Holmes E. Dager

Holmes E. Dager
From 1948's Thunderbolt: The History Of The 11th Armored Division
Born	(1893-06-23)June 23, 1893 Asbury Park, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	July 24, 1973(1973-07-24) (aged 80) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Buried	Arlington National Cemetery
Service	New Jersey National Guard United States Army
Years of service	1912–1914, 1916–1917 (National Guard) 1917–1947 (Army)
Rank	Major General
Service number	0-5013
Unit	U.S. Army Infantry Branch U.S. Army Armor Branch
Commands held	Company H, 51st Infantry Regiment Company F, 51st Infantry Regiment 3rd Battalion, 51st Infantry Regiment Provisional Battalion, 6th Infantry Division Company K, 29th Infantry Regiment Special Troops Battalion, 1st Infantry Division Fort Wadsworth 41st Armored Infantry Regiment Combat Command B, 8th Armored Division Combat Command B, 4th Armored Division 4th Armored Division 11th Armored Division U.S. Forces, Austria
Conflicts	Mexican Border War World War I Occupation of the Rhineland World War II
Awards	Distinguished Service Cross Army Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star (2) Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal (3) Legion of Honor (Chevalier) (France) Croix de Guerre with Palm (France)
Alma mater	United States Army Command and General Staff College United States Army War College
Spouse(s)	Marguerite Craighead ​ ​ (m. 1917⁠–⁠1947)​ Eleanora Benecka ​ ​ (m. 1948⁠–⁠1973)​
Other work	Executive, Federal Civil Defense Administration

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.