Major General Harry Kinnard

Major General Harry Kinnard
Name	Harry Kinnard
Birth date	1915-11-10
Birth place	San Antonio, Texas
Death date	2009-05-08
Death place	Fort Belvoir, Virginia
Allegiance	United States of America
Branch	United States Army
Serviceyears	1938–1968
Rank	Major General
Unit	101st Airborne Division
Battles	World War II, Operation Overlord, Battle of the Bulge

Major General Harry Kinnard was a United States Army officer and paratrooper who played a pivotal role in airborne operations during World War II and later commanded the 101st Airborne Division during the Battle of the Bulge. He is noted for innovative planning in Operation Overlord and for leadership in European Theatre of World War II. Kinnard's career spanned from prewar service at Fort Benning through Cold War assignments at The Pentagon and United States Army Installation Management Command-era posts.

Early life and education

Harry Kinnard was born in San Antonio, Texas, and raised amid the military communities of Fort Sam Houston and Kelly Field. He attended Texas A&M University before graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point or transferring into Officer Candidate School pathways common to prewar officers. Kinnard completed advanced schooling at Command and General Staff College and attended courses at Airborne School in Fort Benning to qualify as a paratrooper and airborne leader.

Military career

Kinnard's early service included assignments with armored and infantry formations, followed by selection for airborne duty as the United States expanded United States Army Airborne forces before Operation Torch. He served on staff and in command positions within VIII Airborne Corps planning staffs, coordinating with British Army and Royal Air Force planners for joint operations. During the postwar period Kinnard held postings with United States Army Europe, operational planning at The Pentagon, and training roles at Fort Bragg and Fort Benning as airborne doctrine evolved amid the Cold War.

Role in the D-Day airborne operations

As a key planner and deputy commander in the airborne effort for Operation Overlord, Kinnard worked closely with commanders from U.S. First Allied Airborne Army and liaison officers from the British 6th Airborne Division and Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade. He helped craft drop-zone assignments, coordinating with the Eighth Air Force, Ninth Air Force, and transport assets of the United States Army Air Forces including C-47 Skytrain units and glider wings. Kinnard contributed to integrating intelligence from Ultra decrypts, reconnaissance by Special Air Service, and reports from French Resistance networks to optimize airborne objectives such as the seizure of causeways and the disruption of German Army Group B rear areas in support of the Normandy landings.

Command of the 101st Airborne Division and the Battle of the Bulge

Promoted to senior command, Kinnard took charge of elements of the 101st Airborne Division during the winter counteroffensive known as the Battle of the Bulge. Working with leaders from First United States Army, U.S. Third Army, and neighboring formations such as the 82nd Airborne Division, he managed defensive actions to hold critical terrain including towns and road junctions targeted by Heinz Guderian-style armored thrusts of the Wehrmacht. Kinnard coordinated artillery support from units equipped with M4 Sherman-pulled assets and liaised with staff officers from Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force to stabilize lines until General Dwight D. Eisenhower's strategic reserves and General George S. Patton's maneuver elements counterattacked.

Postwar service and retirement

After World War II, Kinnard served in occupation duties with United States Forces Germany and later in staff roles involving airborne doctrine development, NATO planning with Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, and training at institutions including National War College. He was involved in early aeromedical evacuation and air mobility concepts that influenced the development of United States Army Aviation and rotary-wing integration with airborne operations. Kinnard retired in 1968 and later contributed to veterans' associations linked to the 101st Airborne Division Association and served as an advisor to historical projects covering Operation Market Garden and Normandy.

Awards and honors

Kinnard received numerous decorations for his wartime and peacetime service, including awards from United States Department of Defense and allied governments. His recognitions included high-level distinctions such as the Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army), Silver Star, Legion of Merit, and campaign medals for European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal service. Allied honors reflected cooperation with United Kingdom and France, recognizing contributions to multinational airborne operations during Operation Overlord.

Personal life and legacy

Kinnard's personal life included marriage and family ties rooted in military communities of Fort Sam Houston and Arlington County, Virginia. After retirement he engaged with historical preservationists at institutions like the National World War II Museum and supported memorials honoring airborne veterans, including efforts at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum. Historians of airborne warfare and biographers of figures such as Matthew Ridgway and James Gavin cite Kinnard's planning influence on modern air assault doctrines. His papers and oral histories are preserved in collections associated with the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center and continue to inform scholarship on Operation Overlord, the Battle of the Bulge, and the evolution of United States Army Airborne forces.

Category:United States Army generals Category:1915 births Category:2009 deaths