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{{Short description|United States Army general}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}{{Use American English|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox military person {{Infobox military person
|name=John E. Dahlquist | name = John E. Dahlquist
|birth_date= {{birth date|1896|3|12}} | birth_date = 12 March 1896 {{Birth date|1896|3|12|df=y}}
|death_date= {{death date and age|1975|7|30|1896|3|12}} | death_date = {{Death date and age|1975|6|30|1896|3|12|df=y}}
|image=John E Dahlquist.jpg | image = John E Dahlquist.jpg
| image_size =
|caption=General John E. Dahlquist
| caption =
|nickname=
| nickname =
|birth_place= ]
| birth_place = ], United States
|death_place=
| death_place = ], United States
|placeofburial= ]
| placeofburial = ], ], United States
|placeofburial_label=Place of burial
| placeofburial_label =
|allegiance= {{flagicon|United States}}]
| allegiance = {{flag|United States}}
|branch= ] ]
| branch = {{army|United States}}
|serviceyears=1917-1956
| serviceyears = 1917–1956
|rank= ] ]
| servicenumber = 0-7120
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| rank = ] ]
|commands=Army Field Forces<br/>U.S. Continental Army Command<br/>4th Army<br/>V Corps<br/>]<br/>]<br/>]
| unit = ] ]
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| commands = ]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>Army Field Forces
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'''John Ernest Dahlquist''' (March 12, 1896 — July 30, 1975) was a United States Army ] and ] division commander. In the course of his career, he commanded three different army divisions, commanded at the ] and ] level, and rose to the rank of ]. ] '''John Ernest Dahlquist''' (12 March 1896 – 30 June 1975) was a senior ] ]. In the course of his military career, Dahlquist commanded three different army divisions, commanded at the ] and ] level and rose to the rank of ]. He is well known for commanding the series of poor tactical decisions which led to the ] becoming the most highly decorated unit in the history of the ].


==Early life and military career==
==Biography==
Dahlquist was born on March 12, 1896 in ]. His parents were immigrants from ], ]. He graduated from the ] 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 ] in 1931, he was assigned to the Philippines. From 1935 to 1936 he was a student at the ], serving on the Army General Staff, Personnel Division after graduation. Born on 12 March 1896, in ], the youngest of four children, Dahlquist's parents were immigrants from ], ]. He graduated from the ] and received a direct ] as a ] into the ] of the ] in August 1917, shortly after the ] on 6 April 1917. Unable to serve overseas, he served in the ] after the war.


Remaining in the army during the ] he returned to the United States and served as an instructor at the ] from 1924 to 1928. After graduating from the ] in 1931, he was assigned to the ]. From 1935 to 1936 he was a student at the ], serving on the U.S. Army General Staff, Personnel Division after graduation.
===World War II===
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 ]. In 1943 he became the first commander of the ], and the next year he took command of the ].


==World War II==
It was for his command of the 36th Division that Dahlquist received his greatest criticism for his over-utilization of the ] ]. Arguably, his poor decisions would result in the 442nd becoming the most highly decorated unit in the history of the ]. Over 1/3 of 442 would be either killed or wounded due to Dahlquist's ordering the unit to rescue another unit that, due to his incompetence, had been surrounded by the enemy. Dahlquist's incompetence caused the unnecessary deaths of many brave men, and could be seen as criminal. In fact it is not the ] soldiers of the 442nd, but their officers (none of them Japanese American) that are often quoted in criticism of General Dahlquist.<ref>Sterner 2007, p. 91.</ref><ref>Sterner 2007, p. 95.</ref>
With the ] in December 1941, Dahlquist was sent to ] and assigned as deputy chief of staff to ] ] in early 1942, and, later that year, with the ] of ], became the assistant division commander (ADC) of the ]. In June 1943, promoted to the ] of major general, Dahlquist became the first ] (CG) of the ], becoming one of the youngest division commanders in the U.S. Army. In July 1944, he took command of the ], a ] formation from ] that had fought in many difficult battles in the ] under Major General ] and had recently taken part in ], the ] invasion of ]. It was during this period that saw Dahlquist receive the first of two ]s. The citation for the first Army DSM reads:


