Colonel Francis J. Skidmore

Colonel Francis J. Skidmore

Regimental Commander 102nd Armored Cavalry Regiment 1951 – 1960

Colonel Skidmore is a home grown soldier from New Jersey, born in 1902. Like many of his peers the Colonel joined the 102nd Cavalry in Newark on 5 June 1924 and moved through the ranks from a Private to Colonel of the Regiment.

Colonel Skidmore attended offices training under the Officers’ Reserve Corps (ORC) and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant on 13 May 1933. At the time many of the officers commissioned through the ORC were placed in command of a unit of workers in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) program under President Roosevelt’s New Deal.

Colonel Skidmore served in this capacity until 22 May 1934.

He returned to the NJ National Guard and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant on 23 May 1934. At the time the Regiment reported for federal active service in January 1941, Colonel Skidmore was a First Lieutenant assigned to the Machine Gun Troop in West Orange, NJ.

He was promoted to Captain on 30 January 1942 and transferred to the Regimental Staff as the Motor Officer. He was promoted to Major on 31 August 1942 and was transferred to 1st Squadron as the S-3 Operations Officer. He served as the Squadron Executive Officer until he was wounded in 1944 and sent home because of his wounds.

In 1946 he became the Operations Officer for the Regiment and assumed the duties as Executive Officer in 1949. Colonel Skidmore passed away on 25 July 1968 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.