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| | 1ST LIEUT. RALPH S. GILDART
Detroit. Mich.
Lieut. Gildart attended Officers’ Training School, at Fort Sheridan, and entered Battery D September 1, 1917.
On May 17, 1918, he succeeded 1st Lieut. Harvey in Battery B, being transferred from Battery D.
There was in our army a native-horn antipathy to officers, due, no doubt, to the American resentment toward military authority. In Lieut. Gildart’s case this seemed to be absent from the first. While his bearing was that of an officer, and his qualifications of the highest to command, there was something about him which disarmed this feeling against him because he was an officer. He had the personal liking of the men from the first. His ability as a teacher and trainer were exceptional and he could get implicit obedience to commands and was an excellent disciplinarian.
The entire Battery regretted the lieutenant’s transfer out of the regiment October 19, 1918.
When we reached Brest, on our return to America, Lieut. Gildart was the officer in charge of the Military Police in the town. He came to us on the wharves as we were about to embark and made us feel happy at meeting him again. |