{{Blockquote|The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress 9 July 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Major General John Ernest Dahlquist (ASN: 0-7120), United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility as Commanding General of the 36th Infantry Division during the period from 14 July to 14 September 1944.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/30671|title=Valor awards for John Ernest Dahlquist|publisher=Military Times}}</ref>}}
On 24 October 1944, 1st and 2nd Battalion, 141st Infantry moved to secure the right flank of the 3rd Division, near the ] town of ]. When the German forces counterattacked, 1st Battalion was separated and cut off. After two days of attempted rescue by 2nd and 3rd Battalion, 141st Infantry, Dahlquist resorted to send in the ], which had born the brunt of the Division's fighting for the previous eight days.<ref>Sterner 2007, pp. 70-75.</ref> The 442nd would suffer 800 casualties, including 121 dead during the five days it took to rescue 211 men of the 1st Battalion, 141st Infantry.<ref>Meyers, Christopher C. ''The War''. . September 2007. Retrieved on 1 October 2009.</ref>


Dahlquist was criticized for his overuse of the ] ] (442nd RCT), which had been attached to his 36th Division. Many believed his poor decisions led to the 442nd RCT becoming the most highly decorated unit in the history of the ]. Over a third of the men in the 442nd were either ] or ] when Dahlquist ordered the unit to rescue another unit that had been surrounded by the enemy. It is not the surviving ] soldiers of the 442nd but their officers (none of them Japanese-American) who are most often quoted in criticism of Dahlquist.<ref>Sterner 2007, p. 91.</ref><ref>Sterner 2007, p. 95.</ref>
{{quotation|On November 12, General Dahlquist announced he wanted to review the 442nd, to thank them for what they had done. When the battered unit appeared, Dahlquist grew irritated at their sparse numbers, ignorant at how much they had sacrificed.|Christopher C. Meyers||PBS.org}}


On 24 October 1944, the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the ], part of Dahlquist's 36th Division, moved to secure the right flank of the ] near the ] town of ]. When the ] ]ed, the 1st Battalion was separated and cut off. After two days of attempted rescue by the other two battalions of the 141st Infantry, Dahlquist sent in the 442nd RCT, which had borne the brunt of the 36th Division's fighting for the previous eight days.<ref>Sterner 2007, pp. 70–75.</ref> The 442nd would suffer 800 casualties, including 121 dead, during the five days it took to rescue 211 men of the 1st Battalion, 141st Infantry.<ref>Meyers, Christopher C. ''The War''. . September 2007. Retrieved on 1 October 2009.</ref> Major General ], commanding the ] (under which unit the 36th Division was serving), considered relieving him of his command.<ref>p. 294, The Last Cavalryman: The Life of General Lucian K. Truscott, Jr.</ref>
On 8 May 1945, ] surrendered to the 36th Infantry assistant division commander after a ceasefire was declared between the German ] and the U.S. ].<ref>Alford 2003, pp. 43-46</ref> The assistant division commander, ] Stack, transported Göring to the division command post. Because he also spoke German, Dahlquist dismissed his translator, and so it was Dahlquist who became the first person to question Göring.<ref></ref> Press photos of Dahlquist and Stack, in seemingly casual conversation with Göring, were released for publication back in the United States and resulted in criticism of Dahlquist from the American public.<ref>Alford 2003, p. 46</ref>


{{blockquote|On 12 November, General Dahlquist announced he wanted to review the 442nd, to thank them for what they had done. When the battered unit appeared, Dahlquist grew irritated at their sparse numbers, ignorant at how much they had sacrificed.|Christopher C. Meyers||source=PBS.org}}
Following the war, Dahlquist returned to the United States, serving in various administrative and personnel jobs. He took command of his third division, the ] in 1949. This was followed by command of ] (1952–1953) and ] (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, ], retiring in 1956. He died on June 30, 1975 and was buried in ].


