Major
General Waldemar "Fritz" Breidster
Military - Athletics
- Family
MAJOR GENERAL WALDEMAR "FRITZ" BREIDSTER
by Oliver E. Kuechie
Former Sports Editor of the Milwaukee Journal & Member
of the Certification Committee, Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame
Article included in the Program of Enshrinement Ceremonies, May
17, 1979
If ever a man has enjoyed a full life, Major General Waidemar "Fritz"
Breidster has. It all started as a football player at old East Side high
school In 1913. whIch In 1915 became Riverside, and in the 66 years since
has encompassed everything from undefeated teams at Riverside and West
Point, to All American recognition as a guard, to championship swimming
and water polo teams, to distinguished military service in India, Burma
and China during World War II.
Tonight he will become the sixty-ninth entrant to be inducted in Wisconsin's
Athletic Hall of Fame.
At old East Side, he played under the late Charley Kahle who, when
asked to name the best football players he had coached in the years from
1912 through 1916 named Breidster on a list that had Pete Schultz, Wally
Kuenn, Bud Miller, Ed Gallun, Nook Larson, Herman Pfell, Billy Matchette,
Dick White, Hans Weisel, Clarence Lee, Harry Bell, Charlie Apter, George
Van Ewyck, Doc Hoe, Glenn Gifford, Ed Williams, Pat Shea, Roland Filter
and Ralph Cahill. These men played in what was probably the golden
age in East Side's football history. As a timid 135 pound freshman, I remember
looking up to 200 pound Fritz with genuine awe.
In 1915, East won not only the city championship with an undefeated
record, but the state championship as well, with a 14-3 victory over Ashland,
Wisconsin high school.
Breidster to this day feels one of the finest influences on his life
were the years under Kahie as coach. It is a feeling, I'm sure, everybody
else who ever played under Kahie also has.
It wasn't until Breidster got to West Point in 1919, after a year at
the University of Wisconsin, that he matured and grew into the 230 pound
line stalwart he was. Charlie Daly, an old Army star himself at the turn
of the century, once described him as one of the truly great guards in
Army's history.
Fritz captained an undeated team in his senior year, 1922, in which
for the only time in his four years there, Army beat Navy, (17-14) and
managed as much as a tie (0-0) with Notre Dame.
In 1921, Breidster was named on the All American team picked by coaches
for Athletic World magazine which put him in company with men like Kipke
of Michigan, Muller of California, Kaw of Cornell, de Groot of Stanford
and Locke of Iowa. He repeated as an All American in 1922. His company
through all of his career was always with the elite of football. In earlier
years he had played with men like Earl Blalk and Edgar Garblsch. In his
own years as a player; he had had the coaching of outstanding men like
Biff Jones, Bob Hyland, Elmer Oliphant and John McEwan.
Upon graduation, Breidster was assigned as an assistant coach at Fort
Mead in Maryland where the team had another assistant coach by the name
of Ike Eisenhower. West Point football players were frequently so assigned.
Looking down on us as we talked about his career the other day were
the Navy goat's blanket earned with the victory over the Middies in 1922,
the Edgerton award, a sword, given to all outgoing football captains, a
board of medals including the Legion of Merit, an Oak Leaf Cluster, and
other awards from various theaters of the war. He was commissioned in the
Chinese army as a general. His combat troops cleared the way for engineers
in building the Ledo road. Merrill's Marauders were also under his combined
command in this period of his career.
A full life, Fritz has had, indeed.
MILITARY
Breidster joined the Wisconsin National Guard in January, 1927 as a Captain
of D Battery of the 121st Field Artillery Regiment, 32nd Division. He was
promoted to Major in 1931, becoming a Battalion Commander, and in 1936
was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and Executive Officer of the regiment.
He was made Colonel and given command of the regiment in August, 1940.
The United States entered World War II in December, 1941. The following
April the 32d Division was reorganized and Breidster's regiment became
the 173rd Field Artillery Regiment. In February, 1943 Breidster was transferred
from Camp Gruber, Oklahoma to Camp Maxey, Texas as Commander of the 173rd
Field Artillery Group, comprised of five battalions.
In August of 1943 Breidster was lifted from his command and flown to
India for a special mission, becoming successively Chief Field Artillery
Liaison Officer to the Chinese Army in India, then Chief Liaison Officer
to all non-divisional Chinese units. Later Deputy Chief of Staff and finally
Chief of Staff of the Chinese combat command. He served under Lt. Gen.
Joseph (Vinegar Joe) Stilwell, Lt. Gen. Daniel I. Sultan and Lt. Gen. Raymond
A. Wheeler.
His first job was to organize the Chinese training and indoctrinate
them in our ways of fighting. Then he directed the 550 mile advance of
the Chinese through Burma to clear the way for the building of the Ledo
road that was to take the place of the lost Burma road. The task was completed
shortly before the war ended in August, 1945. He stayed on and helped close
out the China-Burma-India theater and sailed from Calcutta, India for home
on December 1,1945, arriving in Milwaukee shortly before Christmas. He
was separated from active duty the following February. He holds the Legion
of Merit and an Oak Leaf Cluster, plus China's Yun Wei (Closed Banner)
and Kua Chang (Hero of the Nation) decorations.
