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Harry Dwight Chamberlin (May 19, 1887 – September 29, 1944) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of the
Moro Rebellion The Moro Rebellion (1899–1913) was an armed conflict between the Moro people and the United States military during the Philippine–American War. The word "Moro" – the Spanish word for "Moor" – is a term for Muslim people who li ...
, Pancho Villa Expedition, World War I, and World War II, he attained the rank of brigadier general, and was most notable for his command of several Cavalry units, including 1st Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Squadron,
14th Cavalry Regiment The 14th Cavalry Regiment is a cavalry regiment of the United States Army. It has two squadrons that provide reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition for Stryker brigade combat teams. Constituted in 1901, it has served in conflicts ...
, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, the Cavalry Replacement Center at Fort Riley, and 4th Cavalry Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division. During World War II, he commanded the New Hebrides Task Force, Southwestern Security District, and Fort Ord. Chamberlin was also a notable equestrian, and participated in several Olympic games. His most noteworthy success came in 1932, when the U.S. contingent won the gold medal in Team eventing and Chamberlin won the silver medal in Individual show jumping.


Early life

Harry D. Chamberlin was born in Elgin, Illinois on May 19, 1887, the son of Cora L. (Orth) Chamberlin and Dwight A. Chamberlin, a longtime member of the Kane County Board of Supervisors. He attended the schools of Elgin and graduated from Elgin High School in 1905. From 1905 to 1906, Chamberlin was a student at the Elgin Academy. Chamberlin was appointed to the United States Military Academy in 1906. While at West Point, Chamberlin was a member of the track and boxing teams, played halfback on the football team, and was his class representative to the student athletic council. A highlight of Chamberlin's football career was his pickup of a fumbled Navy punt and 92 yard return during the 1908 Army-Navy game, which set up his three-yard run for the touchdown that enabled Army's 6-4 victory. In 1910, Chamberlin graduated and was ranked 29th of 83. He received his commission as a
second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
of
Cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
and was assigned to the 7th Cavalry Regiment.


Start of career

Chamberlin served with the 7th Cavalry at Fort Riley, Kansas until 1911, when the regiment was posted to
Fort William McKinley Fort Andres Bonifacio (formerly named Fort William McKinley) is the site of the national headquarters of the Philippine Army (Headquarters Philippine Army or HPA) located in Metro Manila, Philippines. It is located near the national headquarter ...
, Philippines during the
Moro Rebellion The Moro Rebellion (1899–1913) was an armed conflict between the Moro people and the United States military during the Philippine–American War. The word "Moro" – the Spanish word for "Moor" – is a term for Muslim people who li ...
. In 1914, Chamberlin returned to the United States and was assigned to the
5th Cavalry Regiment The 5th Cavalry Regiment ("Black Knights") is a historical unit of the United States Army that began its service on August 3, 1861, when an act of Congress enacted "that the two regiments of dragoons, the regiment of mounted riflemen, and the t ...
at Fort Sheridan, Illinois. Later that year, he was posted to Fort Riley's Mounted Service School. Chamberlin completed the school's first and second year courses, and remained at Fort Riley until March 1916. After graduating from the Mounted Service School, Chamberlin returned to the 5th Cavalry, which he joined in Columbus, New Mexico. He remained in the Columbus area until August as part of the U.S. military's Pancho Villa Expedition. He was promoted to first lieutenant in July 1916. In October 1916, Chamberlin was assigned to West Point as an instructor in the Department of Tactics. In May 1917, he received promotion to
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
.


World War I

In June 1918, Chamberlin was assigned to the 152d Depot Brigade at Camp Upton,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
and promoted to temporary
major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
. In July, he was appointed adjutant of the 161st Infantry Brigade, a unit of the 81st Division. After training in France during the summer of 1918, the 81st Division was assigned to the front lines near Saint-Dié-des-Vosges in September 1918. In November, Chamberlin's brigade was assigned to the front lines in the
Sommedieue Sommedieue () is a commune in the Meuse department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geo ...
sector, where it remained until the end of the war. After the war, Chamberlin remained in France as an instructor at First United States Army's School for the Care of Animals. From February to March 1919, he was inspector of animal transportation on the First Army staff. In March and April, Chamberlin carried out an inspection trip in England, France, Belgium, and Germany, on which he visited British cavalry regiments and remount depots to learn their animal care techniques. He was promoted to temporary
lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
in April 1919.


Post-World War I

During the spring of 1919, Chamberlin trained in
Koblenz Koblenz (; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz''), spelled Coblenz before 1926, is a German city on the banks of the Rhine and the Moselle, a multi-nation tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman mili ...
prior to participating in the Inter-Allied Games, which took place in Paris that summer. Chamberlin was a member of the U.S. equestrian team, and placed second in the individual championship. In August 1919, he was assigned as an instructor at the Cavalry School and posted to Fort Riley. In September, he was returned to his permanent rank of
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
. In 1920, Chamberlin was a member of the U.S. equestrian team that took part in the Olympic games which were held in
Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
, Belgium. He participated in both the Three Day Event, a military competition and the Prix de Nations (Prize of Nations), an individual show jumping contest. In July 1920, Chamberlin was promoted to major.


