Andrew P. O'Meara
Andrew Pick O'Meara (March 23, 1907 – September 30, 2005) was a United States Army four-star general who led the U.S. Southern Command from 1961 to 1965 and then the U.S. Army in Europe from 1965 to 1967. He died in Arlington, Virginia at age 98 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
O'Meara was born in West Bend, Wisconsin. He came from a family with local leadership and graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1930, starting his career in the field artillery. Early on, he commanded a battery, taught physics at West Point, and held various staff roles. He married Ellen Fraser in 1933. In World War II, he commanded artillery units and ended the war as Assistant Artillery Commander of VII Corps. After the war, he studied at the Command and General Staff College and the National War College.
During the Korean War, O'Meara led artillery for the 7th Infantry Division and later for IX Corps. He was promoted to brigadier general in 1952 and earned the Silver Star in 1953 for reconnaissance near Kumhwa. He then worked in Army research and development, and in 1957 he became the commanding general of the 4th Armored Division. He served in France as director of military assistance for U.S. European Command and was promoted to lieutenant general.
Back in the United States, he became Commander of SOUTHCOM in 1961 and was later promoted to general. He commanded U.S. Army Europe from 1965 to 1967 and helped create the U.S. Army Engineer Command, Europe. He was known to enjoy squash and ordered squash courts at bases under his command. His awards included the Army Distinguished Service Medal (twice), the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit (twice), the Bronze Star Medal, and the Air Medal.
O'Meara retired in 1967 and settled near Washington, D.C. He died of a stroke in 2005. He was survived by a son, a daughter, 13 grandchildren, and 26 great-grandchildren; his wife and a daughter had died earlier.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 23:52 (CET).