April 27, 1876 – December 19, 1965
Division Commander 1919
Descended from Merritt Southard
Pvt. Co. D, 9th ME
Mustered in September 20, 1864

Obituary

Retired Brigadier General William Edward Southard, 89, of 196 Webster Avenue, Bangor, died Monday at the Veterans Administration Hospital, Togus.

Born at Garland April 27, 1876, he was the son of Merritt and Mary (Gregory) Southard.

General Southard retired in February 1947 after 23 years service with the Maine National Guard and the armed forces of the United States.

His military career began in May 1902 when he enlisted in Company G, Second Regiment, MNG, and advanced progressively through successive enlistments to the rank of major in July 1910 when he was assigned to the field staff of the Second Regiment Infantry.

On June 19, 1916, Southard was sent to the Mexican border as a major, and in 1917, was inducted into federal service with the same rank.  He went to France in September 1917, with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and participated in such engagements as the Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, Meuse-Argonne, and was wounded in action July 21, 1918 at Aisne-Marne.

His citations included the Silver Star, Distinguished Service Cross, French Croix de Guerre, and French Legion of Honor.

As a colonel, Southard was assigned April 8, 1941, as a commander of the Second Battalion Maine State Guard, stationed in Bangor, and was named full colonel January 1, 1945.  He was appointed commanding officer of Region Two, Maine State Guard, with headquarters in Bangor.

Gen. Southard was founder and first commander of the James W. Williams Post, American Legion, Bangor; was a past commander of the Department of Maine, American Legion [sic; s/b Sons of Union Veterans]; a member of Anah Temple, Order of the Mystic Shrine; St. Andrews Lodge, AF and AM; Modern Woodmen, was a 32d degree Mason and a member of the Bangor Masonic Club.

Surviving are three daughters, Mrs. Dorothy Chadeayne of Hampden Highlands, Mrs. Carlotta Jewett of Westport, Mass., and Mrs. Wilhelmina Parlee of Dunedin, Fla.; four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Friends may call at the Clark-Mitchell Funeral Home, 299 Union Street, Bangor, today between 2 and 4 p.m. and 7 and 9 p.m.

Funeral service will be at the funeral home on Wednesday at 2 p.m.

Burial at Pine Grove Cemetery, Bangor, Penobscot, Maine

Find A Grave Memorial# 35789412