SAMUEL A. PALMER 

Source: The History of West Virginia, Old and New
	Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., 
	Chicago and New York, Volume II, pg. 647

SAMUEL A. PALMER just graduated from the University
of Virginia and had been practicing law about a year
when America entered the war with Germany. He served
throughout the entire period of that war, and was awarded
the Croix de Guerre for special gallantry in France. Mr.
Palmer recently located at Charleston where he is win-
ning a successful place in the bar of that city, and still
continues an active interest and leadership in military
affairs, being captain of a local company of the National
Guards.

Captain Palmer was born at Petersburg, Virginia, in
1895, son of Malvern H. and Jessie Key (Arrington) Pal-
mer. His parents were natives of Virginia and his father
a lawyer by profession. Samuel A. Palmer was reared
and received his early education at Petersburg, and took
both the literary and law courses of the University of
Virginia. He graduated from law school in 1916 and in
the same year began practice in his native city.

In April, 1917, he took the examination for commis-
sioned officer in the regular army, was made a second
lieutenant and assigned to duty in the training camp at
Fort Virginia. Although in the artillery branch his du-
ties were almost entirely with the Ninth and Twenty-
third regiments of infantry, to which he was attached as
liaison officer. These regiments formed a part of the
Second Division, with which he went overseas in December,
1917. Mr. Palmer's service was attended with distinction
and gallantry and be was in all the great offensive move-
ments in the summer of 1918, and after the armistice was
with the Army of Occupation on the Rhine. He returned
to America in September, 1919, and was soon afterwards
discharged after having served over two years continuously.
The Croix de Guerre was awarded him by the French
Government for gallantry in action at Blanc Mont Ridge
in the Champagne in October, 1918.

Captain Palmer in March, 1921, established his home
in Charleston, West Virginia, where his talents and ability
quickly gained him special recognition. 

In September, 1921, Captain Palmer was selected by
the Adjutant General of West Virginia to organize and
take command of Charleston's first company of the re-
organized National Guard. This company, now comprising
approximately sixty-five men, is a machine gun company
known as Company D. Captain Palmer is a member of
the Delta Psi fraternity. He married Miss Helen Swisher
of Charleston.

Submitted by:  vfcrook@trellis.net (Valerie F. Crook) 

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