George Windle Read, Jr.

George Windle Read, Jr.
Read as commander of Second United States Army, 1958
Born	July 29, 1900 Fort Grant, Arizona
Died	December 15, 1974 (aged 74) Fort Ord, California
Buried at	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1917–1960
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands held	68th Tank Regiment Combat Command B, 6th Armored Division 6th Armored Division 1st Brigade, United States Constabulary 2nd Armored Division Allied Land Forces South East Europe U.S. Army Armor Center and School Second United States Army
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star Legion of Merit Bronze Star French Legion of Honor French Croix de Guerre with Palm Belgian Croix de Guerre Greek Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Phoenix

George Windle Read, Jr. (July 29, 1900—December 15, 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

The son of Major General George Windle Read (1860–1934), one of the top commanders in the American Expeditionary Force during World War I, and the grandson of Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General S.B.M. Young, the younger Read was born at Fort Grant, Arizona on July 29, 1900.^[1][2][3]

World War I

Raised on military posts throughout the United States, Read enlisted in the Army in May, 1917. He served with the 15th Cavalry Regiment and the 30th and 42nd Infantry Divisions during World War I, attaining the rank of Sergeant.^[4]

Post World War I

Read 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.^[5]

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.^[6][7]

A championship caliber polo player, Read took part in several tournaments during the 1920s and 1930s, playing on teams sponsored by the Army.^{[8][9][10][11][12][13][14]}

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.^{[15][16][17][18]}

World War II

General Read with the 6th Armored Division in 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.^[19][20]

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.^{[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31]}

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.)^[32][33]

From 1948 to 1950 Read served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, G-4, for the United States Constabulary.^[34]

During the early 1950s General Read commanded 1st Brigade, United States Constabulary in West Germany.^[35][36][37]

From April 1952 to April 1953 Read served as commander of the 2nd Armored Division.^[38][39]

In 1953 Read was assigned as commander of the U.S. Army Armor Center and School at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, where he remained until 1955.^[40]

He then commanded Allied Land Forces South East Europe, remaining in this post until 1957.^[41][42][43]

In 1957 Read assumed command of the Second United States Army, remaining in this position until his retirement in 1960.^{[44][45][46][47][48]}

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.^[49][50]

His foreign awards included the French Legion of Honor and Croix de Guerre with Palm, Belgian Croix de Guerre, and Greek Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Phoenix.^[51]

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 December 15, 1974 from the effects of lymphocytic leukemia. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Section 3, Site 3946.^[52][53][54]

