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GEN Charles Lawrence Bolte

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GEN Charles Lawrence Bolte Famous memorial Veteran

Birth
Illinois, USA
Death
11 Feb 1989 (aged 93)
Alexandria City, Virginia, USA
Burial
Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA GPS-Latitude: 38.8767, Longitude: -77.071
Plot
Section 7A, Lot 16
Memorial ID
View Source
US Army General. A combat veteran of World Wars I and II, he rose in rank to become Commander-in-Chief of US Army Europe and the US Army Vice Chief of Staff. After completing high School, he attended the Armour Institute of Technology (now part of the Illinois Institute of Technology) in Chicago, Illinois and graduated in 1917 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering. The previous year he was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the US Army Infantry Reserve and was activated in May 1917 following the US entry into World War I. The following August he was assigned to the 58th Infantry and in May 1918 he was sent to France with his unit and saw combat action during the Aisne Marne, St. Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne Offensives. After the end of World War I, he remained in Germany until August 1919 when he returned to the US. From late 1919 until 1930 he was assigned to different locations in the Midwest along with tours in the War Plans Division, War Department General Staff, and Office of the Chief of Staff, Washington DC and as a student and instructor at the IUS Army Infantry School in Fort Benning, Georgia. From 1930 until 1932 he attended Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and following his graduation, he was sent to Tientsin, China and assigned to the 15th Infantry as the S-3 and later as a company and battalion commander. In April 1936 he returned to the US and served as a battalion commander at Fort Devins, Massachusetts until the following August, when he entered the US Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania and remained there as an instructor after graduating in June 1937. In May 1941 he was sent to London, England and served as the War Plans officer for the Chief of Staff, US Forces. The following July he was designated as the First Chief of Staff of the newly established European Theater of Operations in England and was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in July 1942. The following August he returned to the US and was assigned to Headquarters, Army Ground Forces, in Washington, DC. From September 1942 until June 1944 he commanded two infantry divisions, one at Camp White, Oregon and the other at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. In July 1944 he was sent to the European Theater where he was promoted to the rank of major general and became commander of the 34th Infantry Division in Italy and saw the end of hostilities there, with the surrender of Axis forces. He remained in Europe after the surrender of Germany in May 1945, until the following November when he returned to the US and became the Assistant Chief of Staff, Ground Plans, Washington DC. In August 1946 he became Chief of Staff of the Army Ground Forces at Fort Monroe, Virginia. In May 1948 he was appointed Director of Special Joint Planning Group in Washington DC and the following year he was appointed Director of the Plans and Operations Division, General Staff, and later the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters US Army. In February 1951 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general and he returned to Germany to become the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations, US Army Europe and the following year he became the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans. In August 1952 he became commander of the US 7th Army in Germany and in April 1953 he became Commander-in-Chief of US Army Europe. In July 1953 he was promoted to the rank of general and the following October he returned to the US to become the US Army Vice Chief of Staff, Headquarters US Army, Washington DC. He retired in that position in April 1955 with 39 years of continuous military service. Among his military and foreign decorations and awards include the Army Distinguished Service Medal (with one oak leaf cluster), the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the Purple Heart, the World War I Victory Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal (1918-1923), the American Defense Service Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (with two service stars), the World War II Victory Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal (1945-1990), the National Defense Service Medal, the French Legion of Honor, the French Croix de Guerre (with palm), the British Order of the Bath, the Brazilian Medalha de Guerra, the Italian Military Order of Savoy, the Italian Order of Commander SS Maurizo e Lazarro, the Ethiopian Grand Cordon of the Order of the Most Blessed Trinity (with plaque), and the Columbian Order de Boyaca. After his military retirement, he was the special assistant to the Chairman of the Board of American Car and Foundry Industries (1955 to 1958) and served for a few years as Chairman of the Board of Advanced Growth Capital Corporation, and was active in charitable work in the Washington DC area. He died from a stroke in Alexandria, Virginia at the age of 93. In February 1944 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Engineering by the Illinois Institute of Technology.
