James Everman Drummond

West Point, 1955

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Montgomery Advertiser on October 24, 2012:

Retired U. S. Army Major General James Everman Drummond, 80, died Monday, October 22, at a local hospital. Born in Stillwater, Oklahoma to Garrett B. and Frances Rigdon Drummond, he graduated from Albuquerque High School and attended the University of New Mexico for one year on a freshman football scholarship before entering the U. S. Military Academy at West Point. While there, he played on the offensive line for a young assistant coach, Vince Lombardi. He graduated in the Class of 1955. Funeral services will be conducted Saturday, October 27 at 11.a.m. at St. John's Episcopal Church by the Revs. Robert Wisnewski, John Coleman and Chip Broadfoot and by Lay Associate Daniel Cenci. Burial will follow in the church columbarium with military honors and a three gun salute. A luncheon will follow at the family home. During his 33-year Army career General Drummond commanded Field Artillery units at every level from a two gun firing platoon in an Armored Cavalry Howitzer Battery through a fifteen battalion Corps Artillery. Following commissioning, his initial assignment was as a Forward Observer with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Germany. In the early 1960's after serving as the Aide de Camp to the chief of staff, 2nd U.S. Army, he attended graduate school at the University of Arizona before assignment as Assistant Professor of Astronomy-Astronautics at the Military Academy. He served in Vietnam as a District Advisor in the Mekong Delta. He commanded the 1st Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery at Fort Hood, Texas and served as the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1 of the 2nd Armored Division. He later served on the Army Staff in the Pentagon in the Office of the Chief of Research and Development. In 1977 and 1978, he commanded the forward-deployed 2nd Infantry Division Artillery in Korea. Promoted to Brigadier General in 1979, he assumed command of the III Corps Artillery at Fort Sill. In 1980, at the time of the "Marial Freedom Flotilla," General Drummond was detailed to command the Cuban Refugee Camp at Fort Chaffee, Arizona. His later assignments included command of the Army Materiel Systems Analysis Agency at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland; Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Combat Developments at HQs, TRADOC at Fort Monroe and Commanding General of the TRADOC Combined Arms Test Activity at Fort Hood. At the time of his retirement in 1988, he was the Commanding General of the US Army Operational Test Activity and served as the Army's Tester and Independent Evaluator of all new major weapons systems proposed for acquisition for the Army in the Field. He was a graduate of the Field Artillery School Basic and Advanced Courses, the U. S. Command and General Staff College, the U. S. Army War College, and was the Honor Graduate of the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College. He held a bachelor's degree in Military Art and Engineering and master's degrees from the University of Arizona in Aerospace Engineering and from Central Michigan University in Management. Among his decorations were the Distinguished Service Medal, three awards of the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Air Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Army Staff Identification Badge and the parachutist badge. While in Vietnam, he was awarded the Republic of Vietnam's Cross of Gallantry with Palm and the Vietnamese Honor Medal by the Vietnamese Army. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, The Order of the Carabao, and a 32nd Degree Mason. A resident of Montgomery since 2004, "General Jim" was active in numerous civic organizations, including Leadership Montgomery, the Montgomery Area Non-traditional Equestrians, SAYNO, the Montgomery Kiwanis Club and Meals on Wheels. He was a member of the St. John's Altar Guild, taught youth Sunday school at Church of the Ascension and was a graduate of the Education for Ministry (EFM) program. He was a regular at the Montgomery Quarterback Club and a Master Gardener. Drummond was predeceased by his wife of 43 years, Helen Hillman Drummond, and his sister, Elizabeth Drummond Ray. He is survived by his wife, Jeanne Leighton Drummond, of Montgomery; his brother, Garrett B. Drummond, Jr. of Livermore, California; his son, James E. Drummond, Jr. and his wife, Connie, of Yukon, Oklahoma; his daughter, Dr. Sarah Drummond Kirby and her husband, Kent, of Wake Forest, North Carolina and four grandchildren, Katie and Matthew Kirby, and Haley and Cara Drummond. He is also survived by his extended family, Jonathan Leighton Hackman and his wife, Heather, of Danville, California; Jennifer Hackman Dees, and her husband, John Allen, of Braselton, Georgia and grandchildren, Senta Grace and Sadie Rose Hackman and Wilder Scott. Honorary pallbearers will be the graduates of West Point Academy, the Church of the Ascension Thursday Morning Men's Prayer Group, the Wednesday Night Card Club, the Montgomery Quarterback Club and special friends, Thomas Jackson McClendon, Dempsey Wiley Moody III, Richard Gassenheimer II and Dr. David George Bronner. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. John's Building Fund, 113 Madison Ave, Montgomery, AL 36104; the Episcopal Church of the Ascension, 315 Clanton Ave., Montgomery, AL 36104 or to MANE, 3699 Wallahatchie Rd., Pike Road, AL 36064.

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