McVickar joined Battery A of the Massachusetts National Guard and participated in the Mexican Border War.[3] He then began Army training at Plattsburgh Military Base.[3] He served as a second lieutenant in the 7th Field Artillery, 1st Division; he was later promoted to first lieutenant in the Headquarters, 1st Battalion, 1st Division, American Expeditionary Forces.[3][7][8] During World War I, he was severely wounded in August 1918.[9] On October 14, 1918, near Véry, France, he volunteered to take a gun to aid the infantry under "hazardous circumstances."[7][10] He persisted despite the loss of two horses and several wounded men.[7][10] When the group was under a barrage from the enemy, he came out from protective cover five times to move wounded comrades to safety.[10][7] As a result, he received the Distinguished Service Cross "for extraordinary heroism."[7] During World War I, he also received the Purple Heart and the Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Croix de Guerre.[3][5]
Through the National Guard, he reached the rank of colonel.[3] In September 1940, he was named commander of the 156th Field Artillery of the New York National Guard.[11] The 156th was inducted into federal service at that time, with an assignment for Fort Dix in New Jersey.[11] In October 1941, McVickar was assigned to the 44th Division Headquarters.[12]
In 1944, he was in command of the 318th Regiment which spearheaded General George S. Patton's battles in France.[13] In the Battle of Falaise Gap, the 318th played a prominent role. On November 11, 1944, under his leadership, the 318th was one of two regiments that captured Delme Ridge in the Nancy-Metz area.[3][13] As a result, the 318th received a unit citation and he received the Bronze Star in December 1944.[3][13] They received another citation for breaking through the Maginot Line in Saarbrücken, Germany in December 1944.[13] In late December 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge, Patton's 80th division relieved Bastogne, Belgium, spearheaded by the 318th under McVickar.[14] This relieved the 101st Airborne Division which was encircled by the Germans.[13]
In December 1944, the Americans were in continuous action west and southwest of Ettelbruck, Luxembourg.[1] Under the leadership of McVickar, they freed Ettlebruck from Nazi occupation on Christmas Day 1944.[1] A few weeks later, McVickar was shot and killed while on a scouting mission.[1]
The General Patton Memorial Museum in Ettelbruck, Luxembourg features McVickar's portrait and an exhibit covering his role in liberating the town and in the country's war history.[15]
Personal life
After World War I, McVickar became a stockbroker in New York City with his brother's firm Henry L. McVikar of 11 Wall Street.[2][16][17] He was a member of the Racquet and Tennis Club of New York.[3]
In Paris on October 17, 1925, McVickar married Frederika Peterson Jessup of New York.[16][5] She was the daughter of Dr. Frederick Peterson, president of the Neurological Association of America, and had divorced Theodore Jessup in Paris in July 1925.[17][5] She had one son and one daughter (Peter Jessup and Cecily Jessup) from her prior marriage.[5] No announcement was made before the wedding and only a few close friends attended.[5] However, a secret service man was on duty during the wedding to guard the jewels and gifts that were on display.[16] The couple took a driving tour of the Italian lake district for their honeymoon and returned to New York City on November 3 aboard the SS Leviathan.[16] They had two children: John Anthony McVickar and Louise Madeleine McVickar.[18] They lived in Southampton, Long Island and Palm Beach, Florida.[18]
In December 1930, McVickar was sued for $25,000 by dancer Elizabeth Furst who claimed she had been injured when he moved his car while she was leaning on it on August 15, 1928.[17] She said that McVickar and banker Harding Woodall kept her at the latter's hotel apartment overnight instead of taking her to the hospital.[17] Furst sustained cuts, bruises, and a broken wrist which she said ruined her dancing career.[17] She waited to sue because she thought McVickar would eventually pay for her ruined dress and hospital bill.[17] McVickar denied the charges, indicating that Furst caused her own injuries.[17] At the same time, she sued Frederick D. Underwood, former president of the Erie Railroad and father of her former fiancé, for $100,000 for slander.[17]
