Henning Linden
Born(1892-09-03)September 3, 1892
Mound, Minnesota, United States
DiedMarch 15, 1984(1984-03-15) (aged 91)
McLean, Virginia, United States
Buried
Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, United States
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service1917–1952
Rank Brigadier General
Service number0-7009
Unit Infantry Branch
Commands heldMilitary Arts Department, United States Army Engineer School
Task Force Linden
53rd Infantry Regiment
3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment
Battles/warsWorld War I
World War II
AwardsSilver Star
Legion of Merit (2)
Bronze Star Medal (2)
Spouse(s)Marguerite Rachel Harshaw (m. 1922-1979, her death)
Children1

Brigadier General Henning Linden (September 3, 1892 – March 15, 1984) was a United States Army officer who served in World War II. He was notable for his role in the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp while serving as assistant division commander (ADC) of the 42nd Infantry Division.[1]

Early life

Henning Linden was born as Carl Henning Linden in Mound, Minnesota on September 3, 1892,[2][3][4] to Swedish immigrant parents Charles A. Linden and Mary (Seaquist) Linden.[5] He graduated from South High School in Minneapolis in 1912.[6][7] Linden completed the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program at the University of Minnesota and was a cadet captain, graduating in 1917 with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering.[8][9][10] He then joined the United States Army as a second lieutenant of Infantry, assigned to the 40th Infantry Regiment.[11][12][13]

World War I to World War II

Linden commanded a company of the 33rd Infantry Regiment in Panama during World War I, followed by assignment to the 55th Infantry Regiment at Camp Meade, Maryland.[14] In the early 1920s Linden was Assistant Professor of Military Science for the ROTC program at the University of Maryland.[15] In the early 1930s Linden was adjutant of the garrison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.[16]

In 1936 Linden graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and was reassigned to Fort McClellan, Alabama, where he commanded the 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment.[17][18][19]

In the early 1940s Linden was an Assistant Professor of Military Science for the ROTC program at Boston University.[20]

World War II

By the time of the American entry into World War II, in December 1941, Linden was commander of the 53rd Infantry Regiment in the Aleutian Islands as the United States retook them from Japan.[21]

In 1943 Linden was promoted to the general officer rank of brigadier general and was assigned to be the assistant division commander (ADC) of the 42nd (Rainbow) Infantry Division, commanded by Major General Harry J. Collins.[22] He commanded its three infantry regiments as "Task Force Linden", which arrived in Marseille, France, that fall, deployed in an attempt to prevent two German armies in Alsace from breaking out, and successfully defended along a 30-mile front.[23][24][25] Two units of "Task Force Linden", the 222nd Infantry Regiment and the 1st Battalion, 242nd Regiment, were awarded Presidential Unit Citations for extraordinary heroism.[26][27]

At the end of January 1945 the remainder of the division arrived in France, and as part of Lieutenant General Alexander Patch's Seventh Army the 42nd penetrated German defenses in the Haardt mountains, crossed the Siegfried Line, bridged the Rhine River, and captured the cities of Würzburg, Schweinfurt, Fürth and Donauwörth.[28][29]

Dachau liberation

SS men confer with Brigadier General Henning Linden (netted helmet, looking right) during the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp (April 29, 1945).

On April 29, 1945 Linden led a 42nd Division detachment to liberate the Dachau concentration camp.[30] Journalists including Marguerite Higgins traveled with Linden's detachment, resulting in international headlines about the soldiers' liberation of more than 30,000 Jews and political prisoners.[31]

After the war

The grave of Brigadier General Henning Landen at Arlington National Cemetery.

After the war Linden served in occupied Austria as Deputy Commander of the American Occupation Zone. After returning to the United States he was Chief of the Army's Military Arts Department at the Engineer School until he retired in 1952.[32][33][34]

Linden died in McLean, Virginia on March 15, 1984.[35] He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Section 1, Site 792-E.[36]

Family

On August 5, 1922, Linden married Marguerite Rachel Harshaw (1892-1979).[37][38] They were the parents of a son, John Henning Linden (1924-2007).[38][39]

Dachau controversy

For years there has been an ongoing controversy between adherents of Felix L. Sparks and those of Linden over whether the 45th Infantry Division or 42nd Division troops led by Linden were the actual liberators of Dachau.[40] Linden's son, Colonel John H. Linden addressed the question in 1997's Surrender of the Dachau Concentration Camp, 29 APR 45: The True Account, referring to numerous firsthand accounts and primary-source documents to bolster his father's version of events.[41]

Looting controversy

Historians and authors researching World War II have found fault with Linden, Harry J. Collins and other officers who performed occupation duty after the war, suggesting that they requisitioned luxury items from the Hungarian Gold Train for furnishing their offices and quarters — items allegedly taken from Jewish families by the Nazis during the war.[42] Linden is reported to have received 10 rugs for his quarters on the von Trapp Estate.[42] Many items were not returned to their original owners, who had been killed or displaced during the war, but were later sold at auctions, with the proceeds used to aid war refugees.[43]

Awards and decorations

Linden's awards and decorations included:[44][45][46]

Silver Star
Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster
Bronze Star Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Army Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
World War I Victory Medal
World War II Victory Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with (3) bronze service stars
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
American Defense Service Medal
Army of Occupation Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Croix de Guerre (France)
Commander of the Order of Leopold II (Belgium)