US Army General. A combat veteran of World Wars I and II, he rose in rank to become Commander-in-Chief of US Army Europe and the US Army Vice Chief of Staff. After completing high School, he attended the Armour Institute of Technology (now part of the Illinois Institute of Technology) in Chicago, Illinois and graduated in 1917 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering. The previous year he was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the US Army Infantry Reserve and was activated in May 1917 following the US entry into World War I. The following August he was assigned to the 58th Infantry and in May 1918 he was sent to France with his unit and saw combat action during the Aisne Marne, St. Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne Offensives. After the end of World War I, he remained in Germany until August 1919 when he returned to the US. From late 1919 until 1930 he was assigned to different locations in the Midwest along with tours in the War Plans Division, War Department General Staff, and Office of the Chief of Staff, Washington DC and as a student and instructor at the IUS Army Infantry School in Fort Benning, Georgia. From 1930 until 1932 he attended Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and following his graduation, he was sent to Tientsin, China and assigned to the 15th Infantry as the S-3 and later as a company and battalion commander. In April 1936 he returned to the US and served as a battalion commander at Fort Devins, Massachusetts until the following August, when he entered the US Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania and remained there as an instructor after graduating in June 1937. In May 1941 he was sent to London, England and served as the War Plans officer for the Chief of Staff, US Forces. The following July he was designated as the First Chief of Staff of the newly established European Theater of Operations in England and was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in July 1942. The following August he returned to the US and was assigned to Headquarters, Army Ground Forces, in Washington, DC. From September 1942 until June 1944 he commanded two infantry divisions, one at Camp White, Oregon and the other at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. In July 1944 he was sent to the European Theater where he was promoted to the rank of major general and became commander of the 34th Infantry Division in Italy and saw the end of hostilities there, with the surrender of Axis forces. He remained in Europe after the surrender of Germany in May 1945, until the following November when he returned to the US and became the Assistant Chief of Staff, Ground Plans, Washington DC. In August 1946 he became Chief of Staff of the Army Ground Forces at Fort Monroe, Virginia. In May 1948 he was appointed Director of Special Joint Planning Group in Washington DC and the following year he was appointed Director of the Plans and Operations Division, General Staff, and later the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters US Army. In February 1951 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general and he returned to Germany to become the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations, US Army Europe and the following year he became the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans. In August 1952 he became commander of the US 7th Army in Germany and in April 1953 he became Commander-in-Chief of US Army Europe. In July 1953 he was promoted to the rank of general and the following October he returned to the US to become the US Army Vice Chief of Staff, Headquarters US Army, Washington DC. He retired in that position in April 1955 with 39 years of continuous military service. Among his military and foreign decorations and awards include the Army Distinguished Service Medal (with one oak leaf cluster), the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the Purple Heart, the World War I Victory Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal (1918-1923), the American Defense Service Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (with two service stars), the World War II Victory Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal (1945-1990), the National Defense Service Medal, the French Legion of Honor, the French Croix de Guerre (with palm), the British Order of the Bath, the Brazilian Medalha de Guerra, the Italian Military Order of Savoy, the Italian Order of Commander SS Maurizo e Lazarro, the Ethiopian Grand Cordon of the Order of the Most Blessed Trinity (with plaque), and the Columbian Order de Boyaca. After his military retirement, he was the special assistant to the Chairman of the Board of American Car and Foundry Industries (1955 to 1958) and served for a few years as Chairman of the Board of Advanced Growth Capital Corporation, and was active in charitable work in the Washington DC area. He died from a stroke in Alexandria, Virginia at the age of 93. In February 1944 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Engineering by the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Bio by: William Bjornstad



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  • Maintained by: Find a Grave
  • Originally Created by: Russ Jacobs
  • Added: Jan 27, 2010
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/47187520/charles_lawrence-bolte: accessed ), memorial page for GEN Charles Lawrence Bolte (8 May 1895–11 Feb 1989), Find a Grave Memorial ID 47187520, citing Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA; Maintained by Find a Grave.