Holmes E. Dager

Holmes E. Dager (June 23, 1893 – July 24, 1973) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of the Mexican Border War, World War I, World War II, and the Occupation of the Rhineland, he served in the National Guard from 1912 to 1917 and the army from 1917 to 1947. Dager attained the rank of major general, and his awards included the Distinguished Service Cross, Army Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star with oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with two oak leaf clusters, French Legion of Honor (Chevalier), and French Croix de Guerre with Palm. Originally an Infantry officer, Dager later moved to the Armor branch, and his Second World War commands included: Combat Command B, 8th Armored Division; Combat Command B, 4th Armored Division; 4th Armored Division; 11th Armored Division; and U.S. Forces, Austria.

A native of Asbury Park, New Jersey, Dager was raised and educated in Newark, New Jersey, then joined the New Jersey National Guard. Commissioned a second lieutenant, he served with his unit in Arizona during the Mexican Border War. Commissioned in the regular army as the U.S. military expanded for World War I, he served in combat in France as a member of the 51st Infantry Regiment. Dager remained in the army after the war, and served in a variety of command and staff positions as he advanced through the ranks.

During World War II, Dager led Armor units during fighting in Europe, including Combat Command B, 8th Armored Division, the 4th Armored Division's Combat Command B, the 4th Armored Division, and the 11th Armored Division. During the post-war occupation, he commanded U.S. Forces, Austria. After retiring from the army in 1947, Dager was an executive with Federal Civil Defense Administration. He retired in the mid-1960s and resided in Arlington, Virginia. Dager died at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Early life Holmes Ely Dager was born in Asbury Park, New Jersey on June 23, 1893, a son of Martin V. Dager and Lillian S. (Ely) Dager. He was raised and educated in Newark, New Jersey, and completed his schooling at Newark's Franklin Public School in 1909. After graduating from high school, Dager worked as a salesman for Newark's Wiegand & Co. jewelry store. In 1912, he joined the New Jersey National Guard and received his commission as a second lieutenant in Company C, 1st New Jersey Infantry Regiment.

In 1916 and 1917, Dager served with his company at Camp Harry J. Jones, Arizona during the Mexican Border War. In 1917, Dager's application for a regular army commission was approved and he was assigned to the 51st Infantry Regiment as a second lieutenant. Also in 1917, he married Marguerite Craighead, a fellow resident of Newark.

Start of career

After completing initial officer training at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and Fort Sill, Oklahoma in the summer of 1917, Dager was promoted to first lieutenant and joined his regiment. He remained at the academy until the end of 1924, when he was assigned as a student officer in the basic course at the United States Army Infantry School. He later served as plans and training officer (G-3) of Seventh United States Army at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, and he served as Seventh Army's acting chief of staff on several occasions. From December 1946 to March 1947, Dager commanded U.S. Forces, Austria.

Awards Dager's awards and decorations included:

Distinguished Service Cross Army Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star with oak leaf cluster Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal with 2 bronze oak leaf clusters World War I Victory Medal American Defense Service Medal American Campaign Medal European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal Presidential Unit Citation Legion of Honor (Chevalier) (France) Croix de Guerre with Palm (France) Order of the Patriotic War First Class (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)

Distinguished Service Cross citation For extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations on 31 July 1944 against an armed enemy at Avranches, France. When his own headquarters was surrounded on three sides by vastly superior numbers of the enemy, Brigadier General Dager took extraordinarily heroic action in the face of heavy odds, thereby saving his unit from annihilation and defeating the enemy. Upon being fired upon, he immediately organized the concentrated fire of his headquarters and ordered artillery fire on the enemy, who were so close that several rounds fell into the area occupied by his headquarters. General Dager personally organized a counter-attack of light tanks and armored cars. General Dager participated in all actions in his own light tank, alternately loading the 37mm gun and firing the 30. caliber machine gun. In addition to directing all operations, he directed the attack from the open turret of his tank in the face of a hail of enemy gun fire. This counter-attack into the enemy positions forced more than 2,000 Germans to surrender. During the entire engagement which lasted more than two hours, General Dager was in the midst of the extremely heavy fire, which destroyed three medium tanks, and one light tank and inflicted numerous casualties in personnel. His entire conduct in this action demonstrated unsurpassed personal valor, aggressiveness, and initiative.

Service: Army Division: 4th Armored Division General Orders: Headquarters, Third U.S. Army, General Orders No. 60 (1944)

Effective dates of rank Dager's effective dates of rank were:

Second Lieutenant (National Guard), December 17, 1912 (Resigned, October 19, 1914) Second Lieutenant (federalized National Guard), September 10, 1916 Second Lieutenant (Regular Army), June 23, 1917 (Date of rank March 6, 1917) First Lieutenant (Regular Army), June 23, 1917 (Date of rank March 6, 1917) Captain (National Army), March 28, 1918 (Date of rank August 5, 1917) Major, National Army, October 30, 1918 Captain (Regular Army), September 1, 1920 Major (Regular Army), January 10, 1930 Lieutenant Colonel (Regular Army), August 15, 1939 Colonel, (Army of the United States), December 11, 1941 Brigadier General (Army of the United States), June 21, 1942 Major General (Army of the United States), May 3, 1945 Brigadier General (Army of the United States), April 30, 1946 Major General (Retired), October 31, 1947

Civilian career In January 1948, Dager married Eleanora Benetzka of Reno, Nevada. From 1948 to 1950, Dager was a civilian intelligence officer on the staff of General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers in post-war Japan. In 1956, he was appointed director of the FCDA's natural disaster office, a predecessor of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Dager retired from this post in December 1961, after which he resided in Arlington, Virginia.

In 1963, Dager's family was the subject of nationwide headlines when they succeeded at securing the Cold War-era release from her native Latvia of Eleanora Dager's mother Bronislawa. According to contemporary news accounts, Mrs. Dager had attempted to obtain permission for her mother to leave the Soviet-bloc country for more than 20 years. Dager died at Walter Reed Army Medical Center on July 24, 1973. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.