References

  1. ↑ Goldenberg, Richard (April 27, 2020). "NY's 42nd Infantry Division liberated Dachau 75 years ago". Army.mil. Alexandria, VA.
  2. ↑ Minnesota Births and Christenings Index, 1840–1980, entry for Henning Linden, accessed via Ancestry.com, February 20, 2012
  3. ↑ World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918, entry for Henning Linden, accessed via Ancestry.com, February 20, 2012
  4. ↑ UK Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878–1960, Record for USNS William O. Darby, May 1959, entry for Henning Linden, accessed via Ancestry.com, February 20, 2012
  5. ↑ Kastrup, Allan The Swedish heritage in America:the Swedish element in America and American-Swedish relations in their historical perspective. 1975. Page 738. ISBN 1299908055.
  6. ↑ "South High Swedish prize Given to Henning Linden". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, MN. May 29, 1912. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Junior Class (1917). "The Gopher: University of Minnesota Yearbook". Ancestry.com. Lehi, UT: Ancestry.com, LLC. p. 516. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  8. ↑ U.S. Army Adjutant General, U.S. Army Register, 1920, page 787
  9. ↑ University of Minnesota, President's Report, Volume 21, Issue 37, 1918, page 149
  10. ↑ University of Minnesota, Bulletin, Volume 20, Issue 20, 1917, page 126
  11. ↑ The American Swedish Monthly, published by Swedish Chamber of Commerce of the U.S.A., January 1, 1944
  12. ↑ U.S. Army Register, published by U.S. Army Adjutant General, 1920, page 787
  13. ↑ United States Committee on Public Information, The Official Bulletin, Recently Appointed Second Lieutenants Assigned, November 26, 1917, page 7
  14. ↑ Army List and Directory, published by U.S. Army Adjutant General, 1919, page 122
  15. ↑ University of Maryland, Biennial Report, 1921, page 157
  16. ↑ Newspaper article, Fort Leavenworth, Kan., Jefferson City Post-Tribune, April 17, 1933
  17. ↑ Newspaper column, Army Orders, March 12, 1936
  18. ↑ United States Army Command and General Staff College, Annual Report for 1935–36, 1936, page 6
  19. ↑ Army and Navy Journal, Inc., Army and Navy Journal, Volume 74, Issues 1–26, 1936, page 17
  20. ↑ Annual Report for 1940, published by Boston University, 1941 (Volume 30, Issue 31), page 34
  21. ↑ Bellamy Park: Memoirs, by Bradford Grethen Chynoweth, 1975, page 177
  22. ↑ Chicago Tribune, Henning Linden Wins Brigadier General's Star, July 11, 1943
  23. ↑ Jean Bryant, Pittsburgh Press, Dachau Survivor, Lierators Meet Here 33 Years Later, July 16, 1978
  24. ↑ Flint Whitlock, Given Up for Dead: American GIs in the Nazi Concentration Camp at Berga, 2009, page 104
  25. ↑ Kenneth K. Hatfield, Heartland Heroes: Remembering World War II, 2003, page 185
  26. ↑ Howard J. Leavitt, Tales of Valor, 2004, page 338
  27. ↑ Turner Publishing, The Legacy of the Purple Heart, Volume 2, 2001, page 96
  28. ↑ Newspaper article, "42d 'Rainbow' Division, With U.S. 7th Army First Regiments Reach France in November", Chicago Tribune, February 7, 1945
  29. ↑ First to the Rhine: The 6th Army Group in World War II, by Harry Yeide and Mark Stout, 2007, page 285
  30. ↑ Dann, Sam (1998). Dachau 29 April 1945: The Rainbow Liberation Memoirs. Lubbock, TX: Texas Tech University Press. pp. 14–30. ISBN 978-0-89672-391-7. henning linden dachau entrance.
  31. ↑ Cowan, Howard (April 30, 1945). "Dachau Prison Camp Taken, 32,000 Set Free By Yanks". The Evening Sun. Baltimore, MD. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ↑ Newspaper article, Linden Gets Farewell Salute, Stars and Stripes, Europe, Mediterranean, and North Africa Edition, January 19, 1948
  33. ↑ Newspaper article, Commander Retires, by Associated Press, Kingsport Times, September 30, 1952
  34. ↑ Frederick Deane Goodwin Williams, SLAM, the Influence of S.L.A. Marshall on the United States Army, 1994, page 59
  35. ↑ Social Security Death Index, entry for Henning Linden, accessed via Ancestry.com, February 20, 2012
  36. ↑ Death Notice, Henning Linden, Washington Post, March 19, 1984
  37. ↑ "Wedding Announcement: Linden-Harshaw". Army and Navy Journal. New York, NY. August 12, 1922. p. 1236 – via Google Books.
  38. 1 2 "Obituary: Marguerite Linden". The Washington Post. Washington, DC. September 6, 1979.
  39. ↑ National Cemetery Administration (October 3, 2007). "Burial Record, John Henning Linden". Nationwide Gravesite Locator. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  40. ↑ Jensen, Ron (April 2013). "First Through the Gates of Hell". National Guard. Washington, DC: National Guard Association of the United States. p. 74.
  41. ↑ Linden, John H. (1997). Surrender of the Dachau Concentration Camp, 29 APR 45: The True Account. Elm Grove, WI: Sycamore Press Ltd. p. 1. ISBN 978-0-9665-1510-7 – via Google Books.
  42. 1 2 Alford, Kenneth D. (2011). Allied Looting in World War II. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co. p. 237. ISBN 978-0-7864-8014-2 – via Google Books.
  43. ↑ JTA Archives (January 21, 1947). "U.S. to Give Refugee Committee Valuables Stripped from Hungarian Jews by Nazis". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. New York, NY. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  44. ↑ U.S. Army Register, published by U.S. Army Adjutant General, 1959, page 606
  45. ↑ Official U.S. Army Register, published by U.S. Army Adjutant General, 1965, page 320
  46. ↑ Benda, Chuck, ed. (July–August 1984). "Class Notes: Deaths; Henning Linden" (PDF). Minnesota. St. Cloud, MN: University of Minnesota Alumni Association. p. 52.
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