Charles J. Girard
| Charles J. Girard | |
|---|---|
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Charles J. Girard as Assistant Division Commander of the 3rd Armored Division in 1966.
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| Born |
January 23, 1917 Sumter, South Carolina |
| Died | January 17, 1970 (aged 52) Gia Định Province, South Vietnam |
| Buried at | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1938-1970 |
| Rank |
Brigadier General
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| Commands held |
82nd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion 2nd Battalion, 67th Armored Regiment 83rd Reconnaissance Battalion Combat Command A, 1st Armored Division Combat Developments Command Experimentation Center Capital Military Assistance Command, Saigon |
| Battles/wars |
World War II Vietnam War |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star Legion of Merit (3) Distinguished Flying Cross Bronze Star Medal |
Charles J. Girard (January 23, 1917—January 17, 1970) was a brigadier general in the United States Army. Assigned to head the Capital Military Assistance Command in Saigon in November 1969, he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage two months later, becoming one of the highest-ranking American officers to die in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
Charles Jack Girard was born in Sumter, South Carolina on January 23, 1917, and he graduated with the Sumter High School class of 1933. In 1938 he graduated from The Citadel with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration. Girard was commissioned through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps as a second lieutenant in the Army Reserve and taught high school from 1938 to 1940.
In anticipation of U.S. entry into World War II, Girard was among thousands of reservists and National Guard members called to active duty in 1940. He completed the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, and served initially as a platoon leader in the 82nd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion at Fort Benning, Georgia. His battalion was part of the 2nd Armored Division, and Girard rose to captain and commander of a company as his battalion served in the Mediterranean and European Theaters of Operations. He took part in the Tunisia, Sicily, Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes, and Central Europe campaigns, and was battalion commander with the rank of lieutenant colonel at the end of the war.
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