Lt. Gen. George Perry Rains
Marshall, Harrison County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(September 18, 1872 - September 19, 1955) Born in Marshall. Received his medical degree from University of Texas. Enlisted in Marshall Light Infantry (local militia), 1890. Ended military career 49 years later as Brevet Lieutenant General. Saw service on Mexican border. In World War I served as colonel, 3rd Texas Infantry. Later commander, 144th Infantry, 72nd Brigade, and 36th Division. Honored nationally as doctor and military man. Active in civic affairs. Married Norma Pitts, 1899.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Born in Marshall in 1872, George Perry Rains earned a medical degree, then enlisted in the local Marshall Light Infantry in 1890 and spent nearly half a century in uniform. He served on the Mexican border and rose during World War I as a colonel commanding the 144th Infantry within the 36th Division. Honored as both physician and soldier, he ended a 49-year career at the rank of brevet lieutenant general.
Why it matters
Rains's long service â from local militia to World War I command â traces the citizen-soldier path that carried small-town Americans into the nation's twentieth-century wars.
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Related people
- ¡ George Perry Rains
- ¡ Norma Pitts
Related events
- ¡ World War I
Themes & tags
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