General John Ernest Dahlquist (12 March 1896 – 30 June 1975) was a senior United States Army officer.

He is well known for commanding the series of poor tactical decisions which led to the entrapment of the Lost Battalion, which was surrounded by German forces in the Vosges Mountains on 24 October 1944, subsequently leading to the rescue operation by the 442nd RCT and its becoming the most highly decorated unit in the history of the United States Armed Forces.

He graduated from the University of Minnesota and received a direct commission as a second lieutenant into the Infantry Branch of the United States Army in August 1917, shortly after the American entry into World War I on 6 April 1917.

With the American entry into World War II in December 1941, Dahlquist was sent to England and assigned as deputy chief of staff to Major General Dwight David Eisenhower in early 1942, and, later that year, with the one-star rank of brigadier general, became the assistant division commander (ADC) of the 76th Infantry Division.

In July 1944, he took command of the 36th Infantry Division, a National Guard formation from Texas that had fought in many difficult battles in the Italian Campaign under Major General Frederick Walker and had recently taken part in Operation Dragoon, the Allied invasion of Southern France.

The citation for the first Army DSM reads: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress 9 July 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Major General John Ernest Dahlquist (ASN: 0-7120), United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility as Commanding General of the 36th Infantry Division during the period from 14 July to 14 September 1944.

When the battered unit appeared, Dahlquist grew irritated at their sparse numbers, ignorant at how much they had sacrificed.Dahlquist continued to lead the 36th Division throughout the campaign in Western Europe.

They had a son, Donald John Dahlquist, born on 9 March 1932, who died on 22 November 1993, and was buried in Arlington next to his parents.