Ridgely Gaither
Encyclopedia
Ridgely Gaither was a United States Army
lieutenant general
prominent as commander of the 40th Infantry Division during the Korean War
, and commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps, U.S. Army Caribbean Command
and Second United States Army.
and is the namesake of Gaithersburg, Maryland. Gaither graduated from St. John's College in Annapolis
and received his commission as a second lieutenant of Infantry
in 1924.
, Hawaii
and China
. He graduated from the Infantry Officer Course in 1933 and the Command and General Staff College
in 1939.
.
At the parachute school Gaither was instrumental in forming the 555th Parachute Infantry Company, a segregated unit which was the U.S. Army's first African-American paratrooper unit.
In 1945 Gaither went to Europe
to take part in fighting against Nazi Germany
, including a combat parachute jump with the 17th Airborne Division. He landed east of the Rhine River, almost on top of a German anti-aircraft battery. The Americans took the position, and Gaither said later that one group of Germans might have been taken prisoner sooner if he had not shot down their white flag of surrender, which was so dirty he didn’t immediately recognize it.
Later in 1945 General Gaither was assigned as assistant division commander of the 86th Infantry Division in the Philippines
, where he served until the end of the war and immediately afterwards.
and Yugoslavia
. He also served as a member of the Allied commission that established the border, military governor of Trieste
, and as president of the War Crimes Court in Florence, Italy.
Gaither commanded the 82nd Airborne Division from July to October, 1949.
From 1949 to 1951 Gaither served in the Operations Division of the Office of the Army's Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations.
Gaither commanded the 11th Airborne Division from 1951 to 1953.
.
From 1955 to 1956 Gaither served as the U.S. Army's assistant chief of staff for Intelligence, G-2.
Gaither was deputy commander of the Continental Army Command
from 1957 to 1958, with duty as commander of Army Reserve Forces.
From 1958 to 1960 Gaither was commander of the U.S. Army Caribbean Command
.
Gaither was assigned as commander of the Second United States Army in 1960, where he remained until 1962.
, two Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit
and the Bronze Star.
, where he was commissioner of police from 1966 to 1973.
Services were conducted at St. Anne's Episcopal Church, in Annapolis, followed by burial at Arlington National Cemetery
. He is interred at Section 2, Site 4888-1.
Ridgely Gaither page, Arlington Cemetery web site, accessed January 23, 2011
Ridgely Gaither page, Find A Grave web site, accessed January 23, 2011
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
lieutenant general
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
prominent as commander of the 40th Infantry Division during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, and commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps, U.S. Army Caribbean Command
United States Southern Command
The United States Southern Command , located in Miami, Florida, is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands in the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for providing contingency planning and operations in Central and South America, the Caribbean The United States Southern Command...
and Second United States Army.
Early life
Gaither was born in Baltimore, Maryland on February 23, 1903 to a family which has included Army officers since the American RevolutionAmerican Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
and is the namesake of Gaithersburg, Maryland. Gaither graduated from St. John's College in Annapolis
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
and received his commission as a second lieutenant of Infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
in 1924.
Early career
Gaither served in positions of increasing responsibility and rank, including assignments in the continental United States, AlaskaAlaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. He graduated from the Infantry Officer Course in 1933 and the Command and General Staff College
Command and General Staff College
The United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military officers. The college was established in 1881 by William Tecumseh Sherman as a...
in 1939.
World War II
An early advocate of using paratroopers in offensive military operations, from 1943 to 1944 Gaither commanded the Army Parachute School, receiving promotion to brigadier generalBrigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
.
At the parachute school Gaither was instrumental in forming the 555th Parachute Infantry Company, a segregated unit which was the U.S. Army's first African-American paratrooper unit.
In 1945 Gaither went to Europe
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
to take part in fighting against Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, including a combat parachute jump with the 17th Airborne Division. He landed east of the Rhine River, almost on top of a German anti-aircraft battery. The Americans took the position, and Gaither said later that one group of Germans might have been taken prisoner sooner if he had not shot down their white flag of surrender, which was so dirty he didn’t immediately recognize it.
Later in 1945 General Gaither was assigned as assistant division commander of the 86th Infantry Division in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, where he served until the end of the war and immediately afterwards.
Post World War II
From 1946 until 1949 Gaither served as assistant division commander of the 88th Infantry Division with duty on the border between ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. He also served as a member of the Allied commission that established the border, military governor of Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, and as president of the War Crimes Court in Florence, Italy.
Gaither commanded the 82nd Airborne Division from July to October, 1949.
From 1949 to 1951 Gaither served in the Operations Division of the Office of the Army's Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations.
Gaither commanded the 11th Airborne Division from 1951 to 1953.
Korean War
General Gaither was commander of the 40th Infantry Division from 1953 to 1954, including combat during Battle of Heartbreak RidgeBattle of Heartbreak Ridge
The Battle of Heartbreak Ridge , also known as the Battle of Wendengli , was a month-long battle in the Korean War fought between September 13 and October 15, 1951...
.
Post Korean War
In 1955 Gaither was assigned as commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps.From 1955 to 1956 Gaither served as the U.S. Army's assistant chief of staff for Intelligence, G-2.
Gaither was deputy commander of the Continental Army Command
United States Army Forces Command
United States Army Forces Command is the largest Army Command and the preeminent provider of expeditionary, campaign-capable land forces to Combatant Commanders. Headquartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, FORSCOM consists of more than 750,000 Active Army, U.S. Army Reserve, and Army National...
from 1957 to 1958, with duty as commander of Army Reserve Forces.
From 1958 to 1960 Gaither was commander of the U.S. Army Caribbean Command
United States Southern Command
The United States Southern Command , located in Miami, Florida, is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands in the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for providing contingency planning and operations in Central and South America, the Caribbean The United States Southern Command...
.
Gaither was assigned as commander of the Second United States Army in 1960, where he remained until 1962.
Retirement and awards
General Gaither retired in 1962. His awards included two Distinguished Service MedalsDistinguished Service Medal (Army)
The Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Army that is presented to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the United States military, has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great...
, two Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
and the Bronze Star.
Civilian career
Gaither lived in AnnapolisAnnapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
, where he was commissioner of police from 1966 to 1973.
Death and Interment
General Gaither died of congestive heart failure Oct. 26, 1992 at the Fairfield Nursing Center in Annapolis.Services were conducted at St. Anne's Episcopal Church, in Annapolis, followed by burial at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
. He is interred at Section 2, Site 4888-1.
External resources
Boys' Latin School of Maryland biography, Ridgely Gaither, accessed January 23, 2011Ridgely Gaither page, Arlington Cemetery web site, accessed January 23, 2011
Ridgely Gaither page, Find A Grave web site, accessed January 23, 2011