Clift Andrus
Major General, U.S. Army

Clift Andrus was born on 12 October 1890 at Ft. Leavenworth, KS, the son of U.S. Army Colonel Edwin Proctor Andrus and Marie Josephine Birdwell Andrus.

Clift attended Cornell University, but left in 1911 to join the Army. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1912. Andrus was an Instructor at the Field Artillery School at Fort Sill, OK, in World War I, then attended the Command General Staff School, the Army War College and the Naval War College.

Andrus was known as "Mr. Chips" in uniform; a reference to James Hilton's fictional schoolmaster. Andrus had a small mustache, graying, sandy hair and gray eyes and smoked a pipe, played chess and read Dickens and Mark Twain in the field. He was said to give orders in the calm tones of a teacher addressing a class and was renowned for his coolness under fire.

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, Andrus was commanding the 24th Infantry Division Artillery. His units were credited with being the first to roll, being emplaced and ready to defend the beach within 35 minutes after the first bomb dropped.

Later, he commanded the First Infantry Division's artillery in all of its World War II campaigns - in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium and Germany - until he was named Division Commander in December 1944. Andrus led the "Fighting First" from the Battle of the Bulge to its last combat action in Falkenau, Czechoslovakia.

After World War II, Andrus was promoted to Major General in 1945 and Commanded Fort Sill from 1945-49; was Assistant Army Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations at the Pentagon in 1949; and was named Deputy Commander of Second Army at Fort Meade, MD, in 1950. 

Major General Andrus retired from the Army in October 1952.

Medals and Awards

Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star Medal (2 Awards)
Legion of Merit (2 Awards)
Soldier's Medal
Bronze Star Medal (2 Awards)
World War I Victory Medal
Occupation of Germany World War I Medal
American Defense Medal with Bronze Star
American Theater Campaign Medal
Aisatic-Pacific Medal
European, African, Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 8 Stars & Arrowhead Device
World War II Victory Medal
Army of Occupation Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Croix de guerre (France)
Croix de guerre (Belgium)

Distinguished Service Cross Citation (Synopsis)</p> >Brigadier General Clift Andrus (ASN: 0-3266), United States Army, was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with an Artillery Battalion of the 1st Infantry Division, in action against enemy forces in July 1943. Brigadier General Andrus' intrepid actions, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, the 1st Infantry Division, and the United States Army.

General Orders: Headquarters, Seventh U.S. Army, General Orders No. 33 (1943) Action Date: Jul-43

Honors

In 1951 he received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Drexel Institute of Technology.

Death and Burial

Major General Clift Andrus died on 29 September 1968 in Walter Reed Army Medical Center of a heart ailment. He was 77 years old. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA.

Surviving are his widow, the former Marion Lightfoot; a daughter, Mrs. Marion Seferlis of Garrett Park, MD; a brother, Cowles Andrus of Lake Shawnee, NJ; and a grandchild.