[image ALT: Much of my site will be useless to you if you've got the images turned off!]
mail:
Bill Thayer

[image ALT: Cliccare qui per una pagina di aiuto in Italiano.]
Italiano

[Link to a series of help pages]
Help
[Link to the next level up]
Up
[Link to my homepage]
Home
This site is not affiliated with the US Military Academy.
[decorative delimiter]
USMA
Home

 [decorative delimiter] Class of 1915

Vol. VI
p1742
5351

(Born Kans.)

Charles W. Ryder

(Ap'd Kans.)

39

(Charles Wolcott Ryder, Born Jan. 16, 1892, Topeka, KS.)​a

Military History. — Cadet at the Military Academy, June 14, 1911, to June 12, 1915, when he was graduated and promoted in the Army to

Second Lieut., 30th Infantry.

Served: At Plattsburg Bks., N. Y., Sept. 12, 1915, to May, 1916; at San Antonio and at Eagle Pass, Tex., on border service with regiment;

(First Lieut., 37th Infantry, July 1, 1916)

 p1743  regiment organized at San Antonio; marched to Laredo, Texas, March, 1917; at Fort Niagara, N. Y., Instructor at 1st Reserve Officers' Training Camp, May 12 to

(Captain, 37th Infantry, May 15, 1917)

August, 1917; at Syracuse, N. Y., training Battalion, 16th Infantry, Aug. 20 to Nov. 20, 1917, when he left for France; joined 16th Infantry, 1st Division, Dec. 20, 1917; took over 1st American Trench Sector near Toul, Jan. 24, 1918; occupied trenches on Toul Front to March 28, 1918; took over trenches on Montdidier Front, April 20, during spring offensive, and occupied Sector to

(Major, Temporary, 16th Infantry, June 17, 1918)

July 8, when he was relieved; took part in great Allied Counter-Offensive near Soissons, July 18; wounded in action, July 21; took part in Argonne Offensive, near Sommerance, Sept. 1 to 11, and again near Sedan in October; participated in march through Luxembourg into Germany; left Germany, Dec. 1 for duty with Provost Marshal General's Department in Paris; returned to duty with 16th Infantry in Germany, April 9, 1919;

(Lieut.‑Colonel of Infantry, U. S. A., May 6, 1919)

Officer of the Legion of Honor; awarded Croix de Guerre with Palm at Soissons, July 21, 1918.

Awarded

Distinguished Service Cross and Oak Leaf Cluster

"For extraordinary heroism in action near Soissons, France, July 21, 1918, and near Hill 272, October 9, 1918. Lieut.‑Col. Ryder, then captain, took command of the front-line units and reorganized them under heavy artillery and machine‑gun fire. Although wounded in the early operations, he remained in command and directed the attack until all objectives had been taken.

A bronze oak‑leaf cluster is awarded Lieut.‑Col. Ryder, then major, for the following act of extraordinary heroism in action near Fléville, France, October 9, 1918; In the attack on Hill 272, after all his runners had been killed or wounded, while trying to establish liaison with the front-line companies, he advanced alone and personally directed the action of his command, although under direct fire from two enemy machine guns. He later personally led the final assault on Hill 272, thereby making possible the success of the entire attack."

Vol. VII
p1066
[Supplement, Vol. VII: 1920‑1930]

Military History: —

Major, Temporary, of Infantry, June 17, 1918.

Returned to duty with 16th Infantry in Germany, Apr. 9, 1919;

Lieutenant-Colonel of Infantry, U. S. A., May 6, 1919.

Aug., 1919; en route to the United States and at Camp Merritt, N. J., to Sept., 1919; at Camp Zachary Taylor, Ky., with 16th Infantry, Nov. 6, 1919, to

Returned to Grade of Captain, June 30, 1920.

Major of Infantry, July 1, 1920.

