Background
Downs, Sylvester Dewitt was born on February 28, 1889 in Greenville, Pennsylvania, United States. Son of Sylvester Day and Mary Hannah (Goldinger) Downs.
Downs, Sylvester Dewitt was born on February 28, 1889 in Greenville, Pennsylvania, United States. Son of Sylvester Day and Mary Hannah (Goldinger) Downs.
Student, Thiel College, Greenville, Pennsylvania, 1909, Bachelor of Science, United States Military Academy, 1914. Graduate Field Artillery School, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, 1925. Honor graduate, Command and General staff schedul, 1927.
Commissioned Second lieutenant, Cavalry, 1914, and advanced thru the grades to brigadier general, 1943. Cavalry officer, 1914-1918, Field Artillery, 1918-1943. With American forces in Germany, 1921-1922.
Instructor Field Artillery School, 1923-1926.
General Staff Corps, 1929-1932. Instructor New York National Guard, 1932-1935, Command and General staff schedul, 1935-1939.
Home: Greenville, Pennsylvania.
Married Evelyn Murphy, February 1, 1916. Children: Katherine Evelyn (Mistress Chester L. Johnson), Mary Elizabeth.