Milton Joseph Foreman

Milton Joseph Foreman was born on 26 January 1863 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, to Joseph Foreman (1829-1892) and Mary Hoffman (1839-1917), German immigrants. Foreman was the second of five children, Gertrude (1860-1944), Blanche (1864-1941), Estelle (1867-1949), and Agnes (1879-1937). In the 1870s-1880s, the family lived in Chicago, at one point, living at 2320 Wabash Avenue; Joseph Foreman was a clothing merchant. Few details are available regarding Foreman’s early life and education.

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“…before Milton J. Foreman became a lawyer and an alderman and the chairman of the local transportation committee of the city council, he sold hats all around this great middle west. But before he was big and strong enough to sell hats he did other things around the store. The firm caught him early and when he was only 12 years old they let him come down at 6 o’clock in the morning and unlock the doors and wake up the night watchman and turn the hose on the plate glass windows…the firm kept growing and expanding and so did Milton J., and after a time they let him sell hats all by himself, and then he went on the road…Capt. Foreman laid aside his trusty saber and became a lawyer. Then he went into politics. Having saved America [ref. Spanish-American War, 1898] the next thing to do was to save the Third Ward [ref. Chicago, IL]. But Samuel A. Ettelson was king of the Third at that time and he didn’t want it saved. It needed an earthquake to shake him from his throne. Capt. Milton J. Foreman furnished the earthquake.”

Foreman enlisted in the Illinois National Guard on 5 December 1895 and was assigned to the 1^st Cavalry. He was promoted to Commanding Captain on 7 March 1896, 1^st Lieutenant and Quartermaster on 19 August. During the Spanish-American War (1898), Foreman was Captain and Quartermaster of the 1^st Cav., and mustered into federal service from 21 May to 11 October 1898. In early July 1899, Foreman publicly announced that he would not be joining the 30^th Volunteer Infantry assigned to the Philippines;

“Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the telegram of July 12, notifying me of my appointment as captain of the United States infantry volunteers, and to express my great appreciation and gratitude for this honor, which is the greater for having come to me unsolicited. The delay in the acknowledgement of your notification is due to my desire deliberately and fully to consider the problem which this appointment presents. After consultation with my friends, I am reluctantly and with grief compelled to forego the opportunity offered to me to take part in the Philippine campaign.”

Foreman was promoted to Major on 29 July 1899, Lt. Colonel on 29 July 1904, and Colonel, 31 May 1906.

In 1900, Foreman was living at 3412 Vernon Avenue, Chicago, with his mother and three sisters, working as a lawyer. Foreman was first elected to the Chicago City Council as an Alderman around 1899- he may have served up until 1909 or 1911. Approaching the 1910s, Foreman lived at 3758 Grand Boulevard, and worked for Felsenthal, Foreman and Beckworth attorneys at 100 Washington Street, all the while, remaining in the IL National Guard.

“Col. Milton J. Foreman of Chicago, Commandant of the First Illinois Cavalry regiment, of which the Urbana troop is a part, is ‘itching under the collar’ for an opportunity to get his crack organization into the race after the scalp of Villa, the Mexican murderer.”

Col Foreman was mobilized into federal service with the 122^nd Field Artillery Regiment (ILNG), assigned to the 33^rd Infantry Division. Col Foreman left Brooklyn, New York aboard the U.S. Army Transport Ship Kashmir on 27 May 1918.

Col Foreman received the Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, and two Silver Stars for his actions (all awarded post-War), as well as several foreign decorations (citations unknown).

“The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Colonel (Field Artillery) Milton J. Foreman, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving as Commanding Officer, 122d Field Artillery, 33d Division, A.E.F., near Ferme de Maucourt, northwest of Beauclair, France, 4 November 1918. When the advance of the Infantry was held up by heavy fire from hostile machine guns and artillery, which his artillery was unable to locate and neutralize, Colonel Foreman personally advanced by creeping through a heavy enemy artillery barrage to a point in the Infantry front line where he could by direct visual observation locate the position of enemy machine guns. Remaining at this post exposed to a terrific hostile bombardment he transmitted information to the supporting artillery and directed their fire on hostile strong points until the advance of the Infantry line was effected.”

“The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Colonel (Field Artillery) Milton J. Foreman, United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility during World War I. As Commanding Officer, 122d Field Artillery, 33d Division, Colonel Foreman gave proof of eminent technical attainments and assiduous zeal. Though handicapped by many adverse conditions due to difficult terrain and determined hostile resistance, he kept his batteries in close support of the Infantry and thereby rendered services of inestimable value during the St. Mihiel offensive and the advance to the Meuse in the last phase of the Meuse-Argonne offensive.”