Dahlquist continued to lead the 36th Division throughout the ]. On May 8, 1945, ], ] surrendered to Brigadier General Robert I. Stack, the 36th Infantry Division's assistant division commander (ADC), after a ceasefire was declared between the German ] and the ].<ref>Alford 2003, pp. 43–46</ref> Stack transported Göring to the division command post. Because he spoke German, Dahlquist dismissed his translator, and so it was Dahlquist who became the first person to question Göring.<ref></ref> Press photos of Dahlquist and Stack, in seemingly casual conversation with Göring, were released for publication in the United States and resulted in criticism of Dahlquist from the American public and from General Eisenhower, the ] in the ] (ETO).<ref>Alford 2003, p. 46</ref>
===Marriage===
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. They had a son called Donald John, born on December 24, 1923 and died on July 27,2006, buried on Leavenworth National Cemetery, Kansas. General Dahlquist also has several grandchildren.


==Postwar==
==Awards and decorations==
].]]
Dahlquist's awards and decorations include the ], the ], the ], the ], and the ] . In 1954 he received an honorary Master of Arts from the University of Minnesota.<ref></ref>


Following the war, Dahlquist returned to the United States, serving in various administrative and personnel jobs. He took command of his third division, the ], in 1949. This was followed by command of ] from 1952 to 1953 and the ] in 1953. He then served as Chief of Army Field Forces from 1953 to 1955, during which he was promoted to the ] of ] on 18 August 1954. He finished his career as ], Continental Army Command, retiring in 1956, and receiving his second Army DSM for his services during a two-and-a-half year period, with the medal's citation reading:
*]&nbsp;&nbsp;]

*]&nbsp;&nbsp;]
{{Blockquote|The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress 9 July 1918, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Army Distinguished Service Medal to General John Ernest Dahlquist, United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility from 24 August 1953 to 29 February 1956.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/30671|title=Valor awards for John Ernest Dahlquist|publisher=Military Times}}</ref>}}
*]&nbsp;&nbsp;]

*]&nbsp;&nbsp;]
Dahlquist died on 30 June 1975, aged 79, and was buried in ], ].<ref> – ANC Explorer</ref>
*]&nbsp;&nbsp;]

*]
==Marriage==
*]
Dahlquist was married to Ruth D. Dahlquist, who was born 17 days after him and died 17 days after him. She was buried with him at Arlington National Cemetery. They had a son, Donald John Dahlquist, born on 9 March 1932, who died on 22 November 1993, and was buried in Arlington next to his parents. Dahlquist had two grandchildren, John William and Donette Ruth.
*]

*]
==Awards and decorations==
*]
Dahlquist's awards and decorations include the ], the ], the ], the ] and the ]. In 1954, he received an honorary Master of Arts from the University of Minnesota.<ref></ref>
*]
* ]&nbsp;&nbsp;]
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* ]&nbsp;&nbsp;]
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==See also== ==See also==
* ]
{{portal|United States Army}}
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==References== ==References==
{{reflist}} {{reflist|30em}}


;Bibliography '''Bibliography'''
{{refbegin}} {{refbegin}}
* Alford, Kenneth D. ''Nazi Plunder: Great Treasure Stories of World War II''. : Da Capo Press, 2003. ISBN 978-0-306-81241-5 * Alford, Kenneth D. ''Nazi Plunder: Great Treasure Stories of World War II''. : Da Capo Press, 2003. {{ISBN|978-0-306-81241-5}}
* Sterner, C. Douglas. ''Go for Broke: The Nisei Warriors of World War II Who Conquered Germany, Japan, and American Bigotry''. Clearfield, Utah: American Legacy Historical Press, 2008. ISBN 978-0-9796896-1-1 * Sterner, C. Douglas. ''Go for Broke: The Nisei Warriors of World War II Who Conquered Germany, Japan, and American Bigotry''. Clearfield, Utah: American Legacy Historical Press, 2008. {{ISBN|978-0-9796896-1-1}}
{{refend}} {{refend}}


