George Windle Read Jr. (29 July 1900 – 15 December 1974) was a lieutenant general in the United States Army. He was prominent as a top-tier polo player, a successful commander of World War II armor units, and the U.S. Army's Chief of Armor.
Early life Read was born at Fort Grant, Arizona, on 29 July 1900,The Monthly Supplement: a Current Biographical Reference Service, published by Who’s Who, Inc., 1944, Volumes 5-6, page 247Newspaper article, Maj. Gen. G.W. Read is Dead at Capital; World War Officer Succumbs, New York Times, 7 November 1934U.S. Census entry, 1910, family of George Windle and Burton Young Read the son of Burton Young Read and Major General George Windle Read (1860–1934), one of the top commanders in the American Expeditionary Force during World War I. His grandfather was Lieutenant General S.B.M. Young, who served as the first Chief of Staff of the United States Army. Read was educated on military posts throughout the United States, and graduated from Central High School in Washington, D.C.
Read was decided upon a military career from an early age; at 13, he took part in a summer Boy Scout encampment that included military training. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Washington's high schools maintained a corps of cadets, with students organized into companies and regiments for drill and ceremony competitions. During his high school years, Read was an active participant as a member of the corps' Company H, 1st Regiment.
World War I Read enlisted in the Army on 15 May 1917, shortly before his seventeenth birthday. He served with the 15th Cavalry Regiment and the 30th and 42nd Infantry Divisions during World War I, attaining the rank of sergeant.Official Army register, published by U.S. Army Adjutant General, 1922, page 504
Post World War I Read completed the officer candidate school in Langres, France, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant of Infantry in 1919. He soon transferred to Cavalry, and graduated from the Cavalry School Basic Course in 1921.Official Army Register, published by U.S. Army Adjutant General, 1957, page 708]
He served throughout the United States and overseas during the 1920s and 1930s. From 1922 to 1925 Read served in the Philippines as aide de camp to his father.Life of the Soldier and the Airman, Volumes 35-36, 1953, page 289U.S. Army Register, published by U.S. Army Adjutant General, 1940, page 663
A championship caliber polo player, Read took part in several tournaments during the 1920s and 1930s, playing on teams sponsored by the Army.Field Artillery Journal, March-April 1928, page 204Newspaper article, Governors Island Wins at Polo, 7-6, New York Times, 3 October 1932Newspaper article, West Point Officers Bow; Lose to Second Corps Area at Polo, 11-7 -- Read Excels, New York Times, 3 July 1933Newspaper article, South Shore Takes Polo Game, 13 TO 4; Overpowers First Division A Quartet Before 1,000 at Fort Hamilton, New York Times, 31 July 1933Newspaper article, Governors Island Wins at Polo, 11-10, New York Times, 26 October 1934Newspaper article, Greentree Four Was Outstanding During the Past Polo Campaign, New York Times, 29 December 1935Newspaper article, Governors Island Tops NYAC By 12 to 7 to Annex Polo Title, New York Times, 12 March 1936
Read graduated from the Cavalry School Regular Course in 1937, afterwards serving in the Middle East as an observer in Palestine and a member of the Armored Force Board that was based in Cairo, Egypt.U.S. Army Register, published by U.S. Army Adjutant General, 1956, page 702Newspaper article, More US Observers Reach Cairo, New York Times, 8 April 1941Army and Navy Journal, Volume 78, Issues 1-26, 1940, page 495
World War II
After graduating from the Command and General Staff College in 1941, Read was assigned as Training and Operations Officer, G-3, for the 6th Armored Division.
