Full Name: CHARLES JACK GIRARD
Date of Birth: 7/23/1917
Date of Casualty: 1/17/1970
Home of Record: SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA
Branch of Service: ARMY
Rank: BGEN
Casualty Country: SOUTH VIETNAM
Casualty Province: GIA DINH
As a member of the Army, General Girard served
our country until January 17th, 1970 in Gia Dinh, South Vietnam. He was
52 years old and was married. Charles died from illness or disease. His
body was recovered.
Born at Sumter, South Carolina,
23 July 1917, he died on 17 January 1970 and was buried with full military
honors in Section 1 of Arlington National Cemetery, adjacent to Alfred
Conrad Girard, Brigadier General, United States Army.
General Girard of South Carolina was born on
23 July 1917 and died on 17 January 1970. The General served in both
World War II and in the Vietnam War. His military decorations included
the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying
Cross, the Bronze Star, the Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters and the
Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster. The General was buried
with full military honors in Section 1 of Arlington National Cemetery.
BRIGADIER GENERAL CHARLES J . GIRARD
By Bonnie Girard
Charles J. Girard was born in Sumter, South
Carolina on July 23, 1917. He was graduated from The Citadel, the military
college of South Carolina, in Charleston, with a Bachelor of arts degree
in Business Administration in 1938.
Although commissioned a Second Lieutenant in
the U.S. Army Reserve in August 1938, he taught high school for two years
prior to entering on active duty on August 12, 1940. At that time he was
assigned as a Platoon Leader with the 82nd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion,
at Fort Benning, Georgia. When it was redesignated the 82nd Armored Battalion,
and assigned to the 2d Armored, the Hell on Wheels, Division, he went
into combat with it as Company Commander, in December 1942, in the Mediterranean
Theater of Operations. He participated in seven campaigns: Tunisia, Sicily,
Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes, and Central Europe, and
became Battalion Commander of the 82d in August 1945.
Following this, he commanded the 2d Battalion,
67th Armored Regiment, 2d Armored Division; and in May 1946, was assigned
as a staff officer, Headquarters, US Forces in Austria. While there
he received his commission as a Regular Army Officer.
He returned to the United States in November
1947 for a two year assignment with the Georgia Organized Reserve Corps
and Georgia Military District Headquarters. In 1949 he was selected to
attend the Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Following graduation in 1950, he was assigned to Fort Knox, Kentucky, for
five years. Three years were spent with the Command and Staff Department
of the Armored School there; then from August 1954 to mid-1955, he was
the Chief of the Combat Developments Group of that school. In July 1955,
he became Commander of the 83d Recon Battalion, 3d Armored Division, at
Fort Knox and returned to Europe in this capacity in May 1956.
Assigned to the G-3 Division, Headquarters,
U.S. Army Europe in June 1957, he served as Chief of the NATO Training
Section, and then Chief of the Training Branch, where he remained until
August 1959. At that time, he returned to the United States to attend the
U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. Upon graduation
in 1960, he was assigned as Deputy Commander and then Commander of Combat
Command A, 1st Armored Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
In July 1961, he was transferred to Department
of the Army, Washington, D.C. , and assigned in the Doctrine and Concepts
Division, Combat Developments Directorate, Office of the Deputy Chief of
Staff for Operations, later becoming Chief of the Division. While
there, he served in a temporary assignment at Fort Bragg, North Carolina,
as Deputy Chief, Long Range Plans Group, Army Tactical Mobility Requirements
Board (Howze Board). Prior to departing Washington in 1963, he was appointed
Assistant Director, Materiel Requirements, Office of the Assistant Chief
of Staff, Force Developments.
He assumed command of the U. S. Army Combat
Developments Command Experimentation Center at Fort Ord, California, on
August 28, 1963 and on August 29th was promoted to Brigadier General.
In May 1965, General Girard received orders
reassigning him to Europe, and in July assumed the position of Staff for
Data Systems, Headquarters Seventh Army.
On 1 July 1966, he was assigned as the Assistant
Division Commander for Maneuver, 3d Armored Division (Spearhead), Frankfurt,
Germany. Additional assignments were Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for
Military Operations & Reserve Forces, Headquarters, CONARC, January
1968 to March 1969, Deputy Commanding General, Capital Military Assistance
Command, Saigon, Vietnam, March 1969 to November 1969, Commanding General,
Capital Military Assistance Command, Saigon, Vietnam, November 1969
to January 1970.
