Ernest N . Harmon Ernest Nason Harmon ( February 26 , 1894 – November 13 , 1979 ) was a United States Army general . He is best known for his actions in reorganizing U . S . II Corps after the debacle at the Battle of the Kasserine Pass in North Africa during World War II . Early life and career . Ernest Nason Harmon was born in Lowell , Massachusetts , and grew up in West Newbury , Vermont . He attended Norwich University , the " Birthplace of ROTC , " for a year prior to entering the United States Military Academy . Following his graduation from West Point in 1917 , he was commissioned in the cavalry . World War II . From July 1942 until April 6 , 1943 , Harmon commanded the 2nd Armored Division , whose elements had begun to arrive in Algeria . Upon landing in Algiers , Harmon was delegated by General Dwight D . Eisenhower to travel to the front to report on the deteriorating Allied situation in Tunisia and Algeria , and to assist where needed . His on - site reporting and interventions during the Kasserine Pass battles helped stabilize and reorganize the U . S . Army II Corps , which had been thrown into disorder after the initial German attack . During the fighting , Harmon had opportunity to observe General Lloyd Fredendall , commander of the US Army ' s II Corps , as well as his superior , the British General Kenneth Anderson . Anderson was in overall control of the Allied front in eastern Algeria , commanding British Commonwealth , American , and French forces . Harmon noticed that the two generals rarely saw each other , and failed to properly coordinate and integrate forces under their command . Fredendall was barely on speaking terms with his 1st Armored Division commander , Orlando Ward , who had repeatedly complained to his superiors of the dangers of separating his division into weaker combat commands for use in various sectors of the front . Harmon also noticed that Fredendall rarely left his command headquarters , a huge fortified bunker constructed a full 70 miles behind the front lines ( the bunker took two hundred Army engineers three weeks to excavate , using hundreds of pounds of explosive to blast rooms out of solid rock ) . Allied forces were bereft of air support during critical attacks , and were frequently positioned by the senior command in positions where they could not offer mutual support to each other . Subordinates would later recall their utter confusion at being handed conflicting orders , not knowing which general to obey - Anderson , or Fredendall . While interviewing field commanders , Harmon received an earful of criticism over what many Allied officers viewed as a cowardly , confused , and out - of - touch command . Noting that Fredendall seemed out - of - touch ( and at one point , intoxicated ) , he requested and received permission to go to the front and intervene where necessary to shore up Allied defenses . While Harmon attributed the lion ' s share of the blame for the catastrophe to Fredendall , he also began to question General Anderson ' s leadership abilities with respect to a large command . Anderson was partly to blame for the weakness of II Corps in southern area of the front . When Fredendall asked to retire to a defensible line after the initial assault in order to regroup his forces , Anderson rejected the request , allowing German panzer forces to overrun many of the American positions in the south . Anderson also weakened II Corps by parceling out portions of the U . S . 1st Armored Division into various combat commands sent to other sectors over the vehement objections of its commander , General Ward . Major - General Harmon had been in Thala on the Algerian border , witnessing the stubborn resistance of the British " Nickforce " , which held the vital road leading into the Kasserine Pass against the heavy pressure of the German 10th Panzer Division , which was under Rommel ' s direct command . Commanding the British " Nickforce " was Brigadier Cameron Nicholson , an effective combat leader who kept his remaining forces steady under relentless German hammering . When the U . S . 9th Infantry Division ' s attached artillery arrived in Thala after a four - day , 800 - mile march , it seemed like a godsend to Harmon . Inexplicably , the 9th was ordered by Anderson to abandon Thala to the enemy and head for the village of Le Kef , 50 miles away , to defend against an expected German attack . Nicholson pleaded with the American artillery commander , Brigadier General S . Leroy Irwin , to ignore Anderson ’ s order and stay . Harmon agreed with Nicholson and commanded , " " Irwin , you stay right here ! " " The 9th ' s artillery did stay , and with its 48 guns raining a whole year ' s worth of a ( peacetime ) allotment of shells , stopped the advancing Germans in their tracks . Unable to retreat under the withering fire , the Afrika Corps finally withdrew after dark . With the defeat at Thala , Rommel decided to end his offensive . After Rommel had finally been halted at Thala , Harmon returned to Fredendall ' s headquarters , and was incredulous to find Fredendall expecting to pick up where he had left off . Harmon ' s reports on General Fredendall ' s conduct during and after the battle ( in an interview with Patton , Harmon called him a cowardly " son - of - a - bitch " ) played a key role in the latter ' s removal from command of II Corps and reassignment to a training command . Offered the command of II Corps in Fredendall ' s place , Harmon declined , as it would appear to others that Harmon was motivated by personal gain . Instead , General Eisenhower appointed George S . Patton , a colleague and friend of Harmon , to replace Fredendall . He later accepted command of the 1st Armored Division after the relief of General Orlando Ward . Later , he was appointed to lead the U . S . Army ' s XXII Corps . Career highlights . General Harmon ' s career highlights include : Post - army life . General Harmon left the Army for Norwich University , where he served as President of that institution from 1950 to 1965 . In 1955 , he received an Honorary Doctorate of Law from Saint Michael ' s College , Burlington , Vermont . General Harmon died at White River Junction , Vermont , on 13 November 1979 . Married M . Leona Tuxbury in August 1917 . Decorations . Major General Harmon´s decorations included : Distinguished Service Cross , Army Distinguished Service Medal with Three Oak Leaf Clusters , Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster , Legion of Merit with Two Oak Leaf Clusters , Bronze Star , Air Medal , Army Commendation Ribbon , Purple Heart , World War I Victory Medal with Three battle Clasps , Army of Occupation of Germany Medal , American Defense Service Medal , American Campaign Medal , European - African - Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four Service stars , World War II Victory Medal , Army of Occupation Medal , Companion of the Order of the Bath , Chevalier of the Legion of Honour , Croix de Guerre 1939 - 1945 with Palm , Officer of the Order of Orange - Nassau , Commander of the Order of Leopold , Belgian Croix de guerre 1940 - 1945 , Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus , Czechoslovak War Cross 1939 - 1945 , Military Order of the White Lion 2nd Class , Russian Order of the Red Banner and Grand officer of the Order of Ouissam Alaouite . Major General Harmon´s ribbon bar :