Major Gen. Hugh Gaffey was born Nov. 18, 1895, in Hartford, Connecticut. A graduate of Worcester Academy, he began his Army career with the field artillery.
Gaffey graduated from Field Artillery School in 1923 and from the Command and General Staff School in 1936. In July 1940, he was assigned to I Armored Corps and served until moving to 2nd Armored Division in July 1942.
In 1944, Gaffey became chief of staff for General George Patton's Third Army and later commanded 4th Armored Division. He became the commanding general of Fort Knox from October 31, 1945, until his untimely death June 16, 1946, when he and three others were killed in a B-25 Mitchell crash near Godman Field.
To date, Gaffey is the highest ranking Soldier buried in the Fort Knox Post Cemetery, and Bldg. 2369 was memorialized to him in 1954.
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