Donald Wilson McGowan (August 30, 1899 – September 24, 1967) was a United States Army Major General who served as commander of the 50th Armored Division and Chief of the National Guard Bureau.
Early life McGowan was born on August 30, 1899, in Orange, New Jersey. He graduated from high school in Orange in 1916, and enlisted in the New Jersey National Guard's Company I, 5th Infantry Regiment. He served with his regiment in Texas during the Pancho Villa Expedition.Thomas F. Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald’s Legislative Manual, 1960, page 322
World War I McGowan was promoted to sergeant major of the 114th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division in 1918. He served in Europe, and took part in the Meuse-Argonne and Alsace campaigns. In late 1918 the Army asked commanders to recommend students from the ranks for attendance at the United States Military Academy, and McGowan's brigade commander, John McAuley Palmer, recommended him. McGowan attended West Point from 1919 to 1922, but resigned without graduating and returned to the New Jersey National Guard.National Guard Association of the United States, The National Guardsman, Volume 21, 1967, page 10
Post World War I In 1922 McGowan received a commission as a second lieutenant. He held a variety of command and staff positions as he advanced through the ranks, primarily with the 44th Infantry Division. In 1935 he graduated from the United States Army Command and General Staff College. He was a lieutenant colonel when he served as New Jersey's Assistant Adjutant General from 1936 to 1941.National Guard Association of the United States, Official Proceedings, Volumes 84-86, 1962, page 164New Jersey Adjutant General, Annual Report, 1937, page 10
World War II In 1941 he was appointed to command of the 102nd Cavalry Regiment. He served in Europe, and participated in the D-Day assault on Omaha Beach.Thomas F. Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald’s Legislative Manual, 1960, page 322
Later in 1944 he was assigned as Provost Marshal for the Normandy Base Section, and his responsibilities expanded to include Brittany, the Lower Seine, Belgium and the Netherlands.Army and Navy Journal Inc., Army, Navy, Air Force Journal, Volume 93, Issues 1-26, 1955, page 178 After the war McGowan returned to his position as New Jersey's Assistant Adjutant General. He was subsequently appointed Deputy Chief of Staff of the New Jersey Department of Defense.Thomas F. Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald’s Legislative Manual, 1955, page 322
Post World War II In 1947 McGowan was promoted to brigadier general. From 1948 to 1955 he was commander of the 50th Armored Division as a major general.National Guard Association of the United States, Proceedings, 1963, page 164
From 1955 to 1959 McGowan was Chief of the Army Division at the National Guard Bureau.United States. Congress, House Committee on Appropriations, Hearing record, Department of Defense Appropriations for 1964, 1963, page 107 In 1959 he was named Chief of the National Guard Bureau, and he served until 1963.U.S. Air Force, Air Force Magazine, Volume 46, 1963, page 91
During his tenure the National Guard successfully mobilized more than 65,000 members during the Berlin Crisis of 1961. In addition, the number of state Officer Candidate Schools increased from 5 to 51. The National Guard also converted its anti-aircraft weapons to Nike-Ajax and Hercules missiles and organized its first Special Forces units.
At his retirement McGowan was the last known Villa Expedition veteran to still be serving in the U.S. military.Associated Press, Ocala Star-Banner, National Guard Bureau Chief to Leave Post, August 30, 1963
Awards and decorations McGowan's awards and decorations included the Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army), and the Bronze Star Medal (2).Military Times, Hall of Valor, Distinguished Service Medal Citation, Donald W. McGowan, accessed April 18, 2013Headquarters, U.S. Forces, European Theater, General Orders 307, 10 November 1945, page 2
Retirement and death After retiring from the military, McGowan served as president of the United States Armor Association.Association of the United States Army, Army magazine, Volume 14, 1963, page 22 He died at his home in Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey, on September 24, 1967, from the effects of self-inflicted gunshot wounds.New York Times, Gen. D.W. M'Gowan Found Dead in Home, September 25, 1967 He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Section 3, Site 2067-E.Arlington National Cemetery, Gravesite locator, entry for Donald W. McGowan, accessed April 18, 2013
Family McGowan was married to Helen Margaret S. Schoeffel. They had four sons and one daughter, and all the sons all served in the military. Their daughter Margaret graduated from the University of Vermont and was a teacher in Vergennes and a writing instructor at the University of New Hampshire.Army and Navy Journal Incorporated, The Journal of the Armed Forces, Volume 105, Issues 1-26, 1967, page 86Margaret Shirley, University of Vermont, Vermont Quarterly magazine, From 1955 to 1979 to 2010, Spring 2010
Donald McGowan (died December 15, 1966) was a career member of the New Jersey Army National Guard.Bucks County Courier Times, Obituary, Donald McGowan, December 16, 1966
Colonel Robert Silber "Bob" McGowan (died February 4, 2001) graduated from West Point in 1952 and served as an aide to General Maxwell D. Taylor. He served 3 tours in Vietnam, including one as commander of 3d Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 25th Infantry Division. He was the most decorated member of his West Point class, and his awards included: Distinguished Service Cross; Silver Star (4); Legion of Merit; Distinguished Flying Cross (2); Bronze Star Medal with V for Valor (5), and Purple Heart (3).United States House of Representatives, House Concurrent Resolution 112, Commending the Life of Robert Silber McGowan, 2001Trevor Armbrister, A Matter of Accountability: The True Story of the Pueblo Affair, 2004, page 238
John "Jay" McGowan flew helicopters as a casualty evacuation pilot during the Vietnam War.James R. Chiles, The God Machine: From Boomerangs to Black Hawks: The Story of the Helicopter, 2008, page 167 After his military service he flew for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, serving as chief pilot of the authority's police helicopter operation until retiring shortly after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.Aviation International News, Port Authority pilot speaks out on 9/11, July, 2002
After his military service Duncan McGowan became an architect in Concord, New Hampshire. He and his artist wife Mary raised two daughters, one who became an architect and one who became professor of South Asian studies at the University of Vermont.Concord Historical Society, The Clock Tower, 2013University of Vermont, Faculty biographies: Abigail McGowan, accessed July 11, 2013
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