Major General Russell Peter Hartle (June 26, 1889 – November 23, 1961) was a senior

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

officer who fought in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, where he commanded the 34th Infantry Division and V Corps in the

European Theater of Operations The European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA) was a Theater (warfare), theater of Operations responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the European theatre of World War II, from 1942 to 1945. It command ...

Early life and military career

Hartle graduated from St. John's College, Annapolis, Maryland, in 1910, and received a

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as a second lieutenant into the Infantry Branch of the

in the same year. Soon thereafter, he was sent to the Philippine Islands as the American military government was still attempting to stabilize the country nine years after the end of the

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...

, yet still in turmoil due in large part to the

Moro Rebellion The Moro Rebellion (1902–1913) was an armed conflict between the Moro people and the United States military during the Philippine–American War. The rebellion occurred after the conclusion of the conflict between the United States and Fir ...

. In 1912, Hartle served with the 10th Infantry Regiment, then at Fort Douglas, Utah. From 1913 to 1916, he served with the 20th Infantry Regiment on the United States border with Mexico during the Mexican Border War. During

, Hartle served as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in the 13th Infantry Division as it was preparing to leave for France in 1919. After World War I, he was a professor of Military Science and Tactics at Utah Agricultural College (now Utah State University).

Between the wars

Hartle graduated from the

Army Infantry School An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by p ...

in 1924, the United States Army Command and General Staff School in 1925, and the

United States Army War College The United States Army War College (USAWC) is a U.S. Army staff college in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, with a Carlisle postal address, on the 500-acre (2 km2) campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks. It provides graduate-level instru ...

in 1930. He returned to the Philippines in 1930, was promoted to the rank of

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, and went on to Shanghai in 1932, as senior battalion commander of the 31st Infantry, under orders to protect American lives and property as the Japanese invaded China. In 1934, Hartle graduated from the

Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associa ...

, and from 1934 to 1938, he served as a member of th
War Plans Division
of the War Department General Staff. Hartle was the first person to graduate from both the Army and Naval War Colleges. During that time he received a promotion to the rank of lieutenant colonel on July 13, 1935. Promoted to the rank of

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

on August 15, 1939, Hartle commanded the

65th Infantry Regiment The 65th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed "The Borinqueneers" during the Korean War for the original Arawak Native American name for Puerto Rico (Borinquen), is a Puerto Rican regiment of the United States Army. The regiment's motto is ''Honor et ...

in Puerto Rico from 1939 to August 1941. His mission was to pull together American and Puerto Rican forces and prepare them to defend the Caribbean and eastern coast of the United States from any

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aggression. In October 1940, while serving as commander of the mobile forces of Puerto Rico, Hartle was promoted to the temporary one-star

general officer A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

rank of brigadier general. In April 1941, war plan RAINBOW 5 was issued to counter further military assault by Germany against England. On August 5, 1941, Hartle was promoted to the

two-star rank Military star ranking is military terminology, used in mainly English speaking countries, to describe general and flag officers. Within NATO's armed forces, the stars are equal to OF-6–10. Star ranking One-star A one-star rank is usuall ...

of major general and placed in command of the 34th Infantry Division, an

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formation, while the 34th was on maneuvers in Louisiana.

World War II

Following the Japanese

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Territory of ...

on December 7, 1941, and the German declaration of war against the United States on December 11, 1941, war pla
MAGNET Force
was activated. Pursuant to that war plan, in January 1942, the 34th Division under Hartle's command was the first United States division shipped overseas–to

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to begin the

. In the spring of 1942, Hartle recommended his aide-de-camp, artillery Captain William O. Darby, to organize and train the first modern-day United States Army Ranger unit, the

1st Ranger Battalion The 1st Ranger Battalion, currently based at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Georgia, United States, is the first of three ranger battalions belonging to the United States Army's 75th Ranger Regiment (United States), 75th Ranger Regiment. It ...

. The recommendation was authorized by General

George C. Marshall George Catlett Marshall Jr. (31 December 1880 – 16 October 1959) was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army under presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. ...

, the

United States Army Chief of Staff The chief of staff of the Army (CSA) is a statutory position in the United States Army held by a general officer. As the highest-ranking officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Army, the chief is the principal military advisor and a d ...

, in May 1942. On May 20, 1942, Hartle was promoted to the command of V Corps under Major General James E. Chaney, who commanded United States Army Forces in the United Kingdom. Hartle continued to serve in that capacity under Lieutenant General

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...

from June 15 to October 24, 1942. On November 2, 1942, Hartle became Deputy Commander of American troops in the ETOUSA. Hartle commanded V Corps until his reassignment effective July 7, 1943, to Headquarters,

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On July 17, 1943, Hartle was reassigned to Camp Fannin,

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, to train replacement troops. The exact reason for the reassignment is unclear; however, it was most likely due to Marshall's dissatisfaction with Hartle as a potential battlefield commander. Marshall was believed to keep a "little black book" containing the names of key officers he deemed worthy of battlefield command. It is possible that Hartle just did not make it into the book. Major General Hartle retired from the army with a physical disability on June 30, 1946, while living in

Tyler, Texas Tyler, officially the City of Tyler, is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Texas, United States. As of 2020, the population is 105,995. Tyler was the List of municipalities in Texas, 38th most populous city in Texas (as well as the m ...

. For his services during the war, and in particular during the period from April 1942 to March 1943, Hartle was awarded the

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. ...

, the citation for which reads:

Postwar

Upon his retirement from the military, Hartle returned to

Washington County, Maryland Washington County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. The population was 154,705 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Its county seat and largest city is Hagerstown, Maryland, Hagerstown. The ...

. On December 14, 1945, at the Scottish Rite Temple, in Wichita, Kansas, Hartle was awarded his 33rd Degree Rank of Freemasonry. In 1950, Hartle made an unsuccessful run as a Democrat to become Congressman for the 6th Congressional District of Maryland. Hartle died on November 23, 1961, at the age of 72 in Bethesda, Maryland, and was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery, Hagerstown, Maryland.

Medals and decorations

References

External links

The US Army on the Mexican Border: A Historical PerspectiveU.S. Army Order of Battle 1919 – 1941, Volume 1. The Arms: Major Commands and Infantry OrganizationsStrategic Planning For Coalition Warfare 1941-1942
* ttps://generals.dk/general/Hartle/Russell_Peter/USA.html Generals of World War IIbr>United States Army Officers 1939–1945
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Hartle, Russell P. 1889 births 1961 deaths People from Washington County, Maryland Military personnel from Maryland United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni United States Army War College alumni United States Army Infantry Branch personnel United States Army personnel of World War I Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Recipients of the Legion of Merit Burials at Rose Hill Cemetery (Hagerstown, Maryland) United States Army generals of World War II Utah State University faculty Naval War College alumni United States Army generals