Gordon Byrom Rogers

Early life

Rogers was born in Manchester, Tennessee. He attended the University of Tennessee for a year, graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1924, and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Cavalry.

Start of military career

After graduation Rogers was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Regiment.

In 1929 he completed the Cavalry Officer Course and in 1930 he graduated from the Advanced Equitation Course, both at Fort Riley, Kansas.

For several years Rogers played on the Army Polo Team. In 1930 he was a member of the U.S. Olympic Equestrian Team.

During the 1930s Rogers served with the 10th and 2nd Cavalry Regiments.

In 1939 he graduated from the Army Command and General Staff College. He was then assigned to the 6th Cavalry at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, where he commanded a cavalry troop and then a cavalry squadron.

World War II

In February 1942 he joined the 3rd Cavalry Regiment at Ft. Benning, Georgia, and soon advanced to regimental commander. He was the final commander of the regiment as a horse cavalry formation, and in the summer of 1942 it fielded tanks and was reorganized as the 3rd Armored Regiment.

In July, 1942, Rogers was named deputy chief of staff for intelligence, G-2 at I Corps during training and mobilization in South Carolina, remaining with the Corps during its move to Australia and subsequent combat in the Pacific Ocean Theater.

General Rogers was next assigned as G-2 for Army Ground Forces, serving in this post until September, 1945.

Post World War II

After the war Rogers was assigned to the War Department General Staff as chief of the Training Branch in the Office of the Director of Intelligence.

Beginning in September, 1946 Rogers took part in the post-war occupation of Japan as commander of the 12th Cavalry Regiment (part of 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division), and the 5th Cavalry Regiment.

In July, 1949 Rogers was appointed director of intelligence for the Command and General Staff College.

Rogers graduated from the Army War College in 1951, afterwards remaining at the college as a member of the faculty and acting deputy commandant.

Korean War

In June, 1952 General Rogers went to Korea as assistant division commander of the 40th Infantry Division.

After briefly serving as deputy commander, in May, 1953 Rogers was named commander of the United States Military Advisory Group to the Republic of Korea, where he served until October, 1953. In this assignment Rogers was responsible for providing training and logistics support to the Republic of Korea Army.

Post Korean War

Following that assignment he was appointed commanding general of the 3rd Armored Division based at Fort Knox, Kentucky. During his command the division was reorganized from a training unit to a deployable one and plans were made to relocate it to West Germany.

Following his division command Rogers served in Munich, West Germany as commander of the Southern Area Command and deputy commander of the Seventh Army. In 1958 he became commander of VII Corps.

From 1959 until his 1961 retirement Rogers was deputy commander of the Continental Army Command at Fort Monroe, Virginia. In this position he chaired the Army Aircraft Requirements Review Board (or Rogers Board), which made recommendations contained in the Army's long term Aircraft Development Plan, as well as recommendations for the creation of air assault units.

Post-military career

After his retirement from the Army General Rogers served as Director of the NATO Mutual Weapons Development Team.

Awards and decorations

General Rogers' awards included: the Distinguished Service Cross (two awards); Distinguished Service Medal; Silver Star (two awards); Legion of Merit (three awards); Purple Heart; Bronze Star Medal (two awards); and Combat Infantryman's Badge.

Retirement and death

In retirement Rogers resided in Severna Park, Maryland. Rogers died at Walter Reed Hospital on July 3, 1967 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Section 1, Site 943-A.

Family

In 1934 Rogers married Mary Louise Watson (1910–1963) in Washington, DC. One of their children, Gordon Byrom Rogers, Jr. (born October 21, 1934) graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1957. The younger Rogers was a career Army officer who served in the Vietnam War and attained the rank of Brigadier General.

In 1964, Rogers married Mildred Montague Kimball at her ranch in Sedalia, Colorado.

Other

In his memoir David Hackworth cites Rogers as an example of Korean War senior officers who received undeserved awards for valor. According to Hackworth, Rogers received the Silver Star for nothing more than spending a short time at a forward command post while serving as assistant division commander of the 40th Infantry Division. Hackworth indicated that his perception of this incident led him to decide that the military's awards process had become devalued, and that senior officers should almost never be recommended for valor medals.