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<em>Charles D. W Canhsm</em> was truly “born” on 23 May 1919 when he first entered the Army, for he was born to be a soldier. No single event before that date had been of greater moment for him. There had already been instilled in him, though, a love for the country where an individual might rise to he heights, and the initiative and drive necessary to reach those heights.</div>
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From his enlisted service he acquired a love and a respect for the rank and file soldier which was to stand him and the country in good stead during World War II.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>From these early days, too, he learned the meaning of an age-old leadership maxim, “take care of your men, and they will take care of you." He interpreted this to mean that a soldier-leader never rests until he has done everything within his power to insure the survival of his men in battle. To him it also meant the application of timely pressures to produce the hardened, well-disciplined soldier. This early-acquired empathy with the common soldier accounts in large measure for the fierce, lifelong loyaltv he held for the men of every unit he ever served with. He understood well that this was the only way a leader could expect the loyalty of his troops. It was no accident, then, that the units he commanded showed a consistently high state of morale.</div>
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From USMA came the foundation for those early lessons which were to come from commands of infantry platoons and companies. From these early commands also came a reluctance to bend or compromise his own personal standards.</div>
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During the years before WWII he sought and acquired a reputation as a strict disciplinarian and troop leader. It was this reputation that won for him that which he desired more than anything else—a World War II tactical command.</div>
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The 116th Infantry was training in England when he took command of it. Under his direction this regiment spent every training day as if it were going into battle the next. As a result this superbly trained outfit, although untested in battle, was chosen to go ashore on Omaha Beach as the sister assault unit of the much-bloodied 16th Infantry.</div>
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When the Colonel landed with the third assault wave, his beloved regiment was being decimated by a well-dug-in, heavily-armed, determined enemy. A correspondent for the <em>New York Times</em>, seeing him at this time wrote of him:</div>
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"Although he was wounded, he walked upright, up and down the beach, brandishing his .45 like a 105 howitzer."</div>
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From there he pushed his regiment inland, and out of this action came his Distinguished Service Cross, the first of his many awards for personal valor.</div>
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It was this same action which was to generate the volume of letters that was to become General Canham’s most prized possession. These letters, written by the men of the 116th who survived the war, all expressed, in a variety of ways, the sentiment of the one who wrote simply and bluntly, "When you were training us so hard in England: when other units appeared to be sitting on their butts, I used to think you were an s.o.b., but I know now that I owe my life to your efforts."</div>
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After the Battle of St. Lo came a promotion and, as assistant division commander of the 8th Division, he was now Brigadier General Canham. It was in this capacity that he took, in the name of his 8th Division troopers, the surrender of Brest. When he entered General Ramcke's bunker, this commander of the German 2d Parachute Division asked, "If I am to surrender to you, where are your credentials?" Without hesitation General Canham pointed to his men nervously fingering their M-l’s and said, “These are my credentials.” The account of this event which appeared in the <em>New York Times</em> saw in this spontaneous statement of a combat leader the greatest tribute ever paid to the real power of the American Army.</div>
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The stories of the General’s exploits while fighting with the 8th Division are legion. It is enough to say of him that he followed closely his two guiding principles: an Army must be capable of fighting at all times, and, its soldiers and leaders must be prepared to die. He devoted his every effort to the former. Of the latter he was prone to say, “let the devil take the hindmost."</div>
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General Canham felt that it was every officer’s duty to leave his unit better than he found it. During his several postwar assignments—the 82d Airborne Division, the 3d Infantry Division, Bremerhaven Port, Director of Posts, Europe, and the XI Corps, he clearly demonstrated the application of this selfimposed mandate.</div>
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He appreciated the fact that the lasting way to accomplish his goals was through the training of soldiers and junior leaders, not by stressing menial, housekeeping details. The natural outgrowth of this attitude was the establishment of a leadership academy in the 82d Airborne. Begun in 1946, this special training facility, known as “Canham’s College,” became the prototype of the many that were to follow, and set the standard for thousands of non-coms and junior officers.</div>
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The emphysema which he contracted several years before his retirement, and the coughing spells that accompanied it caused him to xvithdraw from the people and the social functions he always enjoyed so much. It was this same malady which eventually succeeded where enemy shell-fire and the rigors of Hurtgen Forest had failed, and his gallant heart succumbed to it on 21 August 1963.</div>
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<em>The tumult and the shouting dies;</em></div>
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<em>The captains and the kings depart:</em></div>
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<em>Still stands thine ancient sacrifice,</em></div>
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<em>An humble and a contrite heart.</em></div>
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<em>Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,</em></div>
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<em>Lest we forget—lest we forget.</em></div>
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<em>Rudyard Kipling</em></div>
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