Charles H. Corlett
| Charles Harrison Corlett | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Nickname(s) | "Cowboy Pete" |
| Born | July 31, 1889 Burchard, Nebraska, United States |
| Died | October 13, 1971 (aged 82) Española, New Mexico, United States |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1913–1946 |
| Rank |
 Major General
|
| Unit |
 Signal Corps
|
| Commands held | 3rd Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment 30th Infantry Regiment 7th Infantry Division XIX Corps XXXVI Corps |
| Battles/wars |
World War I World War II |
| Awards |
Navy Distinguished Service Medal Army Distinguished Service Medal (2) Silver Star Legion of Merit |
Major General Charles Harrison Corlett (July 31, 1889 – October 13, 1971), nicknamed “Cowboy Pete,” was a senior United States Army officer who commanded troops in both the Pacific and European Theaters during World War II. He led the attack on Kiska in 1943 and commanded the 7th Infantry Division in the taking of Kwajalein in 1944. After D-Day he led the XIX Corps in pursuit of the retreating German Army through France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany.
Corlett was born in Burchard, Nebraska on July 31, 1889, but lived most of his early life in Monte Vista, Colorado, where his father farmed and practiced law. He graduated from public high school in Monte Vista and worked on cattle ranches until he was 19. The following year he was appointed to the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York. As a cadet there, his knowledge of horses earned him the nickname of "Cowboy Pete". He graduated from the USMA on June 12, 1913, where he was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Signal Corps of the United States Army. Among those who he graduated alongside, all of whom were to become general officers, were men such as Douglass T. Greene, Alexander Patch, Geoffrey Keyes, Richard U. Nicholas, Paul Newgarden, Robert M. Perkins, Lunsford E. Oliver, Robert L. Spragins, Willis D. Crittenberger, Francis K. Newcomer, Louis A. Craig, William R. Schmidt, Henry B. Cheadle and Henry Balding Lewis, William A. McCullogh, Robert L. Spragins and Carlos Brewer.
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