# Herbert W. Ehrgott

Herbert William Ehrgott (October 31, 1904 – September 20, 1982) was a brigadier general in the United States Air Force and served during World War II and Cold War military development. He served as chief of staff for the Ninth Engineer Command in Europe, contributed to atomic energy policy in the Air Force, and led aviation engineering forces.

## Biography

Herbert William Ehrgott was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on October 31, 1904. He would attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology earning a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering in June 1930.
Ehrgott died in Washington, D.C., on September 20, 1982, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

## Career

Ehrgott graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1926 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Field Artillery. His initial assignment was as an instructor at the West Point Preparatory School at Fort Sheridan, Illinois. In May 1927, Ehrgott joined the First Engineers at Fort DuPont, Delaware and shortly after he pursued further education at MIT. Following this, he attended the French Technical School in Paris, graduating in October 1931. He then completed the Engineer School at Fort Humphrey, Virginia, in June 1932, after which he was assigned to the Ninth Engineers at Fort Riley, Kansas. From August to December 1933, Ehrgott served as a Civilian Conservation Corps company commander in International Falls, Minnesota, before returning to the Ninth Engineers at Fort Riley.
In 1934 he became Professor of Military Science and Tactics at Alabama Polytechnic Institute. Four years later, he oversaw the construction of the Arkport Dam in Hornell, New York, and in July 1939, he became an assistant engineer at the U.S. Engineer Office in Binghamton, New York. By March 1941, he was an instructor at the Engineer School at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
Between June and December 1941, Ehrgott was a military observer in Cairo, Egypt. He then commanded the Asmara Service Command in Africa and, in February 1942, was appointed as a military observer with the U.S. Military North African Mission. After a brief assignment with the Intelligence Division of the War Department General Staff in March 1942, he joined the Desert Warfare Board at the Desert Training Center in Camp Young, California.
In October 1942, Ehrgott was assigned to Europe as the staff engineer for the Ninth Air Force.. By December 1942, he was the assistant chief of staff for supply for the Ninth Air Force, with additional duties as staff engineer. In October 1943, he became the chief of staff, and in January 1944, he was appointed chief of staff of the Ninth Engineer Command in the European Theater.
In June 1945, Ehrgott entered the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, graduating in December 1945. He then served on the Joint Operations Review Board at the Army-Navy Staff College. In May 1946, he transferred to the Office of the Chief of Engineers as the assistant chief of the Repairs and Utilities Division, becoming chief a month later. On November 5, 1947, he transferred to the U.S. Air Force and was appointed executive officer of the Special Weapons Group in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Materiel. A year later, he became the assistant for program control in the Office of the Assistant for Atomic Energy under the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations.
After graduating from the National War College in June 1950, Ehrgott was assigned to the Air Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, becoming the acting deputy chief of staff for materiel in November 1950. In April 1951, he took command of the Aviation Engineer Force at Wolters, Texas. By August 1953, he was the director of installations in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations at Air Force Headquarters in Washington, D.C. In September 1954, he joined the U.S. European Command as the deputy director of the Joint Construction Agency.
His retirement was effective as of July 1, 1966.
Awards he received include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Croix de Guerre of France, and the Luxembourg War Cross. Ehrgott was also a Member of the Order of the British Empire.