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<em>John B. Reybold</em> died peacefully in the presence of his family, one day short of his 88th birthday. He had led a rich and full life. </p>
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He was one of four children of Marion Lippencott and Frederick Kohler Reybold of Philadelphia and Delaware City, Delaware. A loving and supportive son, he provided a home for his mother and sister whenever he was stationed on the East Coast. When his mother’s health failed, he spent his leave with her at every opportunity.</p>
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The Army and the theater were John’s life. He often said, “The Army is my wife and the theater is my mistress.” He was devoted to both.</p>
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After Troop Officers Course at Fort Riley in 1920, he spent the next 12 years “learning his trade” in various Cavalry regiments: the 6th Cavalry at Fort Oglethorpe; the 26th in the Philippines; the 10th at Fort Huachuca; and the 5th Cavalry at Fort Clark.</p>
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During these years he developed strong opinions on conduct and leadership, a strong sense of noblesse oblige, and an unusual concern for the welfare of his men. He also acquired courtly manners and great poise. In later years he was to insist his officers meet his own high standards. He spoke from hard-earned experience when he told them, “I know all about lieutenants; I was one myself for 16 years.”</p>
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John rode with various hunt clubs and was at the hub of post social affairs and theatrical productions. In addition, he led an active off-post life. He would later tell of an encounter with a bandit while on leave in China, and meeting Frank “Bring ‘Em Back Alive” Buck who “ran off with my girlfriend and left me his tigress in a hotel in Manila.”</p>
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After an enjoyable year at the Advanced Equitation Course at the Cavalry School in 1933-34, he went to Fort Myer, Virginia, where he remained until 1938. General Jonathan Wainwright wrote on the occasion of John’s retirement:</p>
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“I so well remember that at Fort Myer when you directed our annual pageant in 1937 when I was colonel of the 3rd Cavalry and in command at Fort Myer … and again in 1938. Both of these events were most successful and without your direction I am sure would not have amounted to much. I fully realize that while you were doing this and working night and day on it, you were commanding one of the troops in my regiment and at the same time performed your duty as an aide at the White House.”</p>
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John was also highly praised by the director of the Washington Civic Theatre for his production, “Hoofprints.” While White House aide he instructed Mrs. Roosevelt in riding. On one occasion Mrs. Roosevelt asked, “John, what would you like to do in the Army?” Without hesitation and quite prophetically, he replied, “Mrs. Roosevelt, my dearest wish is to lead a regiment of United States Cavalry in combat.”</p>
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In 1942, after a tour at West Point, John took command of the 15th Cavalry at Fort Riley. One of his officers writes, “John Reybold was different from those he commanded in WWII. First, he marched to a drumbeat so disparate that even today at the regimental reunions his ex-troopers vie in telling tales of his idiosyncratic ways. Second, John was a professional soldier, and he set the tone and pace for his command, turning the amateurs and youngsters who largely made up his wartime regiment into high-quality cavalrymen. His 15th Cavalry conducted disciplined motor movements, and the regiment’s marksmanship, communications, and maintenance were of equally high order. Subordinate elements, building on this solid foundation, proved to be aggressive and innovative in maneuvers and combat.</p>
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“Above all else John took care of his troopers. When flies threatened their health in base camp in the desert, he did not find it a bit unusual to carry and to require his officers to carry a fly swatter. He never fully trusted his officers to do right by them, and it was a rare platoon leader who at some point in his service with the 15th, did not have to halt his unit, have his men take off their shoes and socks, and allow John to inspect for improperly cut toenails.</p>
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“Over and above his professional competence, John had two personal qualities that contributed immeasurably to his success as a commander: self-confidence and courage. As a result, he was able to make hard choices—replacing those who could not produce, regardless of rank or position, and giving responsibility to those who could, without regard to experience or age.</p>
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“To cap it off, John had a flair for the dramatic and a sense of humor that could turn the worst possible moment into the best of times.</p>
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“It was inevitable when the lead unit of the 15th Cavalry bogged down on the breakout from Avranches, that John Reybold would go to the front, set matters straight, and get things moving. He was in the fore when the column ran into an ambush at Dol de Bretagne where he was wounded and captured.”</p>
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As senior prisoner of war on Jersey Island, John defied his captors at every turn. He demanded and got improved conditions for his men; he promoted and assisted in escapes; and he bedeviled the Germans with “his” version of the Geneva Convention. He was a thorn in their side and his exploits were recounted in several magazines.</p>
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After hostilities ended, it was typical of John that he expressed admiration for his German captor, even though that officer had him court-martialed and sentenced to be shot for crimes against the Third Reich. The war ended 11 days before his scheduled execution.</p>
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Major General Herbert L. Earnest, who commanded Task Force “A” of which the 15th Cavalry was part, wrote just after the war, “John, you are a brave man … Your group did a fine job on the Brittany peninsula although your loss was keenly felt a long time.”</p>
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Following surgery for his war wound and recuperation, John joined the Army of Occupation in Japan. He retired in 1947.</p>
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John’s retirement years were quiet. He corresponded with his troopers and attended the yearly reunions of his 15th Cavalry. Despite failing health, he attended the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the liberation of the Channel Islands in 1985. On Jersey Island he was honored by authorities and the population who remembered him as the senior prisoner of war who defied the Germans.</p>
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The effect of a ripple from a splash is hard to discern on distant shores. Yet it is there. So is the indelible imprint of a commander on his officers, and in John’s 15th Cavalry Group fifteen officers pursued a military career, with four becoming general officers.</p>
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Some men have true greatness, even though it may not be recognized by very many people. Colonel John B. Reybold was such a man.</p>