Clarence R. Huebner

Clarence Ralph Huebner
Clarence R. Huebner as a major general
Born	November 24, 1888 Bushton, Kansas, USA
Died	September 23, 1972 (aged 83) Washington, DC, USA
Place of burial	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1910–50
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands held	1st Infantry Division V Corps
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Normandy Saint-Lô
Awards	Distinguished Service Cross (2) Distinguished Service Medal (3) Legion of Merit Silver Star Bronze Star Purple Heart (2)

Clarence Ralph Huebner (November 24, 1888 – September 23, 1972) was a highly decorated Lieutenant general of the United States Army during the World War II.

World War I

A farm boy from Bushton, Kansas, who spent almost seven years serving from private to sergeant in the 18th Infantry, Huebner received a regular commission in November 1916. During World War I, he led a company, battalion, and regiment of the 1st Infantry Division—the "Big Red One"—from the first American regimental assault at Cantigny ^[1] through Soissons, Saint-Mihiel, and the Meuse-Argonne. For his service in this war, he received two Distinguished Service Crosses, a Distinguished Service Medal, and a Silver Star. In 1924, he attended the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth and served on its faculty from 1929 to 1933.

World War II

The Big Red One

In 1943, General Huebner relieved the popular commander of the 1st Infantry Division, General Terry Allen, in a move engineered by General Omar N. Bradley. While the 1st ID, aka The Big Red One had enjoyed considerable combat success under Allen's leadership, Bradley was highly critical of both Allen and Roosevelt's wartime leadership style, which favored fighting ability over drill and discipline: "While the Allies were parading decorously through Tunis," Bradley wrote, "Allen's brawling 1st Infantry Division was celebrating the Tunisian victory in a manner all its own. In towns from Tunisia all the way to Arzew, the division had left a trail of looted wine shops and outraged mayors. But it was in Oran...that the division really ran amuck. The trouble began when SOS (Services of Supply) troops, long stationed in Oran, closed their clubs and installations to our combat troops from the front. Irritated by this exclusion, the 1st Division swarmed into town to 'liberate' it a second time."^[2][3] Despite this, Bradley admitted that "none excelled the unpredictable Terry Allen in the leadership of troops."^[4]

Upon assuming command, General Huebner immediately ordered a series of close-order drills, parades, and weapons instruction for the 1st ID, including its veterans, who had just finished a bloody series of engagements with German forces in Sicily. This did not endear him to the enlisted men of the division, who made no attempt to hide their preference for General Allen.^[5] As one of the men of the Big Red One said in disgust, "Hell's bells! We've been killing Germans for months and now they are teaching us to shoot a rifle? It doesn't make any sense."^[6]

Supported by Bradley and Eisenhower, Huebner persisted, and the morale of the division gradually recovered. As the commander of the "Big Red One" in World War II, Huebner led the 1st in the assault on Omaha Beach, followed by a successful infantry attack at Saint-Lô. The 1st would later repel a German counteroffensive at Mortain, and pursue the German Army across France, culminating in the Battles of Aachen and the Huertgen Forest.

V Corps command

In January 1945 Huebner took command of the V Corps, which he directed from the Rhine to the Elbe, where his troops made first contact with the Red Army.

Postwar service

After World War II, Huebner was the last Military Governor (acting) of the American Zone in Germany from May 15, 1949, to September 1, 1949. He retired in 1950. On September 1, 1951, he became director of New York State's Civil Defense Commission, a post he held until January 1961. A strong advocate of the building of fallout shelters, General Huebner believed the US population would eventually be forced to live full-time in underground shelters and "would see the sunshine only by taking a calculated risk".

Huebner married Florence Barrett in 1921. Following her death in 1966, Huebner married Anna Imelda Mathews in 1968. She died in 1974. All three are buried together in Arlington National Cemetery.

Decorations

Lieutenant General Huebner received many military awards for bravery and distinguished service during both World Wars.

1st Row	Distinguished Service Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster							Army Distinguished Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters
2nd Row	Silver Star				Legion of Merit				Bronze Star Medal				Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster
3rd Row	Mexican Border Service Medal				World War I Victory Medal with five Battle Clasps				Army of Occupation of Germany Medal				American Defense Service Medal
4th Row	American Campaign Medal				European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four service stars				World War II Victory Medal				Army of Occupation Medal
5th Row	National Defense Service Medal				Honorary Companion of the Order of the Bath				Commander of the Legion of Honor (France)				French Croix de guerre 1914–1918 with Palm
6th Row	French Croix de guerre 1939–1945 with Palm				Commander of the Order of Leopold (Belgium)				Belgian Croix de guerre 1940–1945 with Palm				Grand Officer of the Order of the Oak Crown (Luxembourg)
7th Row	War Merit Cross (Italy)				Czechoslovak Order of the White Lion, 2nd Class				Czechoslovak War Cross 1939-1945				Soviet Order of Suvorov, 2nd Class

References

1. Davenport, Matthew J. (2015). First Over There. New York: St. Martins. ISBN 1250056446.
2. Bradley, A Soldier's Story
3. Whitlock, Flint, The fighting first: the untold story of the Big Red One on D-Day, Westview Press, ISBN 978-0-8133-4218-4, ISBN 978-0-8133-4218-4 (1st ed. 2004), pp. 19–20
4. Ellis, Robert B., See Naples and Die: A Ski Trooper's World War II, Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., ISBN 0-7864-0190-7 (1996), p.228
5. Astor, Gerald, Terrible Terry Allen: combat general of World War II: the life of an American soldier, Presidio Press, ISBN 0-89141-760-5, ISBN 978-0-89141-760-6 (2003)
6. Whitehead, Don, and Romeiser, John B. (ed.), Combat Reporter: Don Whitehead's World War II Diary and Memoir, Fordham University Press (2006), p. 194

External links

• Army.mil: Clarence R. Huebner
• arlingtoncemetery.net article

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government document "".