Willis Dale Crittenberger – Lieutenant General, United States Army

Born at Anderson, Indiana, on December 2, 1890, he graduated from West Point in 1913, from the Cavalry School in 1924, the Command and General Staff School in 1925 and the Army War College in 1930. He married Josephine Frost Woodhull on June 23, 1918.

He was commissioned Second Lieutenant, 1913 and advanced through the grades to Lieutenant General (temporary) on June 3, 1946.

He was a military intelligence officer in the Philippines, 1932-34; assigned to the 1st Cavalry (Mechanized) in 1934, and from that time was associated with the development of mechanization in the United States Army. On duty with the Chief of Cavalry, Washington, 1938-40; Chief of Staff, 1st Armored Division, 1941-42; Commanding General, 2nd Armored Brigade, 2nd Armored Division, 1941-42; assigned to the 2nd Armored Division, February to July 1942 and the 2nd Armored Corps, 1942-43. He organized and commanded the 3rd Armored Corps (later designated XIX Corps), 1943; was Commanding General, XIX Corps, January-March 1944; Commanding General, IV Corps, Italian Campaign, 1944-45, the Corps fighting continuously for 401 days, northward from Rome and across the Po River.

He received the unconditional surrender of the German Liguarian Army on April 29, 1945. Was Commanding General, Caribbean Defense Command and the Panama Canal Zone, from October 1945. He was decorated with the Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Bronze Star, Mexican Border Campaign Medal, the World War I Medal, the World War II Medal, the European Theater Campaign Medal, American Theater Campaign Medal (US), the Star of Abdon Calderon, First Class (Ecuador), Legion of Honor, Croix de Guerre (France), Bedalha de Guerra, Ordem do Merito Militar (Peru), etc. He died in 1980 and was buried in Section 2 of Arlington National Cemetery. His wife, Josephine Frost Woodhull Crittenberger (1894-1978), is buried with him.

His son, Townsend Woodhull Crittenberger, Corporal, United States Army, who was born on May 13, 1925, was killed in action during the Rhine River Crossing on March 25, 1945.

CRITTENBERGER, TOWNSEND W
CPL AGF USA

  • DATE OF BIRTH: 05/13/1925
  • DATE OF DEATH: 03/22/1945
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 2  SITE 4953

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

twcritten

wcritten

wdcrittenberg-gravesite-photo-july-2007-001

His second son, Dale Jackson Crittenberger, Colonel, United States Army, was killed in the crash of a helicopter while serving in Vietnam during the war there.  A 1950 graduate of West Point, he was the recipient of the Silver Star (2), the Legion of Merit (2), the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star Medal (3),  and the Purple Heart Medal.  He lies at rest with his brother and father in Section 2 of Arlington National Cemetery.

s-starmeritdfcbr-star

wdcrittenberger-section2-042304

Read our general and most popular articles

Leave a Comment