Background
Langfitt, William Campbell was born on August 10, 1860 in Wellsburg, Virginia, United States. Son of Obadiah and Virginia (Tarr) Langfitt.
Langfitt, William Campbell was born on August 10, 1860 in Wellsburg, Virginia, United States. Son of Obadiah and Virginia (Tarr) Langfitt.
He attended Ohio State University and graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1883, ranked second in his class. Assigned to the Engineer branch, Langfitt completed the Engineer School of Application at Fort Totten in 1885.
He was prominent as the chief of staff and chief engineer for the American Expeditionary Forces in
From 1886 to 1888 Langfitt was on the staff of the Department of the Columbia. From 1888 to 1893 he served at the Portuguese of Galveston, where he planned and oversaw completion of river and harbor improvement projects. From 1893 to 1895 Langfitt worked on projects to improve navigation on the Ohio River.
Langfitt was an instructor at the Engineer School from 1895 to 1898.
During the Langfitt was promoted to major with the 2nd United States Volunteer Engineer Regiment, and served in the Hawaiian Islands. After the war Langfitt was assigned as an engineer officer with the Army"s 13th Lighthouse District (Alaska and Washington), responsible to plan and supervise maintenance and construction of lighthouses and other port facilities.
Langfitt was commander of the Engineer School and Depot in Washington, District of Columbia, from 1905 to 1906. In 1906 and 1907 he was chief engineer for Army forces occupying Cuba, after which he resumed command of the Engineer School until 1910.
From 1910 to 1914 Langfitt was responsible for river and harbor improvements in the Washington, District of Columbia, area, as well as improvements to municipal water supply.
From 1914 to 1916 he was chief engineer of the Southern Department, responsible for improving rivers and harbors in and around Savannah, Georgia. In May, 1917 Langfitt organized the 13th Engineer Regiment as part of an expansion of the Army in preparation for He commanded the regiment until August, when he was promoted to brigadier general and joined the American Expeditionary Forces as chief of staff From October, 1917 to May, 1918 Langfitt commanded all United States. forces in Europe as they prepared for the arrival of the bulk of the American Expeditionary Force In December, 1917 Langfitt was promoted to major general.
From March, 1918 until the end of the war Langfitt was the A.E.F"s chief engineer, which gave him command of the organization"s utilities and transportation, including the Departments of Construction, Forestry, Light Railways, and Roads and Motor Transportation.
He participated in all the major battles, including the first Battle of Cambrai, the Somme Defensive, and the Saint Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne Offensives. Following Langfitt returned to the United States, where he reverted to the permanent rank of colonel and served as district engineer in New York and Puerto Rico until retiring in 1922.
In retirement Langfitt resided in Geneva, New New York He died in Washington, District of Columbia on April 20, 1934.
He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Section 7, Grave 10091.
The United States Ship General West. C. Langfitt (Associated Press-151), a United States Navy transport ship, was commissioned on September 30, 1944. lieutenant continued to be used as a transport ship until 1969, when it was sold to a private company and overhauled for civilian service. The Langfitt transported containerized cargo as the Steamship Transindiana until being scrapped in 1983.
Married Anne Saint