came to an end with his death in the skies over Germany! 
United States Eighth Air Force General Nathan
Bedford Forrest III was the great-grandson of Confederate General Nathan
Bedford Forrest. He was killed in 1943 during a B-17 raid over the submarine
yards of Kiel, Germany. He was regarded as one of the best and youngest
Air Force Generals of his day. He was declared dead
He graduated from the United States Military
Academy at West Point on June 9, 1928 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant
in the Cavalry. In 1929 he
He was promoted as follows: February 4, 1934, First Lieutenant
He attained the rank of Brigadier General at the age of 37, four years earlier than his famous Great Grandfather, Nathan Bedford Forrest attained the same rank. He died June 13, 1942 which is the official
date as recorded, killed in action. He was originally reported missing
in action when his plane was shot down. His body was found September 23,
1943 when it was washed ashore at the Seaplane Base at Bug, Reugen Island,
Germany. He was buried on September 28, 1943 in a grassy little cemetery
near Wiek, Germany. As per copy of information in the Memphis newspaper
it was reported in 1947 that the Generals former wife (now Mrs. Frances
Martin of Spokane, Washington) has indicated that she will request that
the body be returned to the United States and buried in Arlington National
Cemetery.
Six years later, the general was reburied in Section 11 of Arlington National Cemetery. He was 38 years old at the time of his death and one of the youngest generals in the Army. General Forrest III graduated from West Point in 1928. Commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Cavalry, he later transferred to the Air Force in 1929. He made a Brigadier General at 37 -- four years younger than his famous great-grandfather. FORREST, NATHAN B
Photo Courtesy of Russell Dodge
Updated: 17 April 1999 Updated: 24 December 1999 Updated: 31 January 2000 Updated: 19 May 2001 Updated: 2 April 2002 Updated: 12 October 2002 Updated: 3 April 2004 Updated: 11 September 2004 Updated: 18 September 2005 Updated: 26 march 2006 |
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