References

1. The Monthly Supplement: a Current Biographical Reference Service, published by Who’s Who, Inc., 1944, Volumes 5-6, page 247
2. Newspaper article, Maj. Gen. G.W. Read is Dead at Capital; World War Officer Succumbs, New York Times, November 7, 1934
3. U.S. Census entry, 1910, family of George Windle and Burton Young Read
4. Official Army register, published by U.S. Army Adjutant General, 1922, page 504
5. Official Army Register, published by U.S. Army Adjutant General, 1957, page 708]
6. Life of the Soldier and the Airman, Volumes 35-36, 1953, page 289
7. U.S. Army Register, published by U.S. Army Adjutant General, 1940, page 663
8. Field Artillery Journal, March-April 1928, page 204
9. Newspaper article, Governors Island Wins at Polo, 7-6, New York Times, October 3, 1932
10. Newspaper article, West Point Officers Bow; Lose to Second Corps Area at Polo, 11-7 -- Read Excels, New York Times, July 3, 1933
11. Newspaper article, South Shore Takes Polo Game, 13 TO 4; Overpowers First Division A Quartet Before 1,000 at Fort Hamilton, New York Times, July 31, 1933
12. Newspaper article, Governors Island Wins at Polo, 11-10, New York Times, October 26, 1934
13. Newspaper article, Greentree Four Was Outstanding During the Past Polo Campaign, New York Times, December 29, 1935
14. Newspaper article, Governors Island Tops NYAC By 12 to 7 to Annex Polo Title, New York Times, March 12, 1936
15. U.S. Army Register, published by U.S. Army Adjutant General, 1956, page 702
16. Life of the Soldier and the Airman, Volumes 35-36, 1953, page 289
17. Newspaper article, More US Observers Reach Cairo, New York Times, April 8, 1941
18. Army and Navy Journal, Volume 78, Issues 1-26, 1940, page 495
19. Life of the Soldier and the Airman, Volumes 35-36, 1953, page 289
20. The Monthly Supplement: a Current Biographical Reference Service, published by Who’s Who, Inc., 1944, Volumes 5-6, page 247
21. Life of the Soldier and the Airman, Volumes 35-36, 1953, page 289
22. The New International Year Book, 1946, page 684
23. The Super Sixth: history of the 6th Armored Division in World War II, George F. Hofmann, 1975
24. Order of Battle, U.S. Army, World War II, Shelby L. Stanton, 1984, page 56
25. United States Army in World War II: Breakout and Pursuit, Department of the Army Historical Division, 1951, page 316
26. Magazine article, Taps for an Armored Division: The Final Veterans Reunion of the 6th Armored Division, undated, by George F. Hoffman
27. Web site, U.S. 6th Armored Division in Normandy and Brittany, by Merle Delinger
28. Cold War Casualty: the Court-Martial of Major General Robert W. Grow, George F. Hoffman, 1993, page 67
29. War as I Knew It, by George Smith Patton, 1995, page 245
30. Operation Cobra and the Great Offensive: Sixty Days That Changed the Course of World War II, Bill Yenne, 2003, page 82
31. Brest to Bastogne: The Story of the 6th Armored Division, published by Stars and Stripes, Paris, 1945
32. Military Affairs: the Journal of the American Military Institute, 1945, Volumes 9-11, page 36
33. Life of the Soldier and the Airman, Volumes 35-36, 1953, page 289
34. Newspaper article, Read to Leave 2d Armd Div for US Post, Stars and Stripes Newspaper, Europe, Mediterranean, and North Africa Editions, June 16, 1953
35. Newspaper article, Gens Rickard, Hickey, Thorson Get 2d Star, Stars and Stripes, Europe, Mediterranean, and North Africa Editions, July 21, 1950
36. Newspaper article, Col Slocum to Speak At Giessen Ceremony, Stars and Stripes Newspaper, Europe, Mediterranean, and North Africa Editions, May 17, 1951
37. Newspaper article, 2 Brig Gens in EC on Truman List for Temporary 2d Stars, Stars and Stripes Newspaper, Europe, Mediterranean, and North Africa Editions, January 30, 1952
38. 2nd Armored Division web site, past commanders page
39. Newspaper article, West's War Games Begin In Germany, New York Times, September 7, 1952
40. Newspaper article, Knox General Being Shifted, New York Times, July 5, 1955
41. The National Guardsman, Volume 11, 1957, page 13
42. NATO Letter, Volumes 5 - 6, published by North Atlantic Treaty Organization, 1957, page 21
43. History of the United States Armor and Cavalry Association, established 1885, Unknown authors, updated 2008
44. Newspaper article, General in Cook's Togs Confuses Post, Washington (D.C.) Afro-American, August 6, 1957
45. Newspaper article, West Point to Get New Chief July 1, New York Times, May 14, 1960
46. Newspaper article, Maryland, Virginia Guardsmen At Gap, Reading (Pennsylvania) Eagle, August 21, 1959
47. World Almanac and Book of Facts, 1960, page 60
48. The Army Almanac: a Book of Facts Concerning the United States Army, 1959, page 78
49. Official Army Register, published by U.S. Army Adjutant General, 1957, page 708
50. Military Times, Hall of Valor, Alphabetical Index of Recipients of Major Military Awards
51. Gettysburg Times, Lt. Gen, G. W. Read Jr., 2nd Army Commander, To Give Address On July 3, June 24, 1960
52. Social Security Death Index
53. California Death Index, entry for George W. Read, Jr.
54. State of California death certificate, George Windle Read, Jr.

External Resources

Find A Grave page, George Windle Read, Jr.