WEarl Edward Anderson was an U.S. Marine four-star general. He was the youngest active duty Marine ever promoted to the rank of general and the first active duty Marine Naval Aviator to be promoted to a 4-star rank. He became Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps on April 1, 1972. He was promoted to general on March 31, 1972. General Keith B. McCutcheon had been promoted to four-star rank the day of his retirement for medical reasons on July 1, 1971. During his 35-year Marine career, he served in combat actions in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
WAbner Maurice Aust Jr. was an American flying ace in the 506th Fighter Group during World War II, and a career fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. During World War II, Aust flew Very Long Range (VLR) fighter missions from Iwo Jima, and was one of the last pilots to become flying aces in the war. During Vietnam War, Aust commanded two fighter wings and flew more than 300 combat missions.
WLee J. Baggett Jr. was a four star admiral in the United States Navy who served as Commander in Chief Europe in 1985 and Commander in Chief of the United States Atlantic Command from 1985 to 1988. A native of Oxford, Mississippi, Baggett died in 1999 of heart disease.
WLieutenant General Royal Newman "King" Baker was a United States Air Force flying ace during the Korean War. He accrued 13 victories in the war.
WBrigadier General Donald Dunwody "Don" Blackburn was a United States Army Special Forces officer, best known for his significant command and developmental roles in the U.S. Army Special Forces.
WGeorge Scratchley Brown was a United States Air Force general who served as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In this capacity, he served as the senior military adviser to the president of the United States, the National Security Council and the secretary of defense. Through the commanders of the unified and specified commands, he was also responsible for executing the decisions of the National Command Authorities regarding worldwide readiness and employment of combat forces of the United States Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.
WAllen Mitchell Burdett, Jr. was a United States Army lieutenant general.
WAdmiral James Buchanan Busey IV is a retired United States Navy four star admiral. He served as Vice Chief of Naval Operations, from 1985 to 1987 and as Commander in Chief, United States Naval Forces Europe/Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Southern Europe from 1987 to 1989.
WWilliam B. Caldwell III was a United States Army general who retired as the Fifth United States Army commanding general at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. A combat veteran of wars in Korea and Vietnam, he was awarded the Silver Star on three separate occasions for gallantry and heroism under fire. Coming from a long line of soldiers, his great-great-great-great grandfather, Thomas Maze, fought in the Revolutionary War, his grandfather served in the Union Army during the Civil War, his father was an army colonel during World War II, and his son William B. Caldwell IV is a retired lieutenant general with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
WRichard Edward Cavazos was a United States Army four-star general. He was a Korean War recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross as a first lieutenant and advanced in rank to become the United States Army's first Hispanic four-star general. During the Vietnam War, as a lieutenant colonel, Cavazos was awarded a second Distinguished Service Cross. In 1976, Cavazos became the first Mexican American to reach the rank of brigadier general in the United States Army. Cavazos served for thirty-three years, with his final command as head of the United States Army Forces Command.
WGeneral Lucius DuBignon Clay Jr. was a United States military leader who held the positions of commander-in-chief of the North American Air Defense Command, the Continental Air Defense Command, the United States element of NORAD, and was also a commander of the United States Air Force's Aerospace Defense Command. His father, Lucius D. Clay Sr. and his brother, Frank Butner Clay, were also both generals, and his grandfather was Senator Alexander Stephens Clay of Georgia.
WWilliam James Crowe Jr. was a United States Navy admiral who served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, and as the ambassador to the United Kingdom under President Bill Clinton.
WRobert Everton Cushman Jr. was a United States Marine Corps four-star general who served as the 25th commandant of the Marine Corps from January 1, 1972, to June 30, 1975. He was honored for heroism during World War II at the battles of Guam, Bougainville and Iwo Jima. He also commanded all Marine forces in the Vietnam War from June to December 1967, and served as deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 1969 to 1971.
WRaymond Gilbert "Ray" Davis was a United States Marine Corps four-star-general who had served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Davis was decorated several times, he was awarded the Navy Cross during World War II and the Medal of Honor during the Korean War. While serving as the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, he retired with over 33 years service in the Marine Corps on March 31, 1972.
WMajor General James Lewis Day was a United States Marine Corps major general who served in World War II, in the Korean War, and in the Vietnam War. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions as a corporal on May 14 to 17, 1945 during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II.
WOliver Williams Dillard Sr. was a retired United States Army major general, the fifth black officer in the U.S. Army to attain flag rank. He was a member of the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame and Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame, at Fort Huachuca, Arizona and Fort Benning, Georgia respectively.
WLieutenant General Đỗ Cao Trí was a general in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) known for his fighting prowess and flamboyant style. Trí started out in the French Army before transferring to the Vietnamese National Army and the ARVN. Under President Ngô Đình Diệm, Trí was the commander of I Corps where he was noted for harsh crackdowns on Buddhist civil rights demonstrations against the Diệm government. Trí later participated in the November 1963 coup which resulted in the assassination of Diệm on 2 November 1963.
WClifford Barnes Drake was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of major general. He served as an artillery officer during World War II and later took part in the Vietnam War as deputy commander of XXIV Corps.