Continued career

After the 1920 Olympics, Chamberlin continued on the staff of the Cavalry School until 1922, when he was selected to attend the French Cavalry School in
Saumur Saumur () is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France. The town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc.. Saumur statio ...
. After graduating in early 1923, he enrolled in the Italian Cavalry School at Tor di Quinto, where he completed the program of instruction in late 1923. While in Italy, he was introduced to the
forward seat Hunt seat is a style of forward seat riding commonly found in North American horse shows. Along with dressage, it is one of the two classic forms of English riding. The hunt seat is based on the tradition of fox hunting. Hunt seat competitio ...
, which became knows as the 'Chamberlin seat' in America and which now dominates
hunter Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
and
jumper Jumper or Jumpers may refer to: Clothing *Jumper (sweater), a long-sleeve article of clothing; also called a top, pullover, or sweater **A waist-length top garment of dense wool, part of the Royal Navy uniform and the uniform of the United State ...
equestrian events. During his return to the United States, Chamberlin spent time in England during 1924 as an observer at the Army School of Equitation in Weedon Bec. From 1925 to 1926, Chamberlin commanded 1st Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Bliss, Texas. Chamberlin was an accomplished
polo Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ...
player and was captain of the Army team that won the U.S. Junior Championship in 1926. From 1926 to 1927, Chamberlin attended the United States Army Command and General Staff College, and he completed the course as an honor graduate. After graduating, he was assigned to the 9th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Riley. In 1927, he trained the 1928 Olympic Team, which he captained. Chamberlin finished 21st in the event competition and 18th individually in the jumping competition. Overall, the U.S. team placed 8th of 16. From 1929 to 1932, Chamberlin was captain of the U.S. Equestrian Team. He competed at the 1932 Olympic Games, again as a member of the event and jumping teams. In the eventing competition, he finished fourth, while the U.S. team was first overall and won its first-ever gold medal. Chamberlin finished second in the individual jumping event and won the silver medal.


Later career

Chamberlin attended the United States Army War College from 1932 to 1933. After graduating, he was assigned to command 1st Squadron,
14th Cavalry Regiment The 14th Cavalry Regiment is a cavalry regiment of the United States Army. It has two squadrons that provide reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition for Stryker brigade combat teams. Constituted in 1901, it has served in conflicts ...
at Fort Sheridan, Illinois and the Civilian Conservation Corps' Wisconsin-based 10th Forestry District. In November 1934, Chamberlin was promoted to
lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
. From 1936 to 1938, he was assistant chief of staff for operations, plans, and training (G-3) on the staff of the 1st Cavalry Division. From 1938 to 1939, he was the division's chief of staff, and in 1939, Chamberlin received promotion to colonel. As the United States prepared for entry into World War II, Chamberlin commanded the 2nd Cavalry Regiment at Fort Riley from 1939 to 1941. In April 1941, he was promoted to brigadier general. From 1941 to 1942, Chamberlin commanded the 4th Cavalry Brigade at Fort Riley. In 1942, Chamberlin commanded the combined services task force which occupied New Hebrides and defended the islands against attack from Japan. While serving in the Pacific theater, Chamberlin was taken ill and returned to California. Doctors attempted to treat Chamberlin as he commanded first the Southwestern Security District and later Fort Ord, but his illness proved to be terminal.


Death and burial

Chamberlin died at the
Presidio of San Francisco The Presidio of San Francisco (originally, El Presidio Real de San Francisco or The Royal Fortress of Saint Francis) is a park and former U.S. Army post on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, and is part o ...
's Letterman Army Hospital on September 29, 1944. He was buried at the Presidio of Monterey, California's post cemetery.


Career as author

Chamberlin was the author of several books on horsemanship and horse training, including: ''Riding and Schooling Horses'' (1934); ''Training Hunters, Jumpers, and Hacks'' (1939); and ''Breaking, Training and Reclaiming Cavalry Horses'' (1941).


Family

In 1912, Chamberlin married Sally Garlington, the daughter of
Ernest Albert Garlington Ernest Albert Garlington (February 20, 1853 – October 16, 1934) was a United States Army general who received the Medal of Honor during the Indian Wars. Early life and education Garlington was born in Newberry, South Carolina to Albert Creswe ...
. They divorced in 1933, and later that year Chamberlin married Helen Elena Bradman, the daughter of United States Marine Corps Brigadier General Frederic L. Bradman. With his second wife, Chamberlin was the father of two children, Lydia and Frederika. During World War II, Sally Garlington Chamberlin was employed as General George C. Marshall's private secretary. Chamberlin's sister Marie E. Chamberlin was the wife of Army officer John Gray Thornell, who was killed while piloting the dirigible ''
Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: Places Australia * Roma, Queensland, a town ** Roma Airport ** Roma Courthouse ** Electoral district of Roma, defunct ** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council *Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
'' in 1922 when it crashed in
Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...
.


Legacy

Fort Ord's Chamberlin Library, which was opened in 1970, is named for Harry Chamberlin and continues to serve as the library of the Monterey Peninsula's military community. Chamberlin was inducted into the
United States Show Jumping Hall of Fame The Show Jumping Hall of Fame and Museum is an American organization located at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. It moved to the Kentucky Horse Park in 2010 and was previously located in facilities at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida ...
in 1990. In 2006, he was inducted into the Elgin Sports Hall of Fame.


References


External links


Generals of World War II
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chamberlin, Harry D. 1887 births 1944 deaths Equestrians at the 1920 Summer Olympics Equestrians at the 1928 Summer Olympics Equestrians at the 1932 Summer Olympics American male equestrians Olympic silver medalists for the United States in equestrian Olympic gold medalists for the United States in equestrian American event riders American show jumping riders American polo players Medalists at the 1932 Summer Olympics United States Army generals of World War II United States Army generals United States Military Academy alumni United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni United States Army War College alumni People from Elgin, Illinois Military personnel from Illinois