Bruce Palmer, Jr., (13 April 1913–October 10, 2000) was a noted United States Army General and acting Chief of Staff of the United States Army from July to October 1972. 13 April is the 103rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (104th in leap years). ... 1913 (MCMXIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in Leap years). ... This article is about the year 2000. ... US Army Seal HHC, US Army Distinctive Unit Insignia The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces that has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... General is a high military rank, used by nearly every country in the world. ... The Flag of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army The Chief of Staff of the United States Army (CSA) is the professional head of the United States Army who is responsible for insuring readiness of the Army. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ...

Career Summary

Palmer was born in Austin, Texas. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1936 and was commissioned a second lieutenant and served with the 8th Cavalry at Fort Bliss, Texas, 1936–1939. Palmer was promoted to first lieutenant, June 1939, and served as regimental adjutant, June–September 1939. Nickname: Live Music Capital of the World Motto: {{{motto}}} Official website: www. ... The United States Military Academy, also known as West Point, or simply USMA, is a U.S. service academy and former Army fort. ... Fort Bliss is a census-designated place and US Army post located in El Paso County, Texas. ... ...

He graduated from the Cavalry School at Fort Riley, Kansas, 1940; was a troop and squadron commander of the 6th Cavalry (Mechanized), 1940–1942; and was promoted to temporary ranks of captain, October 1940, and major, February 1942. Fort Riley is a census-designated place and United States Army post, in Northeast Kansas, on the Kansas River. ... State nickname: The Sunflower State Official languages None Capital Topeka Largest city Wichita Governor Kathleen Sebelius (D) Senators Sam Brownback (R) Pat Roberts (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 15th 82,277 mi²; 213,096 km² 0. ...

He served in the Operations Division of the War Department General Staff, 1942–1943; was promoted to temporary lieutenant colonel, February 1943; and was chief of staff of the 6th Infantry Division in Southwest Pacific operations in World War II, 1944–1945. World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atomic bomb. ...

He was promoted to temporary colonel, January 1945, and permanent captain, June 1946, and major, July 1948; commanded the 63d Infantry in the Korean occupation, 1945–1946; was chief of plans and operations of the First Army, 1947–1949; was instructor of tactics and then director of instruction at the Infantry School, Fort Benning, 1949–1951; concurrently completed the basic airborne course; and graduated from the Army War College, 1952. The military of a number of countries have a First Army: Australian First Army Austro-Hungarian First Army British First Army Bulgarian First Army Canadian First Army French First Army German First Army Greek First Army Hungarian First Army Italian First Army Polish First Army Romanian First Army Russian First... Fort Benning is a military base facility of the United States military southwest of Columbus, Georgia. ... The United States Army War College is a U. S. Army school located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, specifically in the historic Carlisle Barracks. ...

He was secretary of the general staff and chief of the Plans Division, United States Army, Europe, 1952–1954; was promoted to permanent lieutenant colonel, July 1953; was commander of the 16th Infantry, 1954–1955; served on the faculty of the Army War College, 1955–1957; and was deputy secretary of the General Staff and White House liaison officer, Office of the Chief of Staff, 1957–1959.

He was promoted to temporary brigadier general, August 1959; was deputy commandant of the Army War College, 1959–1961; and was assistant division commander of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, 1961–1962. The 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army was formed originally as the 82nd Infantry Division on August 25, 1917, at Camp Gordon, Georgia. ... Fort Bragg is a census-designated place and United States Army base, or post, in Cumberland County, North Carolina, near Fayetteville. ...

He was promoted to permanent colonel, June 1961, and temporary major general, May 1962; was chief of staff of the Eighth Army, Korea, 1962–1963; was assistant deputy chief of staff for plans and operations, 1963–1964, and deputy chief of staff for military operations, 1964–1965; was promoted to permanent brigadier general, February 1963, and temporary lieutenant general, July 1964. A number of nations have an Eighth Army: 8th Route Army British Eighth Army US Eighth Army This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

He was commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps, 1965–1967, and concurrently commander of Task Force 120 and United States Land Forces, Dominican Republic, May 1965, and commander of United States Forces and Army Forces and deputy commander of the Inter-American Peace Force in operations in the Dominican Republic, May 1965–January 1966. Patch of the XVIII Airborne Corps. ...

He was commander of the II Field Force, Vietnam, and deputy commander of the United States Army, Vietnam, 1967–1968; was promoted to temporary general, August 1968, and served as vice chief of staff of the United States Army, 1 August 1968–30 June 1972; was acting Chief of Staff of the United States Army 1 July–11 October 1972; provided managerial continuity at the top of the Army during the Westmoreland-Abrams interregnum, supervised the continuing drawdown of Army forces from Vietnam and related Army-wide readjustments, and prepared major revisions in Army organizational structure; resumed duties as vice chief of staff; was commander in chief of the United States Readiness Command, 1973–1974; and retired from the Army, September 1974, coincidentally on the day his close associate General Creighton W. Abrams died. The Flag of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army The Chief of Staff of the United States Army (CSA) is the professional head of the United States Army who is responsible for insuring readiness of the Army. ... Creighton W. Abrams watches Bob Hope at Long Binh in Vietnam Creighton Williams Abrams Jr. ...

Personal Data

He married Kay Sibert in 1936. She died in 1996. They had a son, Bruce III, and two daughters, Maureen and Robin. General Palmer died on October 10, 2000. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Arlington Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, is an American military cemetery established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Robert E. Lees home. ...

He wrote two books in his retirement, "The 25 Year War: America's Military Role in Vietnam" and "Intervention in the Caribbean: The Dominican Crisis of 1965".

His father was an Army brigadier general and a grandfather received the Medal of Honor during the Civil War.

References

• "Thunderbolt" by Lewis Sorley, ISBN 0-671-70115-0

External links

• Arlington Cemetery Website