Terry de La Mesa Allen (Major General) - Military Career

Military Career

There were certain factors which affected Allen's performance at West Point and which would lead up to his eventual dismissal from said military institution. One of them was that he began to stutter and soon fell behind in his classes. Another was that he was held back a grade in his second year because he failed mathematics. Finally, he failed an ordnance and gunnery course.

Allen enrolled and attended the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1912. He joined the Army once more and after passing the competitive Army officers exam, was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and assigned to Fort Myer in Virginia. In 1913, he was reassigned to the 14th Cavalry at Eagle Pass, Texas, and served there until 1917. During this time, he pursued and captured ammunition smugglers and served on border duty. He was promoted twice: on July 1, 1916, to First Lieutenant and on May 15, 1917, to Captain.