Gay Hobart Raymond

In 1917 he graduated from Knox College (Illinois) and was enlisted in the army reserve with the rank of 2nd lieutenant. October 26, 1917 was transferred to the regular army and on the same day was promoted to first lieutenant. In July 1920, he received the rank of captain. At the beginning of his career, he served in the cavalry. June 11, 1934 transferred to the quartermaster corps. August 1, 1935 promoted to majors. August 18, 1940 received the rank of lieutenant colonel, December 24, 1941 - colonel. Being in the rank of captain, he taught the future author Robert Heinlein horse riding and shooting training ^[1] .

World War II

In December 1942, Gay was awarded the silver star medal for bravery in the battle of Casablanca on November 8, 1942. At this time, he served as chief of staff of the 1st Panzer Corps in North Africa. On June 24, 1943, Gay was promoted to brigadier general. During the Sicilian campaign, he was appointed chief of staff of the seventh army . He later headed the headquarters of a third army under the command of General George Patton in February 1944. On December 9, 1945, Patton and Gay drove a pheasant hunt in the staff car. On the way to the hunting lodge the car had an accident. The generals were in the back seat. Patton received serious injuries, from which he later died. Gay remained unscathed.

After the death of Patton, Gay in January 1946 took command of the fifteenth army and held this post for one month. He then became commander of the 1st Panzer Division of the United States Army, until in 1946 he returned to the United States. He then took command of the second constable brigade. He served in Europe until 1947, then returned to his homeland, where until September 1949 he was in command of the military district of Washington. During his command on July 15, 1948, General John Pershing died at the Military Medical Center of the Army. Walter Reed . In accordance with tradition, Gay organized Pershing's funeral as a representative of the US President ^[2] .

Korean War

In September 1949, Gay took command of the 1st Cavalry Division in Osaka , which he led to Korea, where on July 19, 1950, the division began military operations, joining the general retreat of South Korean and American forces in front of the advancing North Koreans ^[3] . On July 24, an order came out of Guy’s operational headquarters to shoot at all refugees trying to cross the American defense lines. On July 26, Gay told the rear reporters that he was confident that most of the refugees going south were North Korean scouts. Subsequently, Gay described the treatment of refugees as an “honest game” and the American ambassador to South Korea stated that such a policy was adopted at the theater of operations ^{[4] [5]} .

For three days at the end of July, the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the division and US military aircraft exterminated a large number of South Korean refugees in Nogylly, which was first recognized by the Associated Press in 1999 ^[4] and later by the army, which conducted its own investigation ^[6] . The government of South Korea in 2005 listed the names of 163 dead and missing during the massacre and 55 wounded, and also stated that much more were probably killed ^[7] . On July 26, the day the massacre began, Gay told the rear reporters that he was convinced that most of the refugees heading south were North Korean scouts. Two days earlier, an order had been issued from his operational headquarters to shoot at all refugees trying to cross American lines. Subsequently, Gay described the treatment of refugees as an “honest game” and the American ambassador to South Korea stated that such a policy was adopted at the theater of operations ^{[4] [8]} . On August 4, 1950, after American troops retreated across the Naktong River, Gay ordered the bridge to be blown up at Wegwan , killing hundreds of refugees trying to get to the other side of the river ^[3] .

On August 4, 1950, after American troops retreated across the Naktong River, Gay ordered that the bridge near Vegvan be blown up, killing hundreds of refugees trying to get to the other side of the river ^[3] . His first cavalry division played a key role in the defense of the Busan perimeter , having suffered heavy losses, and joined the breakthrough of the American and South Korean units to the north in September in cooperation with the American troops that landed in Incheon . Gay's troops went at the head of the breakthrough through the 38th parallel and participated in the throw to Pyongyang , capturing the North Korean capital on October 19-20. Two weeks later, near Unsan north of Pyongyang, newly arrived Chinese volunteers dealt a powerful blow to the 8th Cavalry Regiment. One battalion fell into the trap, and Gay’s actions to rescue him were canceled by his superior commander, Major General Frank W. Milburn, commander of the 1st Corps. In December, the Chinese drove out the first cavalry division and other American units from North Korea. In early 1951, Gay, along with other senior officers in Korea, was released from command ^[9] .

In February 1951, Gay was appointed deputy commander of the 4th American Army. In July 1952, he was appointed commander of the 6th Corps at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. In April 1953, he was appointed commander of the 3rd American Corps at Fort MacArthur, California. When the corps was transferred to Fort Hood , Gay also moved there. In September 1954, General Gay was appointed commander of the Fifth Army in Chicago, Illinois. In October 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower nominated Gaia for production as lieutenant general (temporarily).

Gaia's career in the army ended in 1955 as the commander of the center for air defense and missile defense in Fort Bliss, Texas.

Following his resignation, Gay became Superintendent of the New Mexico State Military Institute. He died in El Paso and was buried at Fort Bliss National Cemetery. ^[10]

Domestic

•   Outstanding Service Cross with Oak Leaf
•   Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf
•   Silver star with two oak leaves
•   Legion of Honor Order with Oak Leaf
•   Bronze Star with Oak Leaf
•   Air medal
•  
•   Defense of America Medal
•   Medal "For the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign"
•   Campaign Medal
•   Medal of Victory in World War II
•   Medal "For service in the occupying army"
•   National Defense Service Medal
•   Medal "For Service in Korea"

Foreign

•   Distinguished Service Order ( UK )
•   Order of the Legion of Honor (France) Cavalier
•   Legion of Honor (France) Officer
•   Military Cross (France)
•   Order of the White Lion (Czechoslovakia) 2nd class
•   Czechoslovak Military Cross (Czechoslovakia)
•   Medal "For UN Service in Korea"

In the television movie The Last Days of Patton, the role of Gay was played by Murray Hamilton. In the original film Patton (1970), Michael Strong played the role of Brigadier General Michael, the image for which Gay's personality served.

• Who's Who in America, 1966–1967, Vol. 34. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, p. 759.

• Hobart R. Gay at Military History of Indiana
• Gay, Hobart Raymond on Find a Grave