Gen. MacArthur's CIB

[patches]

It's St Malo, 1944, very early use of buckle boots in the ETO

Thank You ACP, Saint Malo, check. And I might add, since it's early August, a fairly early issue for the ETO of the M1943 Field Jacket and Field Pants, begs the question in this reguard, was Buddy Ferenbaugh the only one with these new items? or did they have wide issuance within the 83rd Inf Div in late July early August?

 

Anyone find out where Buddy got his CIB yet?

[patches]

Discovered one more General with the CIB, who was a General during the war

 

He's William Chase, Chase was a Brigadier General (promoted March 1943) during the time he commanded the 1st Brigade 1st Cavalry Division (the Cav was Triangular through out WWII, with the Brigade and four Regiments), as you see in the WIKI, Chase started out as an enlisted man in the field artillery, Rhode Island National Guard. When he was commissioned as a Regular, he was Cavalry.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_C._Chase

 

 

Chase did see a lot of front line action with the Cav, later too as the commander of the 38th Infantry Division, like landing during the amphibious assault with the lead battalion of his 151st Infantry on the return to the Bataan Peninsula. So what are looking at here then, another honorary award of the CIB? Seems so right?

 

[Bluehawk]

Would love to see the orders... if extant.

[patches]

Found one more General with a CIB who was a General thought the war.

 

 

Charles H. Gerhardt, the famous or if you like infamous, C.G.. of the 29th Inf Div, Like Chase, Gerhardt was a Cavalryman, only seen this one foto here wear he wears the badge, taken I guess sometime still in 1944, late summer early fall of 44, the photo on his wiki doesn't show it. So no idea on this, what are yours!

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_H._Gerhardt#Awards

 

[ajbUSWM]

I always felt the MOH was a bogus award but I wouldn't think that even he would have the gall to wear the CIB which,by the way,

I had no idea he had until today,when I read this.

 

His MOH was 100% bogus ... he was an egomaniac

[patches]

Seen this on Colonel John U.D. Page MOH (Posth) Korean Conflict, Page an Artilleryman, a staff officer X Corps Artillery was awarded his MOH in 1957, could he of then at that time been awarded a CIB as well?

 

 

[Bluehawk]

Grateful to see this thread still alive, after 11 years.

 

[patches]

Wow found another, or at least I thought .

 

Major General Frank L, Cullen Jr, the Commander of the 87th Golden Acorn Infantry Division in the ETO, with the CIB.

 

BUUTTT remarkably Cullen earned it as a Colonel in the 7th Infantry Division in The Aleutians, he was C.O. of the division's 32nd Infantry Regiment.

 

His concise and to the point promotion and command chronology.

 

https://www.generals.dk/general/Culin/Frank_Lewis_Jr./USA.html

[patches]

That sure looks like a CIB, a Mini CIB.

 

He is Clovis E. Byers a Brigadier General Temp October 31, 1942, at that time he was Chief of Staff I Corps, Bob Eichelberger right hand man. Byers seen a particularly great amount of front line combat in Buna New Guinea late 1942, as the Commander of the 32nd Infantry Division, December 6-17th, Byers taking over by default, as the original commander  Major General Edwin F. Harding, was sacked by Eichelberger, and replaced by 32nd DIVARTY Commander Brigadier General Albert W. Waldron, but very soon after taking over Waldron was hit, Byers himself was soon to be hit too, the third General Officer wounded at Buna, the other was Brigadier General  Hanford MacNider Commander of Buna Task Force, all three of them being shot. Byers goes on to see more front line combat in the later operations of I Corps in New Guinea, IE Hollandia, and Biak Island, and later on Leyte in the PI, now as Eichelberger's man in 8th Army when Eichleberger gets 8th Army.

 

This photo is when Byes is a General years after WWII, and after Korea where Byers gets X Corps from Edward Almond in July 1951. Haven't found any other real good photo of Byers other than this where we see the CIB. So another case of an Honorary Award of the Combat Infantryman Badge???

[T308]

On 9/12/2012 at 7:10 AM, SpookyTeddyBear said:

 

Well for Stilwell, it was presented to him well on his death bed. He was awarded it the day before he died.

MacArthur is another story as he was awarded it in his later years when he gave up wearing a uniform.

 

here is a ca 1980s photo of Bradley wearing his "honorary" CIB:

 

Certainly a very old thread, but as The General was a family friend, I wanted to chime in.  The General's CIB wasn't a late in life honorary, it was authorized by Ike in HQ ETO General Order #38 April 29 1944.