General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

Donald Raymond Keith (January 31, 1927 – September 9, 2004) was a

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 ...

general.

Early life and education

Keith was born in

Ludington, Michigan Ludington ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Mason County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,076. Ludington is a harbor town located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Pere Marquette Rive ...

. During World War II, he served in the

as an enlisted soldier. He graduated from the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

at West Point in 1949 and was commissioned a field artillery second lieutenant. He received his bachelor's degree from the Academy and a master's degree from

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

in 1958, preceding a faculty assignment at West Point. He received an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the

University of Akron The University of Akron is a public research university in Akron, Ohio. It is part of the University System of Ohio. As a STEM-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advanced materials, and engineering. It is classified ...

in 1982.

Military career

Some of Keith's key duty assignments in his active military service were: *January 69 to July 70 – Commander, 36th Artillery Group, United States Army, Europe *July 70 to June 71 – Executive Officer, Office of the Chief of Research and Development, United States Army, Washington, D.C. *August 71 to August 72 – Director, Research and Analysis Directorate, Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support, United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam *September 72 to May 74 – Director of Developments, Office, Chief of Research and Development, United States Army, Washington, D.C. *May 74 to October 76 – Director of Weapon Systems, Office, Deputy Chief of Staff for Research, Development and Acquisition, United States Army, Washington, D.C. *October 76 to October 77 – Commanding General,

United States Army Field Artillery School The United States Army Field Artillery School (USAFAS) trains Field Artillery Soldiers and Marines in tactics, techniques, and procedures for the employment of fire support systems in support of the maneuver commander. The school further develop ...

Fort Sill Fort Sill is a United States Army post north of Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles (136.8 km) southwest of Oklahoma City. It covers almost . The fort was first built during the Indian Wars. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark ...

, Oklahoma *October 77 to December 77 – Acting Deputy Chief of Staff for Research, Development and Acquisition, United States Army, Washington, D.C. *December 77 to August 81 – Deputy Chief of Staff for Research, Development and Acquisition, United States Army, Washington, D.C. *August 81 to June 84 – Commanding General, United States Army Materiel Development and Readiness Command, Alexandria, Virginia Keith attended the Ground General School, Field Artillery School,

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 ...

Armed Forces Staff College The Joint Forces Staff College (JFSC), located in Norfolk, Virginia, was established as the Armed Forces Staff College in 1946 and incorporated into the National Defense University in August 1981. It educates and acculturates joint and multinat ...

, and

Industrial College of the Armed Forces The Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy (Eisenhower School), formerly known as the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF), is a part of the National Defense University. It was renamed on September 6, 20 ...

. He was awarded the

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 ...

, the

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 ...

with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the

Bronze Star Medal 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 ...

, the

Army Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fifth ...

with Oak Leaf Cluster and numerous foreign awards and service ribbons. He retired from military service on June 28, 1984.

Later life

In retirement Keith served as Chairman of the United States Field Artillery Association, from 2002 until shortly before his death, and was succeeded by

Jack N. Merritt Jack Neil Merritt (October 23, 1930 – January 3, 2018) was a United States Army four-star general who served as U.S. Military Representative, NATO Military Committee (USMILREP) from 1985 to 1987. Military career Merritt was born in Lawton, Okla ...

. He died September 9, 2004. He is buried at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

.Donald R. Keith at findagrave.com
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Keith, Donald R. 1927 births 2004 deaths United States Army generals United States Military Academy alumni Recipients of the Legion of Merit United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War People from Ludington, Michigan Military personnel from Michigan Columbia University alumni Burials at Arlington National Cemetery United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy alumni