US Army General. A four-star general, he served as the tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during the Administration of President Ronald W. Reagan from June 18, 1982 until September 30, 1985. While still in high school, at the age of sixteen, he enlisted with the Minnesota National Guard and in 1941, he was called to active duty. Assigned to the 34th Infantry Division, he saw action in North Africa and Italy and experienced his first battle commission, when he directed artillery fire, during the Battle of Anzio, on May 6, 1944. Following World War II, he remained with the Army and served during the Korean War. He attended the United States Army Command and General Staff College, the Armed Forces Staff College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. Additionally, he received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland and his Master's degree from George Washington University. During the Vietnam War, he held the rank of lieutenant colonel and received a Purple Heart and a Distinguished Service Cross, when he defended a firebase and battled a relentless enemy at close quarters. In 1975, he was promoted to lieutenant general and was served as the United States Army's Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans. In 1976, he became a four-star general. In 1978, he became the first Commander-in Chief of the Republic of Korea-United States Combined Forces Command. and in 1979, he was named Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army. In 1992, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George H.W. Bush.
US Army General. A four-star general, he served as the tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during the Administration of President Ronald W. Reagan from June 18, 1982 until September 30, 1985. While still in high school, at the age of sixteen, he enlisted with the Minnesota National Guard and in 1941, he was called to active duty. Assigned to the 34th Infantry Division, he saw action in North Africa and Italy and experienced his first battle commission, when he directed artillery fire, during the Battle of Anzio, on May 6, 1944. Following World War II, he remained with the Army and served during the Korean War. He attended the United States Army Command and General Staff College, the Armed Forces Staff College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. Additionally, he received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland and his Master's degree from George Washington University. During the Vietnam War, he held the rank of lieutenant colonel and received a Purple Heart and a Distinguished Service Cross, when he defended a firebase and battled a relentless enemy at close quarters. In 1975, he was promoted to lieutenant general and was served as the United States Army's Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans. In 1976, he became a four-star general. In 1978, he became the first Commander-in Chief of the Republic of Korea-United States Combined Forces Command. and in 1979, he was named Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army. In 1992, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George H.W. Bush.
Bio by: C.S.
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See more Vessey memorials in:
Records on Ancestry
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GEN John William “Jack” Vessey Jr.
1940 United States Federal Census
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GEN John William “Jack” Vessey Jr.
Minnesota, U.S., Death Index, 1908-2017
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GEN John William “Jack” Vessey Jr.
1930 United States Federal Census
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GEN John William “Jack” Vessey Jr.
U.S., Cemetery and Funeral Home Collection, 1847-Current
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GEN John William “Jack” Vessey Jr.
U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
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