In the reorganization of the Wisconsin National Guard after the war,
Breidster was promoted to Brigadier General in March, 1947, in command
of the 32d Division Artillery. He held that post until he was assigned
Commanding General of the division and promoted to Major General, retiring
from active military service in 1960.
Excerpted from the biographical article "New Chief a Hearty Six
Footer", Sunday, October 14, 1956, The Milwaukee Journal:
"The 32nd is the largest of all national guard divisions
with an enrolment of 12,400 officers and men assigned to approximately
125 units in nearly 80 Wisconsin cities, towns, and villages. It
has 17 units in Milwaukee county, quartered in the Richards St., Whitefish
Bay and South Side armories...
"Breidster attended the old 4th st. and the Bartlett av.
schools. He went one year to the old East Division high school and
then transferred to Riverside, where he was graduated in 1917...
"In four years at West Point, Breidster accumulated
an outstanding record. He was president of his class in his second,
third, and fourth years - the first year class of plebes did not elect
officers - and just before graduation Breidster was elected permanent president
of his graduating class of '23. During his last year at West Point,
Breidster was senior cadet captain of the academy. This appointive
office, the highest that can be given to a cadet, carried with the duties
of a regimental commander."
Excerpted from Milwaukee paper, 9/56, "32nd Division Chief Retires"
:
"Appointment of Brig. Gen. W. Fritz Breidster, 56, of 1801 E. Fox lane,
Fox Point, as commanding general of Wisconsin's 32nd infantry division
of the national guard was announced Wednesday by Gov. Kohler... Gen. Breidster
will take over Monday as division commander. He has been artillery
commander of the 32nd division since it was reorganized as an exclusively
Wisconsin division after WWII.
"A manufacturer's representative in civilian life, he
has a long record of military service. Gen Breidster was born in
Milwaukee and attended Riverside High School. He attended the University
of Wisconsin for one year before his appointment in 1919 to the united
States military academy at West Point.
"At the academy he was an all-American football
guard in 1921 and 1922. In his senior year he was 1st captain of
the swimming and football teams. Gen. Douglas MacArthur was superintendent
of the academy at that time.
"Breidster was graduated and commissioned a
2nd lieutenant in 1923. He served for five years in the regular army, then
resigned his army commission to enter private business. At the same
time, he accepted a commission as captain of artillery in the Wisconsin
national guard. During World War II he commanded five battalions of artillery,
then was sent to India to serve as chief of staff to Lt. Gen Joseph W.
Stilwell, Lt. Gen Daniel I. Sultan and Lt. Gen Raymond A. Wheeler."
ATHLETICS
Star guard on East Division (Riverside) High School state championship
football team of 1916.
He entered West Point, June 19, 1919. In four years at West Point,
Breidster established an outstanding record. He was president of his class
in his second, third and fourth years -- the first year class of plebes
did not elect officers and just before graduation Breidster was elected
permanent president of his graduating class of 1923.
During his last year at West Point, Breidster was elected Cadet Captain
of the academy. This appointive office, the highest that can be given to
a cadet, carried with it the duties of a Regimental Commander.
In athletics he won four major letters in football and eight minor
letters in swimming and water polo. He was captain of the football, swimming
and water polo teams in his fourth year.
Breidster played left guard in football. He was mentioned on several
All-American selections after his third year and was virtually a unanimous
choice for All-American after his final year.
As captain, he piloted his Army team of 1922 to an undefeated season,
climaxed by a dramatic 17 to 14 victory over Navy in which the lead changed
several times. At one time in the game, Breidster broke through the Navy
line on four consecutive plays to get the Navy runner behind the line of
scrimmage.
FAMILY
In 1930, Fritz married
Roma Marion Wirth.
They had two sons, John
and Bill.
Genealogical information on Fritz's family:
...., ADIE,
ATOR, BEATRICE,
BEYLER, BODENSTEINER,
BOND, BREIDSTER,
BRIDICH, BUCKLEY,
COOK, DEUTCH,
DUBE, ELDRED,
FORD, FRANCOIS,
GAY, GREENE,
GRUENHAGEN, GURNON,
HEINEMANN, HOLMWOOD,
HUFF, HURD,
K..., KNAPP,
KUEPPER, LEE,
LUTZKE, MERKE,
NEINAST, PARKER,
PODREZ, PRINE,
PRINZ, SAUER,
SCHANTZ, SCHATTE,
SCHATTEN, SCOCROFT,
SCOTT, STRANDELL,
STRAUSS, STROHMER,
STUDEBAKER, THOMPSON,
TRAUDT, TRAUTMAN,
WEGENER, WIRTH
Individuals in Fritz's family
Genealogical HTML created by GED2HTML
v3.1a-UNREGISTERED (8/20/97) on Sat Jun 20 12:38:26 1998.
Information about Uncle Fritz compiled by Carrie
E. Bodensteiner on 18 June 1998.