WFrank Worth Elliott Jr. was a Major General in the United States Air Force. General Elliott served in World War II as the captain of a B-24 Liberator, commander of the 14th Strategic Aerospace Division, and commander of Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, IL. Elliott also held the distinction of having piloted the SR-71 Blackbird.
WRobert Leahy Fair was a United States Army lieutenant general and a field commander in Germany during the Cold War. Fair commanded V Corps from August 25, 1975, until January 4, 1976. After 32 years in the U.S. Army and service in three wars, Fair concluded his career in 1976, and died in 1983.
WSylvester Robert "Bob" Foley Jr. was a four star admiral in the United States Navy who served as Commander in Chief Pacific from 1982 to 1985. He was born in Manchester, New Hampshire. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1950.
WDavid Haskell Hackworth also known as Hack, was a prominent military journalist and a former United States Army colonel who was decorated in both the Korean War and Vietnam War. Hackworth is known for his role in the creation and command of Tiger Force, a military unit which was formed in South Vietnam to apply guerrilla warfare tactics against Viet Cong guerrilla fighters.
WHuntington Hardisty was a United States Navy four star admiral who served as Vice Chief of Naval Operations (VCNO) from 1987 to 1988; and Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Command (USCINCPAC) from 1988 to 1991.
WFred Elmer Haynes Jr. was an American and retired United States Marine Corps major general. He served in World War II and the Vietnam War. He completed his Marine Corps career as deputy chief of staff for Research, Development and Studies at Headquarters Marine Corps. He was the older brother of actor and Dallas television personality, Jerry Haynes aka Mr. Peppermint, and uncle of musician & artist Gibby Haynes.
WLeonard Dudley Heaton was Surgeon General of the United States Army from 1959 to 1969.
WBobby Ray Inman is a retired United States Navy admiral who held several influential positions in the United States Intelligence Community.
WSamuel Jaskilka was a U.S. Marine four-star general whose last assignment was Assistant Commandant of the United States Marine Corps (1975–1978). General Jaskilka was a highly decorated veteran of the Korean War, having led the landing at Inchon as a company commander with the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines. He retired from the Marine Corps in 1978 after 36 years of service.
WHal Bruce Jennings, Jr. was an American plastic surgeon who served as Surgeon General of the United States Army from October 10, 1969, to September 30, 1973.
WDavid Charles Jones was a United States Air Force general and the ninth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In this capacity, Jones served as the highest ranking uniformed officer of the United States military forces. He was previously the ninth Air Force Chief of Staff and fifteenth Commander of The United States Air Force in Europe.
WPaul Xavier Kelley was a United States Marine Corps four-star general who served as the 28th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps from July 1, 1983, to June 30, 1987.
WJohn Kizirian was a highly decorated member of the United States Armed Forces for over three decades and served during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
WFrederick James Kroesen Jr. was a United States Army four-star general who served as the Commanding General of the Seventh United States Army and the commander of NATO Central Army Group from 1979 to 1983, and Commanding General, United States Army Forces Command from 1976 to 1978. He also served as Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1978 to 1979. He commanded troops in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, enabling him to be one of the very small number who ever was entitled to wear the Combat Infantryman Badge with two Stars, denoting active combat in three wars.
WFoster Carr LaHue was a lieutenant general in the United States Marine Corps. He saw combat in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. During the Vietnam War he commanded Task Force X-Ray which was involved in the heaviest fighting at the Battle of Huế.
WWilliam Groom Leftwich Jr. was an officer of the United States Marine Corps who served during the Vietnam War. In 1970, he was killed in a helicopter crash during a combat mission in the Vietnam War.
WWilliam J. Maddox Jr was a United States Army Aviator and a major general in the United States Army. During his career he amassed over 10,500 flying hours, almost 4,000 of those in combat over Korea, Vietnam and Cambodia.
WLeroy Joseph Manor was a United States Air Force Lieutenant General who began his career serving as a P-47 fighter pilot in World War II, and in numerous command positions during the Vietnam War era. General Manor is perhaps best known as task force commander of Operation Ivory Coast, a special forces raid on the prisoner of war camp at Son Tay, Vietnam on November 21, 1970.
WRobert Couth Mathis was a United States Air Force four-star general who served as Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force (VCSAF) from 1980 to 1982.
WEdward Charles "Shy" Meyer was a United States Army general who served as the 29th Chief of Staff of the United States Army.
WNguyễn Cao Kỳ was a Vietnamese military officer and politician who served as the chief of the Republic of Vietnam Air Force in the 1960s, before leading the nation as the prime minister of South Vietnam in a military junta from 1965 to 1967. Then, until his retirement from politics in 1971, he served as vice president to bitter rival General Nguyễn Văn Thiệu, in a nominally civilian administration.
WNguyễn Văn Thiệu was a Vietnamese military officer and politician who was the president of South Vietnam from 1967 to 1975. He was a general in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), became head of a military junta in 1965, and then president after winning an election in 1967. He established rule over South Vietnam until he resigned and left the nation a few days before the fall of Saigon and the ultimate North Vietnamese victory.
