Arthur Rutledge Underwood
Cincinnati Post, Saturday, 10 February 1945, page 2
RETIRED-Col. Arthur R Underwood, former commander of Ft Thomas, died late Friday at Ft Sam Houston, Texas. The colonel retired in the fall of 1944 after six years at Ft Thomas. He had been a soldier for 40 of his 60 years. He leaves his widow, Mrs. Elinore Underwood, two sons, Arthur Jr. and Andrew and a brother, Major Henry Underwood. After his retirement the Underwood family moved to San Antonio, where the colonel had spent his early Army years.
Colonel Underwood was born in Bowling Green, Ky. in 1885. He graduated from West Point in 1909 and was made a colonel when he took over Ft Thomas as commander of the 10th Infantry Regiment in 1938. His first military assignment was in the Philippines with the infantry, with which he stayed all his life. In 1913 and again in 1915,he was assigned posts along the Mexican border, where Poncho Villa was running wild.
At the outbreak of World War I Co. Underwood was training infantry at Camp Pike, Ark. Later he was sent to Paris as disbursing officer. The years after the war he spent either going to War Department schools or teaching military tactics to young officers. He came to Ft Thomas on the eve of World War II and was placed in command when the reception overseas got his first sample of military life from Col. Underwood. Col. Underwood, like a soldier, wide shoulders, straight back, a neatly clipped mustache. He was sparing of words but when he spoke it was softly and with humor.
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San Antonio Express, Monday, 12 February 1945, page 14
COLONEL DIES-Interment will be held Wednesday in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington Va. for Col. Arthur Rutledge Underwood, Infantry, US Army, retired, who died in Brooke General Hospital Friday afternoon. Recently retired, Col. Underwood had come to San Antonio to make his home, residing at 114 Bellview. For the past six years, he had been commanding officer at Fort Thomas, Kentucky.
Graduated from West Point with the class of 1909, Col. Underwood served with the 20th Infantry in Manila and at Fort Douglas, Utah, prior to World War I. Accompanying the regiment to El Paso for duty on the Mexican border, she spent several years at various posts in that area. During the first World War, Underwood served a year and a half in France. Col. Underwood was graduated from the Infantry School, Fort Benning, Ga. in 1923 and from the Command and Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, Kan. in 1924.
Survivors include his widow, Mrs. Elinore Fillebrown Underwood; two sons Arthur R Jr. at student at Sullivan Preparatory School, Washington DC; and Andrew F, a student at the Loomis School, Windsor Conn. two brothers, Col. Henry M Underwood, CE, retired Washington DC and Edmond R Underwood, Stanfoard Conn. and on sisters Miss Elizabeth Underwood, South Tamworth, NH.