of Columbia. He then served in the occupation of Puerto Rico as depot and chief quartermaster in San Juan. Clem was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1901 and to colonel in 1903. He then served from 1906 to 1911 as chief quartermaster at Fort Sam Houston in Texas. Clem reached the mandatory retirement age of 64 on August 13, 1915, when he was retired and promoted to the rank of brigadier general, as was customary for American Civil War veterans who retired at the rank of colonel. Clem was the last veteran of the American Civil War serving in the U.S. Army at the time of his retirement, though another Civil War veteran, Peter Conover Hains, re-entered the service in 1917. On August 29, 1916, Clem was promoted on the retired list to the rank of major general. Personal life He married Anna Rosetta French, daughter of Major General William H. French, on May 24, 1875 in Maryland. After her death in 1899, he married Bessie Sullivan of San Antonio in 1903. Sullivan was the daughter of a Confederate veteran, leading Clem to claim that he was "the most united American" alive. Clem was the father of three children. Clem was a companion of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States and the Military Order of Foreign Wars. After retirement he lived in Washington, D.C. before returning to San Antonio, Texas. He died in San Antonio on May 13, 1937, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Dates of promotion Through his military career Clem held the following ranks: Musician and Lance Sergeant, Co. C, 22nd Michigan Infantry – 1 May 1863 to 19 September 1864 2nd Lieutenant – 18 December 1871 1st Lieutenant – 5 October 1874 Captain – 4 May 1882 Major – 16 May 1895 Lieutenant Colonel – 2 February 1901 Colonel – 15 August 1903 Brigadier General (Retired) – 13 August 1915 Major General (Retired) – 29 August 1916 Awards Civil War Campaign Medal Indian Campaign Medal Spanish War Service Medal Memorialization A 6-foot bronze statue of young John Clem stands near the Buckingham Meeting House in Newark, Ohio. A World War II U.S. Army troopship, the , was named in his honor. The ship was scrapped in 1948. A public school in Newark, Ohio, is named after him: Johnny Clem Elementary School. The city of Heath, Ohio, is co-extensive with Johnny