Charles Hunter Gerhardt 'Uncle Charlie'
Graduate, U.S. Military Academy, Class of 1917
Engagements: • World War I (1914 - 1918) • World War II (1941 - 1945)
Biography:
Charles Hunter Gerhardt Major General, U.S. Army
Charles Hunter Gerhardt was born on 6 June 1895, the son of Charles and Kate Watkins Gerhardt. His father, Charles, was a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, Class of 1887, and retired in 1930 as a Brigadier General in the U.S. Army.
Young Gerhardt followed in the footsteps of his father and attended the U.S. Military Academy, graduating with the Class of 1917. At West Point, he earned a reputation as a skilled football, baseball and polo player. In 1916, Gerhardt quarterbacked Army to a 30-10 upset win over Notre Dame, which was led by the famed freshman George Gipp. It was Notre Dame's only loss that year.
At graduation he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Cavalry and served during World War I with the 89th Division. In 1932, Gerhardt was selected as a judge in the equestrian events for the 1932 Olympic Games held in Los Angeles, CA. His senior command prior to leading the 29th Infantry Division was as Commanding General of the 91st Infantry Division at Camp White, OR.
Gerhardt was known as a hard taskmaster and strict disciplinarian; many of his men considered him a martinet, who often became upset at small things such as a soldier not having the chinstrap of his helmet buckled. One famous story has him admonishing a soldier on D-Day+1 for dropping peels from the orange he was eating onto the ground. He was intolerant of any dirt or mud being on the trucks, and would make soldiers stop and clean a truck under almost any circumstance. He was also known for petty demands that, for example, had his aide and divisional cooks scrambling to oblige his sudden craving to have waffles for his breakfast. However, he was a demanding officer who wanted his men to look like soldiers, act like soldiers, and know the business of soldiers.
The 29th Infantry Division commanded by Major General Gerhardt fought in World War I, but is most famous for its record in World War II. The 29th was part of Major General Leonard T. Gerow's V Corps. Comprised of the 115th, 116th and 175th Infantry Regiments, which were National Guard units from Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, it was the first Army division to reach England, arriving in 1942. MG Gerhardt took command in 1943. Held back for a planned invasion of France, the 29th Division spent nearly two years training there. So long, in fact, it earned the derisive moniker, "England's Own." But MG Gerhardt had another motto in mind. He wanted something with a forward tilt so he coined the battle cry that lives to this day: "29, Let's Go."
Gerhardt's motto was appropriate. Beginning on D-Day, 6 June 1944, over the next 10-plus months the division fought 242 days, stopping only when it reached the Elbe River in Germany to wait for the Russian Army approaching from the east. It suffered 20,111 casualties, more than any other Army division except for the 1st Division, which also fought in North Africa and Italy. The Division's most famous combat actions are the Omaha Beach landings on D-Day and the taking of the French crossroads town of Saint-Lô in July 1944.
Gerhardt was one of the European Theater's more controversial generals. His critics held that he was lacking as a military tactician and careless with the lives of his men; often pointing to the astonishingly high casualty rate of the 29th Division. It became a running joke in France that Gerhardt actually commanded three divisions: one on the field of battle, one in the hospital and one in the cemetery. He was also considered somewhat loose morally, as evidenced by a house of prostitution he established for his men near Rennes, France. General Omar N. Bradley did not approve and ordered it closed. Gerhardt usually walked the line between approval and disapproval with his superior officers. After the war, he was demoted to Colonel for reasons thought to be a combination of the 29th Division's high casualty rate and his moral lapses.
After the close of World War II, Gerhardt served as the U.S. Defense Attaché to Brazil and in a post at Fort Meade, MD. He reattained the rank of Brigadier General and was able to retire at his highest held rank of Major General in 1952.
Medals and Awards:
Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star Medal Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster World War I Victory Medal American Defense Service Medal American Campaign Medal European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal Army of Occupation Medal
Death and Burial: Major General Charles Hunter Gerhardt died of a heart attack on 9 October 1976, in Winter Park, FL. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Source: Military Hall of Honor