Charles Edward Hart
Lieutenant General, U.S. Army

Charles Edward Hart was born on 17 June 1900 in Fort Washington, MD, the son of Dr. (Colonel) James William Hart and Grace Duncan Hart. He was a descendant of Private Joseph Hart, a member of the 4th Virginia Regiment during the Revolutionary War. By 1910 the family had moved to Washington, DC, where Hart's father had a general practice and served on the staff of the Veteran's Hospital and his mother was Chief Nurse at Children's Hospital. Eventually residing in Fort Hunt, VA, Hart attended military drills and encampments with his father. After graduating from Western High School in Washington, DC, Hart worked at a bank while seeking an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy.

Hart received his appointment from the District of Columbia and entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY, on 1 July 1920 while Douglas MacArthur was Superintendent. While at the Academy, Hart was known to be an avid horseman. He graduated 298th out of 405 cadets in 1924 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Field Artillery. His initial posting was with the 4th Field Artillery Regiment located at Fort Sam Houston, TX.

Shortly after Hart's arrival in Texas, he was transferred to Fort McIntosh, along the US-Mexican border. While in Texas, he served as Adjutant for the 4th Field Artillery Regiment before transferring to the 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, also based at Fort McIntosh. There he continued as an Adjutant and served as Commanding Officer of the Service Battery, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment from 1927 until his transfer to Fort Knox, KY, in 1928.

After serving a year at Fort Knox, he was promoted to First Lieutenant and transferred to Fort Meyers, VA, to serve with the 16th Field Artillery Regiment. A year later he attended the Battery Officers Course at the U.S. Field Artillery School located at Fort Sill, OK, and after he graduated in June 1931, was assigned to the 8th Field Artillery Regiment. Hart then served with the 11th Artillery Brigade (1932-33) followed by assignments with the 8th Artillery Regiment (1933-34) and the 18th Artillery Regiment (1934-35).

Hart was transferred to the USMA in 1935, where he received a promotion to Captain and command of Battery A; he also served as an Artillery Instructor. After his Academy assignment, in 1940 Captain Hart returned to U.S. Field Artillery School at Fort Sill as an instructor. He remained at the School until 1942, after the outbreak of World War II.

World War II

On 31 January 1941, Hart was temporarily promoted to the rank of Major. While serving as an instructor in the Department of Gunnery at the Army Field Artillery School, on 12 June 1941 Hart's promotion to Major became permanent. He was then sent to Fort Leavenworth, KS, to attend the Command and General Staff School. After completing the course, he returned to the Artillery School as an instructor in the Department of Tactics.

With America’s entry into World War II in December 1941, the military suffered from a lack of qualified officers to fill command positions. It was under these circumstances that Hart received a temporary promotion to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel on 24 December 1941. He was then transferred to II Corps during the planning for the invasion of North Africa, where he would initially serve as both Assistant and Artillery Officer of II Corps Artillery. With the commencement of Operation Torch and the invasion of Algiers, II Corps under the command of Major General Lloyd Fredendall, was designated as the Central Task Force for the invasion. It was during the operations in North Africa that Hart became Commander of II Corps Artillery.

Hart was given a temporary promotion to Colonel on 12 January 1943 and continued as Commander of II Corps Artillery. As CO of II Corps’ Artillery, he was involved with II Corps operations during the drive towards Tunis, including the U.S. defeats at the Battle of Sidi Bou Zid on 14-17 February 1943 and Kasserine Pass on 19-22 February 1943. Following the Allied defeats in February, on 6 March 1943 MG Fredendall was relieved of command of II Corps and replaced by George S. Patton with the rank of Lieutenant General. Soon thereafter, Patton had Major General Omar Bradley reassigned to II Corps as his Deputy Commander.

With LTG George Patton in command, Hart moved to improve artillery operations. Concerned with his artillery air observation posts, he requested and received permission to add an air artillery officer to his staff. On 8 March 1943, Lieutenant Delbert L. Bristol was assigned to temporary duty in that position. Under Hart’s direction, and with Patton's blessing, Bristol developed the first Corps Air Artillery section in the entire U.S. Army.

After completion of operations in Sicily, Hart was designated as the Artillery Officer, First Army, and remained in this position throughout First Army's operations in Europe. He later participated in the redeployment of Headquarters, First Army to the Pacific Theater.

Post-World War II Service

Following establishment of the National War College, Hart was one of the initial group of officers graduated from that institution. In 1946, he became the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations of First Army and in 1947 was named Assistant Commandant of the Anti Aircraft and Guided Missiles Branch of the Artillery School at Fort Bliss, TX. In 1949, he was assigned to the European Command as the Commanding General of the 1st Infantry Division Artillery in Germany and a year later became Artillery Commander of Seventh Army in Europe. In 1951, Hart was appointed Chief of the Joint U.S. Military Aid Group to Greece, with a station in Athens.

After his return to the U.S. in early 1954, he became Commanding General of the Artillery Center and Commandant of the Artillery School at Fort Sill. Five months later, LTG Hart returned to Europe as Commanding General, V Corps and in April 1956 returned to the U.S. as Commanding General, Second Army at Fort Meade. MD.

At the time of LTG Hart's retirement in 1960, he was Commanding General, U.S. Army Air Defense Command in Colorado Springs, CO.

Medals and Awards

Army Distinguished Service Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Legion of Merit with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
American Defense Service Medal
American Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
Army of Occupation Medal

Post-Military Life

Following his retirement, Hart moved to McLean, VA, where he received his brokerage certification and became Vice President of Harris Upham and Company. He left that company in 1971.

Ed and Laura moved to the Fairfax Retirement Community at Fort Belvoir, VA in 1989.

Family

In 1925, Hart married his sweetheart, Virginia Hereford, and they soon had their first child, Virginia Byrd. They later had twin daughters, Susie Jane and Sally Anne. Virginia died in April 1970.

In 1973, he married Anne Harris Counts and she died in 1982. Hart married Laura Carey Sibert in 1983 and she passed away in October 1991.

Death and Burial

Lieutenant General Charles Edward Hart died of complications from pneumonia on 9 December 1991 at DeWitt Army Hospital. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.