John E. Dahlquist
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| John E. Dahlquist | |
|---|---|
| 1896 – 1975 | |
 General John E. Dahlquist |
|
| Place of birth | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 191?-1956 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held | Army Field Forces U.S. Continental Army Command 4th Army V Corps 70th Infantry Division 36th Infantry Division 1st Infantry Division |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Cross Silver Star Legion of Merit Silver Star |
General John Ernest Dahlquist was a U.S. Army general and World War II division commander. In the course of his career, he commanded three different army divisions, commanded at the corps and field army level, and rose to 4 star rank.
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[edit] Biography
Dahlquist was born on March 12, 1896 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He graduated from the University of Minnesota and served in the occupation forces in Germany after World War I. He received a direct commission in 1917. He served as an instructor at the U.S. Army Infantry School from 1924 to 1928. After graduating from Command and General Staff School in 1931, he was assigned to the Philippines. From 1935 to 1936 he was a student at the Army War College, serving on the Army General Staff, Personnel Division after graduation.
With America's entry into World War II, Dahlquist was assigned as Assistant Chief of Staff, European Theater of Operations in 1942, and later that year became Assistant Division Commander of the 76th Infantry Division. In 1943 he became the first commander of the 70th Infantry Division, and the next year he took command of the 36th Infantry Division. During his command, the 36th Infantry Division captured Hermann Göring, and Dahlquist was the first person to interrogate him.[1]
Dahlquist was division commander for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a unit composed mostly of Japanese Americans. Many 442nd veterans felt Dahlquist was an incompetent who treated Japanese American soldiers as more expendable than white soldiers, citing in particular their famous Rescue of the Lost Battalion. In October, 1944, Dahlquist ordered the 141st Infantry Regiment (Texas National Guard) to advance beyond friendly lines, despite their warning that they would be cut off by the enemy. When German forces promptly surrounded the Texan regiment's 1st Battalion, instead of pressing other elements of the 141st to effect a rescue, Dahlquist sent in the 442nd, which was already short-handed and fatigued from 10 days of continuous fighting. After six days of desperate combat, the 442nd finally broke through to the beleaguered battalion, having suffered about 800 casualties to rescue 211 Texans. Given their devastating losses, the men of the 442nd expected to be relieved. Instead, Dahlquist ordered them to continue to secure the enemy-infested forest for another 9 days. By the time the 442nd was finally relieved, it had lost more than half its normal combat strength. Dahlquist ordered the 442nd to assemble for a recognition ceremony, which was so poorly attended that he admonished a 442nd colonel: “You disobeyed my orders. I told you to have the whole regiment.” Replied the colonel, “General, this is the regiment. The rest are either dead or in the hospital.”[2]
It is said that at a reunion of the 442nd long after the war ended, Dahlquist tried to shake the hand of a colonel who served in the regiment, asking him that 'bygones be bygones' and suggesting that what happened between him and the regiment was 'water under the bridge'. The colonel returned his salute but refused to shake his hand.[3]
Following the war, Dahlquist returned stateside, serving in various administrative and personnel jobs, and took command of his third division, the 1st Infantry Division in 1949. This was followed by command of V Corps (1952-1953) and Fourth United States Army (1953). He then served as Chief of Army Field Forces from 1953 to 1955, during which he was promoted to 4 star rank on August 18, 1954. He finished his career as Commander-in-Chief, Continental Army Command, retiring in 1956. He died on June 30, 1975 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Dahlquist was married to Ruth D. Dahlquist, who coincidentally was born 17 days after him, and died 17 days after him. She was buried next to him in Arlington.
[edit] Awards and decorations
Dahlquist's awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Cross, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star . In 1954 he received an honorary Master of Arts from the University of Minnesota.[4]
