FBI Morals Charges Brigadier General Philip R Faymonville, FBI (Record, August 1943)
Credit
Credit to Douglas M. Charles, FBI historian and author of "Hoover's War on Gays: Exposing the FBI's Sex Deviates Program".
Full Text
8-25-43
Brigadier General Philip R. Faymonville
Morals Charges
A discreet investigation has been conducted in San Francisco in an attempt to uncover additional information relative to the reputation and activities of Brigadier General Philip R. Faymonville concerning whose moral character there have been accusations.
Persons who know General Faymonville as a young man in school, United States Army officers who serviced with him in Manila, Vladivostok, and San Francisco, as well as various business contacts, were discreetly interviewed. Numerous highly reliable and responsible individuals described him as being a splendid man of high character, an excellent musician, and a highly cultured person with a delightful personality. They also described him as being rather reticent, a man who, throughout his entire life, has shown a complete disinterest in women.
According to persons well acquainted with his background, General Faymonville comes from a very fine family that enjoyed the respect of all who knew them. His father, Bernard Faymonville,was a San Francisco Supervisor. As a school boy, General Faymonville had the reputation of being a "sissy," according to informants who knew him at that time, probably because of his love for music and his aversion to sports, such as football and baseball. Even as a youth, he preferred to remain alone with his music and studies. When he decided to attend West Point, his friends were surprised as they did not feel that he, due to his quiet nature and shyness, was mentally equipped for life in the Army.
While stationed at Manila in 1917, although friendly with everyone, he did not have any particular circle of friends; he appeared very reserved and never made a confidant of anyone. He did not frequent nightclubs or engage in other forms of amusement as did other officers, nor did he ever have any affairs with women. He never interested himself in members of the opposite sex and remained very cool and indifferent toward them.
During 1918-1919 General Faymonville was stationed with the American Expeditionary Forces at Vladivostok. Here he obtained a separate and more or less private apartment across from the general barracks occupied by the staff officers. However, according to officers who were stationed in Vladivostok at that time, there was absolutely nothing ever said or done to indicate that there were any irregularities committed in those quarters. Rooms in the general barracks were very small and thinly partitioned and General Faymonville's action in obtaining a separate private apartment in which to play the piano was regarded as normal. He played very well and from time to time gave recitals which many of the officers attended.
