Andrew Thomas McNamara, 96, a retired Army lieutenant general who rose through the Quartermaster Corps to serve as the first director of what is now the Defense Logistics Agency, died of pneumonia April 6 at the Fairfax retirement home at Fort Belvoir.
He oversaw a relatively small staff of about 100 planners who ran supply depots and service operations in 10 cities. The consolidation led to a reduced workforce and savings of more than $30 million.
He retired in 1964, a year after he was awarded the Oak Leaf Cluster to the Distinguished Service Medal for "significant savings" made through the rapid standardization of items managed by the Defense Supply Agency.
Gen. McNamara was born in East Providence, R.I., where he was an accomplished high school athlete. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1928 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the infantry. After eight years in the infantry, he transferred to the Quartermaster Corps in 1937 and served in various quartermaster positions in the continental United States.
At the beginning of World War II, he went to England to help organize the main supply line in North Africa. He received the Legion of Merit for providing food, gasoline and other supplies to fast-moving U.S. forces in Tunisia.
He received the Bronze Star for his part in planning quartermaster support for the invasion of Normandy.
As Allied forces pushed across Western Europe, Gen. McNamara's units were responsible for supplying 12 divisions, which swelled to 22 by war's end.
He also was credited with personally directing the evacuation of a huge supply dump before German soldiers could reach it during the Battle of the Bulge.
After the war, Gen. McNamara served briefly as quartermaster of the First Army and later as chief of the subsistence branch of the office of the quartermaster general in Washington.
His other assignments included commandant of the Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, Va., executive officer to the undersecretary of the Army and chief of the storage and distribution division of the office of the deputy chief of logistics.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower nominated him to be quartermaster general in 1957. In this capacity, he was responsible for myriad supplies and services, including uniforms, food, petroleum, field shelter, and maintenance of more than 80 national cemeteries.
In retirement, he served as president and secretary of the Defense Supply Association and managing editor of its bimonthly publication.
His wife of 66 years, Margaret McNamara, died in 1997. A son, Andrew T. McNamara, died in 1985.
Survivors include a son, retired Army Lt. Col. William T. McNamara of Alameda, Calif., and four grandchildren.