==External links== ==External links==
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| NAME =Dahlquist, John E.
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| DATE OF BIRTH =1896-03-12
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| DATE OF DEATH =1975-07-30
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dahlquist, John E.}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Dahlquist, John E.}}
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Latest revision as of 14:29, 16 December 2024

United States Army general

John E. Dahlquist
Born12 March 1896 (1896-03-12)12 March 1896
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Died30 June 1975(1975-06-30) (aged 79)
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States
BuriedArlington National Cemetery, Virginia, United States
Allegiance United States
Service / branch United States Army
Years of service1917–1956
Rank General
Service number0-7120
Unit Infantry Branch
Commands70th Infantry Division
36th Infantry Division
1st Infantry Division
V Corps
Fourth Army
Continental Army Command
Army Field Forces
Battles / warsWorld War II
Cold War
AwardsDistinguished Service Cross
Army Distinguished Service Medal (2)
Silver Star
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star (2)

General John Ernest Dahlquist (12 March 1896 – 30 June 1975) was a senior United States Army officer. In the course of his military career, Dahlquist commanded three different army divisions, commanded at the corps and field army level and rose to the rank of four-star general. He is well known for commanding the series of poor tactical decisions which led to the 442nd RCT becoming the most highly decorated unit in the history of the United States Armed Forces.

Early life and military career

Born on 12 March 1896, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the youngest of four children, Dahlquist's parents were immigrants from Dalsland, Sweden. He graduated from the University of Minnesota and received a direct commission as a second lieutenant into the Infantry Branch of the United States Army in August 1917, shortly after the American entry into World War I on 6 April 1917. Unable to serve overseas, he served in the Allied occupation of the Rhineland after the war.

Remaining in the army during the interwar period he returned to the United States and served as an instructor at the U.S. Army Infantry School from 1924 to 1928. After graduating from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff School in 1931, he was assigned to the Philippines. From 1935 to 1936 he was a student at the U.S. Army War College, serving on the U.S. Army General Staff, Personnel Division after graduation.

World War II

With the American entry into World War II in December 1941, Dahlquist was sent to England and assigned as deputy chief of staff to Major General Dwight David Eisenhower in early 1942, and, later that year, with the one-star rank of brigadier general, became the assistant division commander (ADC) of the 76th Infantry Division. In June 1943, promoted to the two-star rank of major general, Dahlquist became the first commanding general (CG) of the 70th Infantry Division, becoming one of the youngest division commanders in the U.S. Army. In July 1944, he took command of the 36th Infantry Division, a National Guard formation from Texas that had fought in many difficult battles in the Italian Campaign under Major General Frederick Walker and had recently taken part in Operation Dragoon, the Allied invasion of Southern France. It was during this period that saw Dahlquist receive the first of two Army Distinguished Service Medals. The citation for the first Army DSM reads:

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress 9 July 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Major General John Ernest Dahlquist (ASN: 0-7120), United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility as Commanding General of the 36th Infantry Division during the period from 14 July to 14 September 1944.

Dahlquist was criticized for his overuse of the Japanese-American 442nd Regimental Combat Team (442nd RCT), which had been attached to his 36th Division. Many believed his poor decisions led to the 442nd RCT becoming the most highly decorated unit in the history of the United States Armed Forces. Over a third of the men in the 442nd were either killed or wounded when Dahlquist ordered the unit to rescue another unit that had been surrounded by the enemy. It is not the surviving Nisei soldiers of the 442nd but their officers (none of them Japanese-American) who are most often quoted in criticism of Dahlquist.

On 24 October 1944, the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 141st Infantry Regiment, part of Dahlquist's 36th Division, moved to secure the right flank of the 3rd Division near the French town of St-Die. When the German forces counterattacked, the 1st Battalion was separated and cut off. After two days of attempted rescue by the other two battalions of the 141st Infantry, Dahlquist sent in the 442nd RCT, which had borne the brunt of the 36th Division's fighting for the previous eight days. The 442nd would suffer 800 casualties, including 121 dead, during the five days it took to rescue 211 men of the 1st Battalion, 141st Infantry. Major General Lucian Truscott, commanding the VI Corps (under which unit the 36th Division was serving), considered relieving him of his command.

