Reinhart, Stanley Eric.

Reinhart, Stanley Eric, born 15-09-1893 in Polk, Ohio, worked briefly as a rural school teacher, in North Red Haw, Ohio, until 1911. After Stanley graduated from the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York  in the Class of 1916, “The class the stars fell on“, Of the 164 graduates that year, 59 (36%) attained the rank of General, more than any other class in the history of the academy, hence the expression.

Two graduates reached the rank of five-star General of the Army, two were four-star Generals, seven three-star Lieutenant Generals, 24 two-star Major Generals, and 24 one-star Brigadier Generals. Dwight David “Ike”. Eisenhower, one of the five-star Generals, went on to become the 34th President of the United States. The other, Omar Nelson  “Brad” Bradley, became the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, under Presidents Harry Shipp Truman   and Eisenhower.

Stanley was commissioned in the Field Artillery at Camp Fort Bliss, Texas. As ADC to General Payton Conway March, who died old age 90, on 13-04-1955. Reinhart sailed for France on June 30-06-1917, where he commanded Battery “A,” 17^th  FA, 2^nd Division, AEF,  from 12-02-1918 to 10-07-1918, in action during the defense of sector from March 21 to May 12, Battle of Bois de Belleau   . Next, Reinhart commanded 1^st Battalion, 17^th FA, 10—07-1918, Battles of Soissons, Ypres-Lys, and Meuse-Argonne. Reinhart was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal for his actions in combat during World War I. On 04-08-1919, Reinhart returned to the U.S., where he married Jeannette Crane of Toledo, Ohio, on 05-05-1920, at West Point, New York. They had a son and daughter and between World War I and World War II he served three years as an instructor of field artillery tactics at the United States Military Academy; four years in the Command and General Staff School and Army War College; two years as instructor at the Field Artillery School; three years General Staff with troops in Hawaii; and four years as Treasurer at West Point. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he as a Brigadier General from 16-02-1942 on, he commanded the 25^th  Division Artillery  , defending the shores of Oahu. On 06-12-1942, Reinhart sailed for Guadalcanal to participate in operations that would ultimately help terminate hostilities there. Ordered home to the U.S. by the War Department on 22-04-1943, he landed at San Francisco on April 26. From 01-07-1943 to 18-12-1944, Reinhart organized and trained the 65^th  Infantry Division, nickname “Battle Axe”  at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. On 10-01-1945, as the Commanding General of the 65^th, he sailed to the European Theater of Operations (ETO). He joined General Georg Smith Patton Third Army at the Sarre River, and fought with it across Germany and Austria. Under his leadership, the 65^th  Infantry managed forced crossings of the Fulda, Werra, Danube, Inn, Traun, and Enns Rivers. His soldiers took the German cities of Saarlautern, Neunkirchen, Oberursel, Friedberg, Hattenback, Bebra, Rottenbur (Bavaria), and Passau, as well as Schärding, Eferding, Linz, and Enns in Austria. His men captured the German Danube Flotilla and the Hungarian Navy, consisting of 25 armed ships and over 400 other craft. At the end of combat, Reinhart and the 65^th Infantry Division were over 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of a north and south line through Berlin. The General Walter Gorn  commander of the 710^th Infantry Division surrendered to Major General Stanley Eric Reinhart’s 261^st Infantry Regiment.” Walter Gorn died age 69, on 10-07–1969 in Rosenheim. Fighting in Europe was to end at midnight on 8 May. By now a Major General, Reinhart arrived in Erlauf, a hamlet in Austria, where he met the Soviets and shook hands with his counterpart . Casualty figures for the 65^th Infantry Division, European theater of operations in 55 days of combat, total battle casualties: 1.230 and total deaths in battle: 260. In addition to commanding his own troops, Reinhart was soon appointed as Military Governor of Upper Austria  Reinhart continued to reside in Linz, where the 65^th  Infantry Division, and subsequently the 26^th Infantry Division, nickname “Yankee Division“had its headquarters. During World War II, the 26^th Infantry Division spent 199 days in combat. During that time, it suffered 1.678 killed in action, 7.379 wounded in action, 740 missing in action, 159 prisoners of war, and 6.895 non-battle casualties, for a total of 16.851 casualties during the conflict. Soldiers of the division received two Medals of Honor, and won 38 Distinguished Service Crosses, seven Legions of Merit, 927 Silver Star Medals, 42 Soldier’s Medals, 5.331 Bronze Star Medals, and 98 Air Medals. The division returned to the United States and inactivated at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts on 21-12-1945.

Death and burial ground of Reinhart, Stanley Eric.

  Hospitalized on 15-10-1945, Reinhart returned to the U.S. as a patient on 15-11-1945. On 30-09-1946, he retired due to physical disability. He died, age 81, on 04-06-1975 in Hendersonville, North Carolina,and is buried with his wife Jeanette, born Crane, on United States Military Post Cemetery, West Point, New York.

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