Patrick W. Powers
Major General, U.S. Army
March 21, 1924 - January 24, 1989
Major General Patrick W. Powers, 1978
This is the beginning of a narrative on Patrick William Powers, his U.S. Army career, and facts about his assignments,
including material on his long association with the Pershing Missile.
This information is being posted in the interest of adding to the general knowledge about the U.S. Cold War,
the Pershing missile system, and Patrick W. Powers.
These files and photographs are the property of Jaye Powers and Laura Powers.
These files and photographs are not to be used for any commercial purposes.
We share these files and photos with the aim of providing accurate information to researchers and parties interested
in the U.S. Army career of Patrick W. Powers, Pershing missile systems history, the Cold War era after World War II,
the Vietnam War, U.S. Army artillery, and other related topics.
1984 Biography of Patrick W. Powers
Major General, United States Army
(1924-1989)
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Article About the Pershing Missile and Its Mission
Field Artillery magazine, February 1991
Pershing - It Gave Peace a Chance
"https://sill-www.army.mil/firesbulletin/archives/1991/FEB_1991/FEB_1991_PAGES_28_32.pdf"
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Some of the U.S. Army Images Relate to Multiple Assignments of Patrick W. Powers
with the Pershing Missile System:
first Pershing Missile Battalion, 2d Bn, 44th Arty, in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, 1962-1964,
56th Field Artillery Group, in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany, 1967-1968,
56th Field Artillery Brigade, in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany, 1970-1972,
Director, Pershing II Special Task Force, Office of Assistant Chief of Staff for Force Development, in Washington DC, 1973.
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LTC Patrick W Powers
Activated and commanded first Pershing Missile Battalion
September 1962 - December 1963
Fort Sill, Oklahoma
Photo taken October 9, 1962
Back Of Portrait Photo
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Organization Day Ceremony activating the first PERSHING Missile Battalion
2nd Battalion, 44th Artillery
October 13, 1962
Assistant Secretary of the Army, Finn Larsen, at podium
LTC Patrick Powers, Battalion Commander, front
PowersLTCPatrickComdr13Oct1962FtSillOKOrganizationDayCeremony2ndBn44thArtyFinnLarsenAsstSecofArmyBackOfPhotocrp1
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"SVC" BTRY, 2nd Missile Battalion, 44th Artillery
from the first Pershing Missile Battalion
MSG Donald Smith, sitting front row, left end.
Photo courtesy of Donna Smith Baker, daughter of MSG Donald Smith.
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Field promotion of 1LT Mabius, center
LTC Patrick Powers, left
Pershing Battalion, Fort Sill, Oklahoma
1962-1963
Unknown officer on right, possibly the father of 1LT Mabius
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Col. Patrick W. Powers, Commanding Officer, 56th Artillery Group (Pershing missile), Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany, 1967-1968.
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Gen. James H. Polk, left, Commander in Chief, United States Army Europe, and Col. Patrick W. Powers, middle, Commanding Officer, 56th Artillery Group (Pershing missile), Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany, 1967-1968.
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Col. Patrick W. Powers, Commanding Officer, 56th Artillery Group (Pershing missile), saluting troops,
Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany, 1967-1968.
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Col. Patrick W. Powers, Commanding Officer, 56th Artillery Group (Pershing missile), left, with
Lt. Col. Phillips, 2nd from left, Commanding Officer, 1st Batallion, 81st Artillery, Neu-Ulm, Germany, 1967-1968.
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Photo showing Col. Patrick W. Powers at his headquarters desk with a Pershing 1A missile and a pickle barrel on the nose
about 1967-68. A portrait of Gen. John J. Pershing is in the background.
At that time, about 1967-68, Col. Patrick W. Powers was the Commanding Officer
of the 56th Artillery Group (Pershing missile) (before it was made a Brigade).
The 56th Field Artillery Group was headquartered at Bismarck Kaserne in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany.
Photo taken from the files of Gen. Powers.
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Col. Patrick W. Powers, Chief of Staff, I FFORCE, USARPAC (Vietnam),
Vietnam, June 1970.
Signed to his daughter, Joanne (Jaye), June 27, 1970.