On 12 November, General Dahlquist announced he wanted to review the 442nd, to thank them for what they had done. When the battered unit appeared, Dahlquist grew irritated at their sparse numbers, ignorant at how much they had sacrificed.

— Christopher C. Meyers, The War: Vosges Mountains (The Lost Battalion), PBS.org

Dahlquist continued to lead the 36th Division throughout the campaign in Western Europe. On May 8, 1945, Victory in Europe Day, Hermann Göring surrendered to Brigadier General Robert I. Stack, the 36th Infantry Division's assistant division commander (ADC), after a ceasefire was declared between the German Army Group G and the U.S. Seventh Army. Stack transported Göring to the division command post. Because he spoke German, Dahlquist dismissed his translator, and so it was Dahlquist who became the first person to question Göring. Press photos of Dahlquist and Stack, in seemingly casual conversation with Göring, were released for publication in the United States and resulted in criticism of Dahlquist from the American public and from General Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander in the European Theater of Operations (ETO).

Postwar

The grave of General John E. Dahlquist at Arlington National Cemetery.

Following the war, Dahlquist returned to the United States, serving in various administrative and personnel jobs. He took command of his third division, the 1st Infantry, in 1949. This was followed by command of V Corps from 1952 to 1953 and the Fourth Army in 1953. He then served as Chief of Army Field Forces from 1953 to 1955, during which he was promoted to the four-star rank of general on 18 August 1954. He finished his career as Commander-in-Chief, Continental Army Command, retiring in 1956, and receiving his second Army DSM for his services during a two-and-a-half year period, with the medal's citation reading:

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress 9 July 1918, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Army Distinguished Service Medal to General John Ernest Dahlquist, United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility from 24 August 1953 to 29 February 1956.

Dahlquist died on 30 June 1975, aged 79, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia.

Marriage

Dahlquist was married to Ruth D. Dahlquist, who was born 17 days after him and died 17 days after him. She was buried with him at Arlington National Cemetery. They had a son, Donald John Dahlquist, born on 9 March 1932, who died on 22 November 1993, and was buried in Arlington next to his parents. Dahlquist had two grandchildren, John William and Donette Ruth.

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.

See also

References

  1. "Valor awards for John Ernest Dahlquist". Military Times.
  2. Sterner 2007, p. 91.
  3. Sterner 2007, p. 95.
  4. Sterner 2007, pp. 70–75.
  5. Meyers, Christopher C. "Vosges Mountains (The Lost Battalion)." The War. PBS.org. September 2007. Retrieved on 1 October 2009.
  6. p. 294, The Last Cavalryman: The Life of General Lucian K. Truscott, Jr.
  7. Alford 2003, pp. 43–46
  8. Time magazine article
  9. Alford 2003, p. 46
  10. "Valor awards for John Ernest Dahlquist". Military Times.
  11. Burial Detail: Dahlquist, John H – ANC Explorer
  12. University of Minnesota Alumni Association

Bibliography

  • Alford, Kenneth D. Nazi Plunder: Great Treasure Stories of World War II. : Da Capo Press, 2003. ISBN 978-0-306-81241-5
  • Sterner, C. Douglas. Go for Broke: The Nisei Warriors of World War II Who Conquered Germany, Japan, and American Bigotry. Clearfield, Utah: American Legacy Historical Press, 2008. ISBN 978-0-9796896-1-1

External links

Military offices
Preceded byNewly activated organization Commanding General 70th Infantry Division
1943–1944 		Succeeded byAllison J. Barnett
Preceded byFred L. Walker Commanding General 36th Infantry Division
1944–1945 		Succeeded byPost deactivated
Preceded byRalph Canine Commanding General Fifteenth Army
1949–1951 		Succeeded byThomas S. Timberman
Preceded byBoniface Campbell Commanding General V Corps
1951–1953 		Succeeded byIra P. Swift
Preceded byLeRoy Lutes Commanding General Fourth Army
1953–1955 		Succeeded bySamuel T. Williams
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