Read served with the 6th Armored Division in Europe throughout World War II, including assignments as commander of the 68th Tank Regiment, commander of the division's Combat Command B, assistant division commander, and division commander from April to May, 1945 and again from July until the division was deactivated in September, 1945.The New International Year Book, 1946, page 684The Super Sixth: history of the 6th Armored Division in World War II, George F. Hofmann, 1975Order of Battle, U.S. Army, World War II, Shelby L. Stanton, 1984, page 56United States Army in World War II: Breakout and Pursuit, Department of the Army Historical Division, 1951, page 316Magazine article, Taps for an Armored Division: The Final Veterans Reunion of the 6th Armored Division, undated, by George F. HoffmanWeb site, U.S. 6th Armored Division in Normandy and Brittany, by Merle DelingerCold War Casualty: the Court-Martial of Major General Robert W. Grow, George F. Hoffman, 1993, page 67War as I Knew It, by George Smith Patton, 1995, page 245Operation Cobra and the Great Offensive: Sixty Days That Changed the Course of World War II, Bill Yenne, 2003, page 82Brest to Bastogne: The Story of the 6th Armored Division, published by Stars and Stripes, Paris, 1945
Post World War II In the late 1940s Read served as President of Army Ground Forces Board 3 at Ft. Benning, Georgia. (The Army created several ground forces boards to test new weapons and equipment and make procurement recommendations.)Military Affairs: the Journal of the American Military Institute, 1945, Volumes 9-11, page 36
From 1948 to 1950 Read served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, G-4, for the United States Constabulary.Newspaper article, Read to Leave 2d Armd Div for US Post, Stars and Stripes Newspaper, Europe, Mediterranean, and North Africa Editions, 16 June 1953
During the early 1950s General Read commanded 1st Brigade, United States Constabulary in West Germany.Newspaper article, Gens Rickard, Hickey, Thorson Get 2d Star, Stars and Stripes, Europe, Mediterranean, and North Africa Editions, 21 July 1950Newspaper article, Col Slocum to Speak At Giessen Ceremony, Stars and Stripes Newspaper, Europe, Mediterranean, and North Africa Editions, 17 May 1951Newspaper article, 2 Brig Gens in EC on Truman List for Temporary 2d Stars, Stars and Stripes Newspaper, Europe, Mediterranean, and North Africa Editions, 30 January 1952
From April 1952 to April 1953 Read served as commander of the 2nd Armored Division.2nd Armored Division web site, past commanders pageNewspaper article, West's War Games Begin In Germany, The New York Times, 7 September 1952
In 1953 Read was assigned as commander of the U.S. Army Armor Center and School at Fort Knox, Kentucky, where he remained until 1955.Newspaper article, Knox General Being Shifted, The New York Times, 5 July 1955
He then commanded Allied Land Forces South East Europe, remaining in this post until 1957.The National Guardsman, Volume 11, 1957, page 13NATO Letter, Volumes 5 - 6, published by North Atlantic Treaty Organization, 1957, page 21History of the United States Armor and Cavalry Association, established 1885 , Unknown authors, updated 2008
In 1957 Read assumed command of the Second United States Army, remaining in this position until his retirement in 1960.Newspaper article, General in Cook's Togs Confuses Post, Washington (D.C.) Afro-American, 6 August 1957Newspaper article, West Point to Get New Chief 1 July, The New York Times, 14 May 1960Newspaper article, Maryland, Virginia Guardsmen At Gap, Reading (Pennsylvania) Eagle, 21 August 1959World Almanac and Book of Facts, 1960, page 60The Army Almanac: a Book of Facts Concerning the United States Army, 1959, page 78
Awards and decorations General Read's U.S. decorations included multiple awards of the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, and multiple awards of the Legion of Merit and Bronze Star Medal.Official Army Register, published by U.S. Army Adjutant General, 1957, page 708
His foreign awards included the French Legion of Honor and Croix de Guerre with Palm, Belgian Croix de Guerre, Luxembourg War Cross, Greek Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Phoenix, and Order of Merit (Chile).
Retirement and death General Read resided in Aptos, Santa Cruz County, California after his retirement from the Army, and died at Fort Ord's Silas B. Hays Army Hospital on 15 December 1974, from the effects of lymphocytic leukemia. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Section 3, Site 3946.Social Security Death IndexCalifornia Death Index , entry for George W. Read Jr.State of California death certificate, George Windle Read Jr.
Family In 1933, Read married Ernestine Eaton Renzel (1903–1988). They had no children.
References
External links
Generals of World War II