Dave Richard Palmer (born May 31, 1934) is a retired
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
who served as the 53rd
Superintendent of the United States Military Academy (1986–1991), military historian and author, and former President of Walden University. A 1956 graduate of West Point, he served two tours in the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
and numerous command positions during the height of the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
. He taught courses at both West Point and the Vietnamese National Military Academy.
Early life and education
Palmer was born in
Ada
Ada may refer to:
Places
Africa
* Ada Foah, a town in Ghana
* Ada (Ghana parliament constituency)
* Ada, Osun, a town in Nigeria
Asia
* Ada, Urmia, a village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Ada, Karaman, a village in Karaman Province, ...
,
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
, on May 31, 1934. He grew up in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
and
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, receiving his appointment to the academy from Texas and graduating 37th in his class from West Point in 1956. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the armor branch and embarked on a military career that spanned the Cold War era. During his military career, Palmer received a
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. in history from
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist James ...
.
Military career
Palmer's initial assignment was as an armor officer in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
. He commanded a tank company in the
1st Armored Division, and would later command that same division. From 1969 to 1971, he commanded the
2nd Battalion, 33rd Armor in the
3rd Armored Division. His brigade command was of the 1st Brigade,
2nd Armored Division,
Fort Hood, Texas
Fort Hood is a United States Army post located near Killeen, Texas. Named after Confederate General John Bell Hood, it is located halfway between Austin and Waco, about from each, within the U.S. state of Texas. The post is the headquarter ...
, from 1976 to 1977. His career saw two tours in Vietnam; one of these consisted of serving on the faculty at the Vietnamese National Military Academy.
Palmer's staff and academic assignments included a tour as an instructor in the Department of Military Art and Engineering at West Point where he wrote ''The River and the Rock'' in 1969. He also served as the Deputy Commandant of the
Army Command and General Staff College
The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...
. He also served multiple assignments with the Joints Chiefs of Staff and Army staff at
the Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metony ...
.
[Hurst pp. 8-9.]
Decorations
*
Army Distinguished Service Medal
The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a military decoration of the United States Army that is presented to soldiers who have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service to the government in a duty of great responsibility. Th ...
*
Defense Superior Service Medal
The Defense Superior Service Medal (DSSM) is a military decoration of the United States Department of Defense, which is presented to United States Armed Forces service members who perform superior meritorious service in a position of significant ...
*
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...
*
Bronze Star
The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone.
Wh ...
*
Air Medal
The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.
Criteria
The Air Medal was establish ...
* ,
Vietnam Service Medal
The Vietnam Service Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces established on 8 July 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The medal is awarded to recognize service during the Vietnam War by all members of the U.S. A ...
with three bronze service stars
Civilian career
Upon completion as his tour as West Point Superintendent, Palmer retired from the Army in 1991. He joined the Board of Directors of
Walden University
Walden University is a private online for-profit university headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It offers Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, Master of Business Administration, Master of Public Administration, Master of Public Healt ...
the following year. From 1995 to 1999, he served as president of Walden University, where he pioneered distance learning methods. Under Palmer's leadership, enrollment at the university doubled, and now has more than 10,000 students. From 1999 to 2000, he was Chief Executive Officer of Walden e-Learning, Incorporated.
Palmer has been a prolific author throughout his career and is recognized as a premier
military historian
Military history is the study of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, cultures and economies thereof, as well as the resulting changes to local and international relationships.
Professional historians norma ...
.
Bibliography
*''River and the Rock: The History of Fortress West Point 1775-1783''
*''The Way of the Fox; American Strategy in the War for America, 1775-1783'' (Greenwood Press, 1975)
*''Summons of Trumpet: US-Vietnam in Perspective'' (Presidio Press, 1978)
*''Early American Wars and Military Institutions'' (Avery Pub. Group, 1986)
*''1794: America, Its Army, and the Birth of the Nation'' (Presidio Press, 1994)
*''George Washington and Benedict Arnold: A Tale of Two Patriots'' (Regnery Pub., 2006)
*''George Washington's Military Genius'' (Regnery Pub., 2012)
References
External links
Portrait of General Palmerby
Margaret Holland Sargent
Margaret Holland Sargent (born December 30, 1927), also known as Meg Sargent, is an American portrait artist based in Los Angeles, California. She has painted over three hundred oil portraits, including portraits of Tennessee Williams, Gerald Fo ...
Palmer discusses ''George Washington & Benedict Arnold: A Tale of Two Patriots''at the
Pritzker Military Museum & Library
The Pritzker Military Museum & Library (formerly Pritzker Military Library) is a non-profit museum and a research library for the study of military history on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. The institution was founded in 2003, and its spe ...
*
Further reading
{{DEFAULTSORT:Palmer, Dave Richard
1934 births
Duke University alumni
United States Military Academy alumni
United States Army generals
Superintendents of the United States Military Academy
Living people
United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni
Recipients of the Air Medal
Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)
Recipients of the Legion of Merit
Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal
People from Ada, Oklahoma
American military historians
American male non-fiction writers