WLieutenant General John "Jack" Norton was a general in the United States Army. His decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal and the Silver Star. He was key in founding the Army Air Corps and helped pioneer the use of helicopters in combat, and is a member of the Army Aviation Hall of Fame and the Army Field Experimentation Hall of Fame.
WRobin Olds was an American fighter pilot and general officer in the United States Air Force. He was a "triple ace", with a combined total of 17 victories in World War II and the Vietnam War. He retired in 1973 as a brigadier general, after 30 years of service.
WCharles Curtis Pattillo, also known as Buck Pattillo, was an American Air Force lieutenant general who was deputy commander in chief, U.S. Readiness Command and vice director of the Joint Deployment Agency with headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. He died in May 2019 at the age of 94.
WGeorge Smith Patton IV was a major general in the United States Army and the son of World War II General George S. Patton Jr. He served in the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
WJohn William Pauly was a general in the Allied Air Forces Central Europe, and commander in chief, United States Air Forces in Europe, with headquarters at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
WPhạm Văn Đổng was a South Vietnamese general. In 1965, as military governor of Saigon, he had successfully repressed Buddhist mobs instigated by Thích Trí Quang of the Ấn Quang group and Thích Tâm Châu of Việt Nam Quốc Tự. With his commanding skills and knowledge, Đổng was regarded highly by American and French officers, and well respected by many ARVN officers. A staunch nationalist and anti-communist, he was considered an ally to the labor union, the Northern Catholics, several Việt Nam Quốc Dân Đảng factions, multiple Đại Việt groups, Việt Nam Cách Mạng Đồng Minh Hội high-ranking members, Duy Dân and Hòa Hảo leaders.
WKarl Wendell Richter was an officer in the United States Air Force and an accomplished fighter pilot during the Vietnam War. At the age of 23 he was the youngest pilot in that conflict to shoot down a MiG in air-to-air combat.
WJohn Walter Ripley was a decorated United States Marine Corps Colonel who received the Navy Cross for his actions in combat during the Vietnam War. On Easter morning 1972, Captain Ripley repeatedly exposed himself to intense enemy fire over a three-hour period as he prepared to blow up an essential bridge in Dong Ha. His actions significantly hampered the North Vietnamese Army's advance into South Vietnam. The story of "Ripley at the Bridge" is legendary in the Marine Corps and is captured in a gripping diorama at the United States Naval Academy.
WDonn John Robertson was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of lieutenant general. He is most noted for his service as commanding general of III Marine Amphibious Force and 1st Marine Division during Vietnam War.
WLouis Theodore "Ted" Seith was a former general in the United States Air Force and the former Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe.
WRobert Morin Shoemaker was a United States Army general and former commander of the United States Army Forces Command. He is also an inductee into the Aviation Hall of Fame.
WOrmond Ralph Simpson was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of lieutenant general, who held a number of important assignments throughout his career. He is most noted as commanding general of 1st Marine Division during Vietnam War and later as director of personnel and deputy chief of staff for manpower at Headquarters Marine Corps.
WGeneral Alton Davis Slay, Sr. was a four star United States Air Force general and former commander, Air Force Systems Command, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland.
WRear Adm. J. Edward Snyder, USN (Ret.) was notable as the captain of the battleship USS New Jersey during that ship's deployment to the Vietnam War in 1968. Considered by those serving on the New Jersey to be a "sailor's captain," Captain Snyder was able to motivate his men through his more relaxed shipboard policies.
WRichard Ray Taylor was a lieutenant general in the United States military and served as the 33rd Surgeon General of the United States Army.
WRathvon McClure Tompkins was a highly decorated United States Marine Corps major general. He saw combat in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and led Marine units during the Dominican Civil War. Tompkins is well known for his part as commander of the 3rd Marine Division during the Battle of Khe Sanh in Vietnam.
WThomas John Hall "Trap" Trapnell was a United States Army lieutenant general. He was a career officer who served in World War II and the Korean War. Trapnell survived the Bataan Death March and the sinking of two transportation ships during World War II, put down a rebellion of prisoners of war in the Korean War, was the top US advisor to the French during the French Indochina War, and advised against US involvement in Vietnam. He rose to the rank of three-star general before his military retirement and, at the time of his death, was the oldest living member of the Philippine Scouts.
WEdwin Bliss Wheeler was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of major general. He served with famous Marine Raiders during World War II and earned the Silver Star for gallantry in action. Wheeler served two tours of duty in Vietnam, as commanding officer of 3rd Marine Regiment in 1964–1965 and later as commanding general of 1st Marine Division in 1969–1970.
WCharles Fred Widdecke was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps who reached the rank of major general. Widdecke received the Navy Cross, the United States military's second-highest decoration awarded for valor in combat, for his actions during the Recapture of Guam in July 1944. He later commanded the 1st Marine Division at the end of Vietnam War.
WCarl Albert Youngdale was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of major general. As an artillery officer, he took part in the three major conflicts of the 20th century and completed his 36 years career as commanding general of Camp Lejeune.