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Col. Patrick W. Powers, to the left, Division Artillery Commander, Ist Infantry Division, USARV (Vietnam),
with two Ist Infantry Division soldiers.
At a Fire Support Base, with captured enemy weapons.
Vietnam, March 1970.
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Newly promoted and recently returned from Vietnam, B.G. Patrick W. Powers, incoming Commanding General of the newly formed 56th Artillery Brigade
(was the 56th Artillery Group - Pershing missile),
on September 18, 1970,
standing to the right in back of Jeep, at Bismarck Kaserne in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany.
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Gen. William Westmoreland, U.S. Army Chief of Staff, middle looking up,
and B.G. Patrick W. Powers, Commanding Officer, 56th Artillery Brigade (Pershing missile), right.
Gen. Westmooreland was visiting the 56th Artillery Brigade in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany.
September 1971.
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Gen. William Westmoreland, U.S. Army Chief of Staff, right in profile,
and B.G. Patrick W. Powers, Commanding Officer, 56th Artillery Brigade (Pershing missile), left center, facing camera.
Gen. Westmooreland was visiting the 56th Artillery Brigade headquartered in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany.
Here they are seen visiting a QRA site in Kleingartach, Germany, as stated on the back of the photo.
Photo dated September 8, 1971.
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Gen. William Westmoreland, U.S. Army Chief of Staff, second from right,
and B.G. Patrick W. Powers, Commanding Officer, 56th Artillery Brigade (Pershing missile), right.
B.G. Hayward is seen, second from left.
Gen. Westmooreland was visiting the 56th Artillery Brigade headquartered in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany.
Here they are seen visiting a QRA site in Kleingartach, Germany.
September 8, 1971.
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Letter from Lt. Colonel Harlan Bynell, Assistant Secretary of the General Staff, to B.G. Patrick W. Powers,
about the letters from Gen. William Westmoreland and U.S. Senator Stuart Symington
concerning their very positive visit
to the 56th Artillery Brigade in Schw�bisch Gm�nd, Germany in 1971.
This was a great complement to B.G. Powers and the excellent troops of the 56th Artillery Brigade.
April 28, 1971.
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Letter from Gen. William Westmoreland to U.S. Senator Stuart Symington
thanking
Sen. Symington for his letter about a very positive visit
to the 56th Artillery Brigade in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany
(facilities in southern Germany).
The Commanding General of the 56th Artillery Brigade at the time was B.G. Patrick W. Powers.
This was a great complement to B.G. Powers and the excellent troops of the 56th Artillery Brigade.
April, 1971.
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Letter to Gen. William Westmoreland from U.S. Senator Stuart Symington commenting
about a very positive visit to the 56th Artillery Brigade in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany,
and its Commanding General, B.G. Patrick W. Powers.
This was a great complement to B.G. Powers and the excellent troops of the 56th Artillery Brigade.
Letter dated April 21, 1971.
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Brigadier General Patrick W. Powers, Commanding General, 56th Artillery Brigade (Pershing missile), left, with Lt. Col. Charles Bush, right, Commanding Officer,
4th Missile Battalion, 41st Artillery Regiment, Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany, at the change of command ceremony for Lt. Col. Bush, about 1972.
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Pershing Missile in West Germany being guarded by a soldier from the 56th Artillery Brigade (Pershing missile), about 1971.
At that time, B.G. Patrick W. Powers was the Commanding General of the 56th Artillery Brigade (Pershing missile),
headquartered at Bismarck Kaserne in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany.
Photo taken from a 1971 slide show in the files of Gen. Powers.
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Two Pershing Missiles (Pershing 1A) being test fired by the 56th Artillery Brigade (Pershing missile), in the United States, about 1971.
At that time, B.G. Patrick W. Powers was the Commanding General of the 56th Artillery Brigade (Pershing missile),
headquartered at Bismarck Kaserne in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany.
Photo taken from a 1971 slide show in the files of Gen. Powers.
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Diagram showing the Pershing 1A equipment, about 1971.
At that time, B.G. Patrick W. Powers was the Commanding General of the 56th Artillery Brigade (Pershing missile),
headquartered at Bismarck Kaserne in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany.
Photo taken from a 1971 slide show in the files of Gen. Powers.
