Tuesday, July 19, 2005

We have lost a Great Patriot






















I am flying my flag half mast for William Westmoreland. A true American Hero. Thanks to army.mil for the info.


William C. Westmoreland

William Childs Westmoreland was born in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, on 26 March 1914; graduated from the United States Military Academy, 1936; was commissioned a second lieutenant, June 1936, and served with the 18th Field Artillery at Fort Sill, 1936 to1939; was promoted to first lieutenant, June 1939; was a battery officer and commander and a battalion staff officer of the 8th Field Artillery at Schofield Barracks, 1939 to 1941; was promoted to temporary major (February) and lieutenant colonel (September), 1942; was operations officer of the 34th Field Artillery Battalion, 9th Infantry Division, in the United States and North Africa and a battalion commander in operations in Tunisia and Sicily, 1942 to 1944; was executive officer of the 9th Division Artillery in Western European operations, 1944; was promoted to temporary colonel, July 1944; was chief of staff of the 9th Infantry Division in the closing operations of World War II in Germany, 1944 to 1945; commanded the 60th Infantry, 1945 to 1946; was promoted to permanent captain, June 1946; was chief of staff and later commander of the 71st Infantry Division, 1946; received airborne training at the Infantry School, 1946; commanded the 504th Parachute Infantry, 82d Airborne Division, 1946 to 1947; married Katherine S. Van Deusen, 1947; was chief of staff of the 82d Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, 1947 to 1950, receiving his promotion to permanent major in July 1948; was instructor at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, 1950 to 1951, and the Army War College, 1951 to 1952; commanded the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team in operations in Korea, 1952 to 1953; was promoted to temporary brigadier general, November 1952, and permanent lieutenant colonel, July 1953; was deputy assistant chief of staff, for manpower control, 1953 to 1955; attended the advanced management program at Harvard Business School, 1954; was secretary of the General Staff, 1955 to 1958; was promoted to temporary major general, December 1956; was commander of the 101st Airborne Division and Fort Campbell, 1958 to 1960; was superintendent of the United States Military Academy, 1960 to 1963; was promoted to permanent ranks of colonel, June 1961, and brigadier general, February 1963, and to temporary lieutenant general, July 1963; was commander of the Strategic Army Corps and XVIII Airborne Corps, 1963 to 1964; was successively deputy commander and acting commander of United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, 1964; was promoted to temporary general, August 1964, and permanent major general, August 1965; was commander of United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, and United States Army, Vietnam, at the peak of the Vietnam War, 1964 to 1968; was chief of staff of the United States Army, 3 July 1968 to 30 June 1972; supervised the Army's disengagement from Vietnam, the transition from the draft to an all-volunteer footing, and the employment of troops in a period of active civil disturbance; centered attention upon efforts to improve service life, officer professionalism, job attractiveness, and public understanding; retired from active service, July 1972.






Day is done, gone the sun,From the lake, from the hills, from the sky;All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.
Fading light, dims the sight,And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright.From afar, drawing nigh, falls the night. Thanks and praise, for our days,'Neath the sun, 'neath the stars, neath the sky;As we go, this we know, God is nigh. Sun has set, shadows come,Time has fled, Scouts must go to their bedsAlways true to the promise that they made. While the light fades from sight,And the stars gleaming rays softly send,To thy hands we our souls, Lord, commend
. - TAPS

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