EDUCATION:
The Citadel 1938 (BA)
Infantry Tank School (Refresher) 1940
AFS Tank School 1941
GMC School of Technology 1942
Command and General Staff College 1950
U.S. Army War College 1960
CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF PROMOTIONS:
Grade Temporary (AUS) Permanent (RA)
Second Lieutenant 26 August 38 (USAR)
First Lieutenant 14 October 41 (USAR)
First Lieutenant 27 January
Captain 23 September 42
Major 25 July 44
First Lieutenant 7 December 44
Captain 1 July 48
Lieutenant Colonel 7 July 51
Major 2 July 53
Colonel 12 August 58
Lieutenant Colonel 7 December 61
Brigadier General 22 August 1963
Colonel 7 December 66
CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF ASSIGNMENTS:
From To
Platoon Loader, 82d Armored Recon Battalion,
Fort Benning,
Georgia Aug 40 Jan 42
Maintenance Officer, 82d Armored Recon Battalion,
Fort
Benning, Georgia Jan 42 Aug 42
Company Commander, 82d Armored Battalion,
2d Armored
Division, ETO Aug 42 Apr 44
Executive Officer and S-3, 82d Armored
Battalion, 2d
Armored Division, ETO Apr 44 Aug 45
Battalion Commander, 82d Armored Recon Battalion,
2d
Armored Division, ETO Aug 45 Aug 45
Battalion Commander, 2d Battalion, 67th Armored
Regiment,
2d Armored Division, ETO Aug 45 Jan
46
TDY US (R&R), 2d Battalion, 67th Armored
Regiment, 2d
Armored Division, ETO Jan 46
May 46
Assistant G-3, Headquarters US Forces Austria
May 46 Jul 46
Assistant Chief Military Division, Headquarters
US
Forces Austria and Executive Officer Military
Division,
Headquarters US Forces Austria (USACA) Jul
46 Nov 47
Instructor, Tactics, 3349 ASU, Georgia Organized
Reserve
Corps Instructors Nov 47 May 48
Supply and Evacuation Staff Officer, 3349
ASU Georgia
Organized Reserve Corps Instructors May 48
Sep 49
Student Officer, Command and General Staff
College, Fort
Leavenworth, Kansas Sep 49 Jul 50
Chief, Engineer Division, Automotive Maintenance
Department, The Armored School, Fort Knox,
Kentucky Jul 50 Aug 50
Instructor, Tactics, Command and Staff Department,
The
Armored School, Fort Knox, Kentucky
Aug 50 Apr 53
Plans and Policies Officer, Command and Staff
Department,
The Armored School, Fort Knox, Kentucky Apr
53 Aug54
Chief, Combat Developments Group, The Armored
School,
Fort Knox, Kentucky Aug 54 May 55
TDY, The Armored School, Headquarters 3d Armored
Division,
Fort Knox, Kentucky May 55 Jun 55
Assistant G-1, Headquarters, 3d Armored Division,
Fort
Knox, Kentucky Jun 55 Jul 55
Battalion Commander, Headquarters and Headquarters
Company,
83d Recon Battalion, 3d Armored Division,
Fort Knox,
Kentucky Jul 55 May 56
Battalion Commander, Headquarters and Headquarters
Company,
83d Re con Battalion, 3d Armored Division,
US Army
Army Europe May 56 Jun 57
Staff Officer, NATO Training Section, Training
Section,
Training Branch, G-3 Division, (7890-O8) Headquarters
US Army Europe Jun 57 Jul 57
Chief, NATO Training Section, G-3 Division,
(7890-08)
Headquarters US Army Europe Jul 57 Jun 58
Chief, Training Branch, G-3 Division (789O-08)
Headquarters
US Army Europe Jun 58 Mar 59
Chief, Training Branch, G-3 Division, (3700-03
Headquarters
US Army Europe Mar 59 Aug 59
Student, Student Detachment, US Army War College
(62-2162-00) Carlisle Barracks,
Pennsylvania Aug 59 Jul 60
Deputy Commander, Headquarters Combat Command
A, 1st
Armored Division, Fort Hood, Texas Jul
60 Aug 60
Commanding Officer, Headquarters Combat Command
A, 1st
Armored Division, Fort Hood, Texas Aug
60 Aug 60
Deputy Commander, Headquarters Combat Command
A, 1st
Armored Division, Fort Hood, Texas Aug
60 Jul 61
Staff Officer, Doctrine and Concepts Division,
Combat
Developments Directorate, Office of
the Deputy Chief
of Staff for Operations (8534), Washington,
D. C. Jul 61 Jun 62
Special Projects Officer, TDY/Howze Board,
Combat
Developments Directorate, Office of
the Deputy Chief of
Staff for Operations (8534), Washington,
D. C. Jun 62 Jul 62
Chief, Doctrine and Concepts Division, Combat
Developments
Directorate, Office of the Deputy Chief
of Staff for
Operations (8534), Washington, D. C.
