World War I Noce served in
France during
World War I. In March, 1918 he was appointed
Adjutant of the 602nd Engineer Regiment, and he advanced to regimental commander in August. He commanded the regiment during the
Saint-Mihiel and
Meuse-Argonne Offensives, and remained in
Germany on occupation duty until 1919.
Post-World War I In 1920 Noce sued in the
U.S. Court of Claims for longevity pay he claimed was due to him. His claim was based on the argument that his time in service should count from when he entered West Point, and not when he received his commission. He prevailed in the lower court in a decision that could have affected the pay of thousands of Army officers, but the
U.S. Supreme Court reversed the decision. In 1921 Noce received a bachelor's degree in
civil engineering from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In the 1920s and early 1930s he served in a variety of engineer assignments, including postings to
New York City,
Fort Gordon, Georgia and the Office of the Chief of Engineers. He also graduated from the
Command and General Staff College and the
Army War College. In the 1930s he and his family were stationed in the Philippines. From 1937 to 1939 he was District Engineer in
Memphis, Tennessee, supervising
Mississippi River levee and
dam maintenance and flood control. From 1940 to 1941 he was District Engineer in
Los Angeles, California, overseeing harbor expansion and defense in anticipation of World War II.
World War II Noce served throughout
World War II. In 1942 he was named to command the
Engineer Amphibian Command at
Camp Edwards, Massachusetts as a
brigadier general. In this assignment he developed organizations, equipment, and techniques used in the
D-Day invasion and the Allied offensive in the Pacific Islands. From 1943 to 1944 he was Deputy Chief of Staff for U.S. forces in the
European Theater of Operations, receiving promotion to
major general as planner and overseer of the engineer effort that supported military operations in
North Africa and
Italy. From 1944 to 1945 he performed a similar function in the
Mediterranean Theater of Operations. From 1945 to 1946 Noce was Director of Plans and Operations at Headquarters,
Army Service Forces in
Washington, D.C. Post World War II In 1946 Noce he was appointed Director of the War Department's Civil Affairs Division, serving until 1948 and receiving promotion to
lieutenant general. In this assignment he led a mission to expand cultural and economic relations between the
Philippines and
China, and the Philippines and
Japan following World War II. From 1949 to 1952 he was Chief of Staff for the
U.S. European Command in Germany, and played an important part in implementing rebuilding efforts undertaken as part of the
Marshall Plan. In 1952 he was appointed
Inspector General of the Army, where he served until his 1954 retirement. General Noce's decorations included five awards of the
Distinguished Service Medal and the
Legion of Merit. ==Civilian career==