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.

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.

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

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, 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