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Photo showing a Pershing 1A missile on an erector launcher being transported by the 56th Artillery Brigade through a West German town
with a Gasthaus visible in the background, about 1971.
At that time, B.G. Patrick W. Powers was the Commanding General of the 56th Artillery Brigade (Pershing missile),
headquartered at Bismarck Kaserne in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany.
Photo taken from a 1971 slide show in the files of Gen. Powers.
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Photo showing a Pershing 1A missile on an erector launcher being transported by the 56th Artillery Brigade
through the countryside near a West German town, about 1971.
At that time, B.G. Patrick W. Powers was the Commanding General of the 56th Artillery Brigade (Pershing missile),
headquartered at Bismarck Kaserne in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany.
Photo taken from a 1971 slide show in the files of Gen. Powers.
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Photo showing a Pershing 1A missile on an erector launcher being transported through the woods
by the 56th Artillery Brigade in West Germany, about 1971.
At that time, B.G. Patrick W. Powers was the Commanding General of the 56th Artillery Brigade (Pershing missile),
headquartered at Bismarck Kaserne in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany.
Photo taken from a 1971 slide show in the files of Gen. Powers.
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Photo showing officers inside the cabin of Pershing 1A missile field equipment of the 56th Artillery Brigade in West Germany, about 1971.
Standing on the left is Col. Sayes, next is B.G. Patrick W. Powers, and next on right, standing, is M.G. Wetherill.
Seated center front on the phone it looks like Maj. or Lt. Col. McGar (rank?sp?) and seated next to him on the right is Lt. Col. Phipps (rank?).
B.G. Patrick W. Powers was the Commanding General of the 56th Artillery Brigade (Pershing missile),
headquartered at Bismarck Kaserne in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany.
Photo taken from the files of Gen. Powers.
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Photo showing Commanding General's office 56th Artillery Brigade
headquartered at Bismarck Kaserne in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany, about 1971.
Standing on the left is aide LT. Mike Greer (rank?), next is B.G. Patrick W. Powers, and next on right, standing, is aide SPC Tom Potrowski (name?rank?).
The model of the Pershing 1A missile with the pickle barrel is on top of the book shelf.
B.G. Patrick W. Powers was the Commanding General of the 56th Artillery Brigade (Pershing missile),
Photo taken from the files of Gen. Powers.
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Article in the Baltimore Sun about Major General Patrick W. Powers, coming in as the new Commander of U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (TEACOM), at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, September, 1975.
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Gen. and Mrs. Patrick W. Powers, Commander U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (TEACOM), about 1978, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.
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Fort Sill, Oklahoma, honored Patrick W. Powers in memoriam by naming a maintenance building for him on post.
The naming ceremony for "Powers Hall" took place on May 13, 1994, at Fort Sill, OK.
Attending the building dedication ceremony and giving the dedication speech was
Gen. Joseph E. McCarthy, left,
a good friend of Gen. Patrick Powers, and a fellow 1945 USMA classmate from West Point.
The family of Gen. Patrick Powers is shown to the right of Gen. McCarthy:
daughter Joanne (Jaye) Powers, wife Doris Powers, daughter Laura Powers, daughter-in-law Gail West Powers, and son Robert Powers.
Also attending were cousins Stan Hurt and Sandy Hurt of Indianpolis, Indiana,
and Col. Charles Bush and Mrs. Marilyn Bush from Cheyenne, Wyoming.
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Gen. Patrick W. Powers and his wife, Doris Hurt Powers,
are buried together at West Point, NY.
Patrick Powers passed in 1989, and Doris Powers passed twenty years later in 2009.
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Medal display case of Major General Patrick W. Powers, active duty U.S. Army, 1945-1978.
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Flag and sword of Major General Patrick W. Powers, active duty U.S. Army, 1945-1978.
M.G. Patrick W. Powers passed away on January 24, 1989.
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Second Lieutenant Patrick W. Powers graduating from the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, NY, June 1945.
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Most photos and documents are from the personal files of Patrick W. Powers (1924-1989).
Most photos and documents are currently the property of Jaye Powers and Laura Powers.
Powers Web Studio 2022
Jaye Powers
jpow155@gmail.com