Concept
Joseph E. Kuhn (June 14, 1864 – November 12, 1935) was a career officer in the United States Army. He attained the rank of major general, and was most notable for his command of the 79th Division during World War I, and his post-war commands of IX Corps, Schofield Barracks, and Vancouver Barracks. A native of Leavenworth, Kansas, Kuhn graduated at the top of his United States Military Academy (USMA) class of 1885; assigned to the Engineers, he carried out rivers and harbors construction and maintenance assignments in Detroit and San Francisco. He also served on the USMA faculty, and planned and oversaw construction of several buildings at the academy. During the Spanish–American War, he served as assistant to the Chief of Engineers, a role which included supervising Engineer projects related to the coastal defenses of the United States. Kuhn's later career included serving as an observer of Japan's army during the Russo-Japanese War, and Germany's at the start of World War I. During the war, Kuhn commanded the 79th Division, and then the IX Corps. His post-war commands included the Camp Kearny demobilization center in California, Schofield Barracks and the 21st Infantry Brigade in Hawaii, and Vancouver Barracks and the 5th Infantry Brigade in Washington. Kuhn retired in 1925, and resided in San Diego, where he worked as a consulting engineer and became involved in civic causes and charities. He died in San Diego and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Joseph Ernst Kuhn was born in Leavenworth, Kansas on June 14, 1864; his parents, Gottlieb Victor Kuhn and Anna Maria Kempel, were natives of Germany. Kuhn was educated in the public schools of Leavenworth, and graduated from Leavenworth High School in 1881. After high school, Kuhn was appointed to the United States Military Academy; he graduated first of 39 in the West Point class of 1885. The top graduates at West Point were usually assigned to the Engineer branch, and in line with that custom, Kuhn was commissioned as a second lieutenant of Engineers.