July 3, 1920; Assistant Chief of Staff, G‑3, 1st Division, to Oct. 9, 1920; at Camp Dix, N. J., to Jan. 20, 1921; on leave of absence to Feb. 1, 1921; at West Point, N. Y., Assistant Instructor and commanding cadet company, Feb. 1, 1921, to

Returned to Grade of Captain, Nov. 4, 1922.

Major of Infantry, May 16, 1924.

Aug. 15, 1924; on leave of absence to Sept. 13, 1924; at Fort Benning, Ga., student officer, Advanced Course, Infantry School, Sept. 15, 1924, to June 1, 1925, when he was graduated; on leave of absence to Aug. 17, 1925; at Fort Leavenworth, Kans., student officer, Command and General Staff School, Aug. 20, 1925, to June 19, 1926, when he was graduated as a Distinguished Graduate; on leave of absence to Aug. 22, 1926; at Fort Benning, Ga., Instructor, Infantry School, Aug. 25, 1926, to Nov. 12, 1929; on leave of absence and en route to China, to Mar. 15, 1930; at American Barracks, Tientsin, China, with the 15th Infantry, Mar. 16, 1930, to ––––

Awarded French Legion of Honor; authorized to wear the French Fourragere in the colors of the Croix de Guerre as an individual decoration.

Vol. VIII
p291
[Supplement, Vol. VIII: 1930‑1940]

Military History: —

(Maj. Inf., May 16, 1924.)

At Tientsin, China, 15th Inf., Jan., 1930 to May, 1933; at Camp Meade, Md., temp. duty, 34th Inf., to Aug. 1, 1933; at Washington, D. C., student off., A. W. C., to 1934; G‑2 Sec., W. D. G. S., June, 1934 to

(Lt.‑Col. Inf., June 26, 1936)

June 30, 1937; at West Point, N. Y., Comdt. of Cadets, U. S. M. A., July 1, 1937, to ––––

Awarded: — Silver Star Medal; Purple Heart Medal; French Croix de Guerre with Palm; Victory Medal with four battle clasps; Star of Abdon Calderon, Ecuador.

Vol. IX
p192
[Supplement, Vol. IX: 1940‑1950]

Military History: —

(Lt Col Inf 26 Jun 36)

West Point NY, Comdt of Cadets, USMA, –1 Jan 41;

(Col AUS 13 Jan 41)

Providence RI, C/S 6 Corps,

(Brig Gen AUS 14 Jan 42)

–Jan 42; Abilene Tex, Asst Div Comdr, 90 Div, –May 42; ETO, CG 34 Inf Div, during African and Italian Campaigns,

(Maj Gen AUS 21 Jun 42)

(Col Inf 7 Aug 43)

(CG Eastern Assault Fc — British American, capturing Algiers, Tunisian Campaign, Italian Campaign, all battles,

(DSM SS LM)

–Jul 44) –Jul 44; Atlanta Ga, CG 9 Corps, 4 Sep–7 Oct 44; T‑P, CG 9 Corps, — (Hawaii –May 45; Philippines, –Sep 45; occupation of Japan, 14 Aug 45

(Brig Gen 2 Dec 46)

(Maj Gen 24 Jan 48)

–Dec 48)

(LM CR)

–Dec 48; Washington DC, Spec Asst to C/S US Army, –28 Feb 50.

(Maj Gen Ret dsbl 28 Feb 50)

Officer, Legion of Honor (France); Companion Order of Bath (British); Commander of Legion of Honor (France).

Civil History: — Box 821 Vineyard Haven Mass

Died, Aug. 17, 1960, at Vineyard Haven, MA: Aged 68.​b

Portrait and obituary at West Point Association of Graduates.º

Buried, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.


Thayer's Notes:

a Gen. Ryder's birthplace is from the Military Times, as found online at Hall of Valor.

[decorative delimiter]

b Gen. Ryder died after the publication of Vol. IX (1950), the most recent volume of the Supplements to Cullum's Register available to me, which may also be the most recent volume in the public domain. The date and place of his death are from the WPAOG memorial article.


[image ALT: Valid HTML 4.01.]

Page updated: 9 Feb 17