Charles Hartwell Bonesteel Jr. (April 9, 1885 – June 5, 1964) was a major general in the United States Army. He commanded the United States Army Infantry School and the G-1 (personnel) staff section of

Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF; ) was the headquarters of the Commander of Allied forces in north west Europe, from late 1943 until the end of World War II. U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was the commander in SHAEF th ...

during World War II. He was the father of General

Charles H. Bonesteel III Charles Hartwell Bonesteel III (September 26, 1909 – October 13, 1977) was an American military commander, the son of Major General Charles Hartwell Bonesteel Jr. and grandson of Major Charles H. Bonesteel Sr. (1851–1902). He served in th ...

Early life

The son of U.S. Army

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

Charles Hartwell Bonesteel Sr. (1851 – 1902; West Point, 1876), the second Charles H. Bonesteel (pronounced "Bonn-eh-stel") was born at Fort Sidney, Nebraska, on April 9, 1885. His mother Mary Greene Bonesteel, was the daughter of

Oliver Duff Greene Oliver Duff (or Davis) Greene (January 25, 1833 – March 19, 1904) was a Union officer who received the Medal of Honor on December 13, 1893, for his action at the Battle of Antietam on September 16, 1862. Born in Scott, New York, Greene grad ...

, who received the Medal of Honor for heroism at the

Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union G ...

. Bonesteel graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1908 and was appointed a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

of Infantry.

Start of career and World War I

His initial assignments included postings in the Philippines, Hawaii and Texas. During World War I he served with the 55th Infantry Regiment, and later at the

Newport News, Virginia Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Uni ...

point of embarkation.

Post-World War I

From 1919 to 1924 Bonesteel was an instructor at West Point. Bonesteel graduated from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in 1926 and served on the staff of the Chief of Infantry until 1930. From 1930 to 1931 Bonesteel was assigned to the 18th Infantry Regiment, first as Commander of its 1st Battalion, and later as the regiment's Executive Officer, or second in command. In 1932 he graduated from the United States Army War College. From 1932 to 1940 Bonesteel's assignments included: Instructor and Section Chief at the Infantry School; Commander, 1st Battalion 2nd Infantry Regiment; and Commander of the 19th Infantry Regiment.

World War II

Beginning in 1940 Bonetseel's service covered several senior staff and command positions, to include: Chief of Staff, VI Corps Area and Second U.S. Army; Commander, Sixth Corps Area; Commander, 5th Infantry Division; Commander,

Iceland Base Command Iceland Base Command (IBC) is an inactive United States Army organization. It was established for the United States defense of the Kingdom of Iceland during World War II. It was inactivated on 4 March 1947. History Origins Iceland was an impor ...

; Commandant of the Infantry School; Commander, Western Defense Command; and Assistant to the Commanding General, Twelfth United States Army Group. He was promoted to brigadier general in 1940 and Major General in 1941. In 1944 Bonesteel was assigned as Commander of the G-1 (Personnel) Staff Section at SHAEF Headquarters. He remained in this position until 1945, when he was assigned as Chief of the General Inspectorate Section for the U.S. European Theater of Operations. Later in 1945 Bonesteel returned to the United States as President of the War Department Manpower Board, where he served until retiring in 1947.

Death and burial

Bonesteel died at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., on June 5, 1964. He was interred at Arlington National Cemetery, Section 3, Site 1374-A.Thomas E. Spencer
Where They're Buried
2009, page 457

Awards and decorations

Army Distinguished Service Medal The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a military decoration of the United States Army that is presented to soldiers who have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service to the government in a duty of great responsibility. Th ...

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

* Honorary Companion of the Order of the Bath (United Kingdom) * Légion d'Honneur (France)

Family

In 1908 Bonesteel married Caroline Standish Mead Hudson (1885–1965). Their children included daughter Eleanor and son

. Eleanor Bonesteel was the wife of United States Air Force General Nils O. Ohman (1914–1993).

References

External links

Arlington National Cemetery: Charles Hartwell Bonesteel Jr.ANC Explorer
, - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Bonesteel, Charles H. Jr. 1885 births 1964 deaths People from Sidney, Nebraska People from Washington, D.C. Military personnel from Nebraska United States Military Academy alumni United States Army Infantry Branch personnel United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni United States Army War College alumni United States Army personnel of World War I Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Recipients of the Legion of Merit Honorary Companions of the Order of the Bath Recipients of the Legion of Honour United States Army generals of World War II United States Army generals