In 1938 General Van Voorhis was named commander of V Corps Area as a Major General, and in 1939 he was named to head the Caribbean Defense Command in Panama, receiving promotion to Lieutenant General in July 1940.
In 1938 General Van Voorhis was promoted to Major General and named commander of V Corps Area with headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. In 1939 he was named to head the Caribbean Defense Command in Panama, receiving promotion to Lieutenant General in July 1940.