Charles L. Bolte
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Charles L. Bolte | |
|---|---|
four-star general officer rank, his final post was Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army
.
Early life and military career
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Bolte graduated from what is today the Illinois Institute of Technology with a degree in chemical engineering. He began his military career in 1916, during World War I (although the United States was still officially neutral at this stage), when he earned a commission as a second lieutenant into the United States Army's Infantry Branch.
Two years later in 1918, after the
company commander in the 58th Infantry Regiment, part of the 4th Division, he saw combat in the Battle of Saint-Mihiel and the Meuse–Argonne offensive, where he was wounded in action
on September 19.
Between the wars
In August 1919, Bolte returned to the United States as a captain, nine months after the war came to an end on November 11, 1918 at 11:00am. In 1923, he married Adelaide Carleton Poore, the daughter of Major General Benjamin A. Poore. They were the parents of three children— Colonel David E., Brigadier General Philip L., and daughter Damara.[1][2]
Bolte remained in the army during the
Fort Benning, Georgia in 1930, graduated in 1932 from the United States Army Command and General Staff College, and was ordered to the American Barracks, Tientsin, China for duty with the 15th Infantry Regiment as S-3 company and battalion commander. In April 1936, back in the United States, Bolte was assigned to command a battalion of the 13th Infantry Regiment at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. The following August, he entered the United States Army War College, graduated in June 1937, and remained there as an instructor until 1940, during World War II, although the United States was not yet involved in the war. On August 18, 1940, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel.[3]
World War II
In 1941, Bolte, by now a
two-star rank of major general,[3] he returned to the United States in 1943 and raised and commanded the 69th Infantry Division in Mississippi
.
In July 1944, upon the request of Lieutenant General
Italian Front he was sent to Italy where he took over command of the 34th Infantry Division (nicknamed "The Red Bull"), an Army National Guard formation, then locked in fierce combat on the Arno River. He replaced Major General Charles W. Ryder, who had led the 34th Division for over two years. He led the 34th through several successful actions, including the rupture of the Gothic Line, the winter campaign in the Apennine Mountains, the breakthrough and the capture of the Italian city of Bologna in Operation Grapeshot (codename for the final offensive of the Italian Campaign), the surrender of the Axis forces in Italy on April 29, 1945, and the subsequent occupation of the Northwestern and then the Northeastern sectors of Italy. The end of World War II in Europe
came soon afterwards.
Bolte earned two
for his exploits during the war.Postwar
Bolte served in
United States Army Europe. Later that year, Bolte returned home to serve as Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army under General Matthew Bunker Ridgway
who, like Bolte, had also had a distinguished war record. Bolte retired from active service in 1955 as a full general.
Following retirement, he worked as special assistant to the chairman of the board of
American Car & Foundry Industries from 1955 to 1958. He then became Chairman of the Board of Advanced Growth Capital Corporation, retiring from this in the 1960s. He was also active in charitable work, and served as President of the Army & Navy Club. He died on February 11, 1989, at Mount Vernon Hospital, Virginia, after a stroke, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.[4]
Dates of rank
| Insignia | Rank | Component | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Second lieutenant | Officers Reserve Corps |
December 23, 1916 (Active duty on May 8, 1917.) |
|
Second lieutenant | Regular Army | November 10, 1917 |
 |
First lieutenant | Regular Army | October 25, 1917 |
 |
Captain | Regular Army | September 19, 1918 (Date of rank was August 10, 1918.) |
 |
Major | Regular Army | August 1, 1935 |
 |
Lieutenant colonel | Regular Army | August 18, 1940 |
 |
Colonel | Army of the United States | December 24, 1941 |
 |
Brigadier general | Army of the United States | January 17, 1942 |
 |
Major general | Army of the United States | April 26, 1943 |
|
Colonel | Regular Army | September 1, 1946 |
|
Brigadier general | Regular Army | January 24, 1948 |
|
Major general | Army of the United States | January 24, 1948 (Date of rank was October 5, 1944.) |
 |
Lieutenant general | Army of the United States | February 13, 1951 |
 |
General | Army of the United States | July 30, 1953 |
|
General | Regular Army, Retired | June 30, 1955 |
References
- Newspapers.com.
- TimesMachine.
- ^ a b c d "Biography of General Charles Lawrence Bolte (1895−1989), USA". generals.dk.
- ^ Burial Detail: Bolte, Charles L – ANC Explorer
This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Army
External links
- Charles Lawrence Bolte at ArlingtonCemetery.net, an unofficial website
- Generals of World War II
- United States Army Officers 1939–1945
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