Jul 62 Feb 63
Assistant Director, Combat Developments Directorate,
Office
of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations
(8534),
Washington, D. C. Feb 63 Apr 63
Assistant Director, Material Requirements,
Office of the
Assistant Chief of Staff, Force Developments
(8550),
Washington, D. C., (Reorganization)
Apr 63 Jun 63
Assistant Director, Material Requirements,
Office of the
Assistant Chief of Staff, Force Developments
(8550),
Washington, D. C. Jun 63
Jul 63
Commanding General, United States Army Combat
Developments
Command Experimentation Center, Fort
Ord, California Aug 63 Jul 65
Deputy Chief of Staff for Data Systems, Headquarters
Seventh Army, US Army Europe Jul 65
Jun 66
Assistant Division Commander for Maneuver,
3d Armored
Division (Spearhead) US Army Europe Jul 66
Dec 67
Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Military
Operations &
Reserve Forces, Headquarter, CONARC
Jan 68 Mar 69
Deputy Commanding General, Capital Military
Assistance
Command, Saigon, Vietnam Mar 69
Nov 69
Commanding General, Capital Military Assistance
Command,
Saigon, Vietnam Nov 69 Jan
70
(Death)
LIST OF CITATIONS AND DECORATIONS:
Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star
Legion of Merit, 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Distinguished Flying Cross
Bronze Star Medal
Army Commendation Medal
1st Oak Leaf Cluster to Army Commendation
Medal
SERVICE MEDALS:
American Defense Service Medal
American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
(2 bronze stars; 1 silver star;
1 arrowhead)
Humane Action Medal (with Germany Clasp)
World War II Victory Medal (2 bronze oak leaf
clusters)
Army Occupation Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
Belgian Fourragere
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon w/ Device
Courtesy of Michael
Stein:
Brigadier General Charles J. Girard (1917-1970)
Charles Jack Girard
Born in South Carolina July 23, 1917
Died January 17, 1970
Graduated from The Citadel 1938
Second Lieutenant (Reserve) 1938
Advanced through ranks to Major (AUS) 1944
1st Lieutenant (Regular Army) 1946
Major 1948
Advanced through ranks to Brigadier General
Student, Infantry School 1946-47
Commander, Capital Military Assistance Command,
Vietnam 1969-70
Photos Courtesy of Bonnie
Girard
GIRARD, CHARLES J
BG US ARMY
VETERAN SERVICE DATES: 02/06/1935 - 01/17/1970
DATE OF BIRTH: 07/23/1917
DATE OF DEATH: 01/17/1970
DATE OF INTERMENT: 01/22/1970
BURIED AT: SECTION 1 SITE 32-2
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
GIRARD, JOAN E B
DATE OF BIRTH: 11/17/1918
DATE OF DEATH: 02/05/2003
DATE OF INTERMENT: 02/24/2003
BURIED AT: SECTION 1 SITE 32-2
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
WIFE OF GIRARD, CHARLES J BG US
ARMY
Posted:
14 July 2003 Updated: 19 July 2003 Updated: 18 July 2004 Updated: 4 September
2004
Updated:
14 September 2004 Updated: 5 October 2004 Updated: 31 July
2005 |

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