Emil F. Reinhardt

Emil Fred Reinhardt

Nickname(s)	"Ducky"
Born	October 27, 1888 West Bay City, Michigan, United States
Died	July 24, 1969 (aged 80) Fort Sam Houston, Texas, United States
Buried at	Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio, Texas, United States
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1910–1946
Rank	Major General
Service number	0-2887
Unit	Infantry Branch
Commands held	41st Machine Gun Battalion 20th Infantry Regiment 76th Infantry Division XIII Corps VIII Corps 69th Infantry Division
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Army Distinguished Service Medal Bronze Star (2)

Major General Emil Fred Reinhardt (October 27, 1888 – July 24, 1969) was a senior United States Army officer. He is most noted during World War II as commander of the 69th Infantry Division, which became the first American unit to come into contact with units of the Soviet Red Army.

Emil Fredrich Reinhardt was born in West Bay City (now Bay City), Michigan on October 27, 1888, the son of Christoph L. Reinhardt and Seyville L. (Tomhafe) Reinhardt. He graduated from Bay City Western High School in 1906 and subsequently he attended the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York. He graduated four years later in June 1910, at the age of 21, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Infantry Branch of the United States Army. Among his fellow graduates were Ernest J. Dawley, David McCoach, Burton O. Lewis, John Millikin, Jack W. Heard, Oscar Griswold, Durward Saunders Wilson, James Muir, all of whom would, like Reinhardt, become general officers in the future.

After his graduation, Reinhardt served initially with the 26th Infantry Regiment at Fort Wayne, Michigan. Subsequent assignments included Texas City, Texas and the Philippines as a member of the 8th Infantry Regiment. He was promoted to first lieutenant in 1916 and captain in 1917.