“By direction of the President, under the provisions of the act of Congress approved July 9, 1918 (Bul. No. 43, W.D., 1918), Colonel (Field Artillery) Milton J. Foreman, United States Army, is cited by the Commanding General, American Expeditionary Forces, for gallantry in action and a silver star may be placed upon the ribbon of the Victory Medals awarded him. Colonel (Field Artillery) Foreman distinguished himself by gallantry in action while serving with Commanding Officer, 122d Field Artillery Regiment, 33d Division, American Expeditionary Forces, in action near La Dhue Ferme, northwest of Romagne, France, 1 November 1918, while conducting his regiment along a shell-swept road in close support of the Infantry.”

“By direction of the President, under the provisions of the act of Congress approved July 9, 1918 (Bul. No. 43, W.D., 1918), Colonel (Field Artillery) Milton J. Foreman, United States Army, is cited by the Commanding General, American Expeditionary Forces, for gallantry in action and a silver star may be placed upon the ribbon of the Victory Medals awarded him. Colonel Foreman distinguished himself by gallantry in action while serving with the 58th Field Artillery Brigade, American Expeditionary Forces, in action near Ferme de Maucourt, France, 4 November 1918, in crawling forward through a heavy enemy barrage in order to locate enemy machine guns and artillery that were holding up the Infantry.”

Col Foreman and the 122^nd left Brest, France aboard the U.S. Army Transport Ship U.S.S. America on 16 May 1919.

“My Dear Col. Foreman; In a personal way, before final demobilization, I want to thank you sincerely for the cordial and loyal cooperation which you and the officers of your regiment gave the 178^th infantry brigade during the last fight along the Meuse river Nov. 10 and Nov. 11, 1918. The service rendered by the ‘Foreman group’, consisting of the 122^nd field artillery and one battalion of the 124^th field artillery, was most valuable and efficient. Team work between the artillery and infantry was all that could be desired. The liaison work rendered by Lieut. Col. Frank R. Schwengel was especially commendable; he was at all times willing, efficient, and energetic. Forcing a crossing of the Meuse by the infantry could not have been so successfully accomplished without the artillery support. I wish you and your officers all the success and happiness that you have so well earned and trust that I may have the pleasure of again serving with so fine a regiment.”

In 1921, Foreman was promoted to Major General, replacing Maj. Gen. Joseph B. Sanborn;

“I enlisted in the national guard twenty-seven years ago, and since that time have taken part in three campaigns with national guard troops- and believe me, my boy, they are soldiers. I went to the Spanish American war with troops from Illinois. I went to the Rio Grande with men from this state. Then we did the big job in France with men from Illinois. There are no pages of history more glorious than those that speak of the Illinois national guard.”

In June of 1921, Foreman, F.W. Galbraith, Jr. (then National Commander of the newly formed American Legion), and Henry J. Ryan (then a National Director within the Legion) were involved in an automobile accident in Orlando, Florida.

“Colonel Galbraith met his death in an automobile accident here early today…[Foreman and Ryan] suffered injuries in the accident, but will recover…an automobile in which they were riding went over a steep embankment…Mr. Ryan, who was driving the car, declared he believed a defect in the steering apparatus caused him to lose control of the machine.”

“Coroner Paul J. Robinson, who has made an investigation preliminarily to a formal inquest, said it seemed probable that a broken or locked steering knuckle caused the accident. Ryan, who was driving the machine and who was said by hospital attaches to have been hysterical since the accident, said he had been driving rapidly from the Indianapolis Country Club, north of the city, in order to reach Union Station in time for Mr. Galbraith and Mr. Foreman to board a train for Chicago. He reduced his speed to about 20 miles-an-hour he said, just before reaching the point where the accident occurred. Failing to make the turn the car plunged over the embankment, turned somersault and landed upright. All of the occupants were thrown clear of the car.”

Gen Foreman was active with the 33^rd Division into the late 1920s, though the exact date of him being placed on retirement status is unknown (pre-1929, potentially Jan. 26, 1927).

Foreman was active in the founding and subsequent support of the American Legion; he was a member of the Joint National Executive Committee of Thirty-Four, Past National Commander in 1921 (an honorary title for those who acted as temporary chairmen or at the caucuses in 1919), and acting as department commander for the State of Illinois from 1920-1921. Foreman served on the Legion executive committee from 1920-1922, military affairs, legislative, and publication committees into 1923.

Upon retirement, Foreman worked for the law firm of Foreman, Blumrosen, Steel and Schultz in Chicago. In the 1930s, Foreman and his sisters lived at 1367 State Street in Chicago.

Foreman died of a suspected apoplexy attack on 16 October 1935, he is buried with his family at Rosehill Cemetery and Mausoleum, Chicago, Illinois.