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 ...

Rolland Valentine Heiser (25 April 192516 June 2016), 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 ...

officer who served 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 ...

Military career

Heiser graduated from

Western Military Academy Western Military Academy was a private military preparatory school located in Alton, Illinois, United States. It operated from 1879 to 1971. The campus is part of the National Register of Historic Places District (ID.78001167). The school motto wa ...

in Alton, Illinois in 1943 and served as an enlisted man in the United States Army from 1943 to 1944. He received his bachelor's degree 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 ...

in 1947, and his master's degree from

George Washington University , mottoeng = "God is Our Trust" , established = , type = Private federally chartered research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.8 billion (2022) , preside ...

in 1965. While in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

, he was instrumental in founding the Korea Military Academy. He served in South Vietnam as senior adviser Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, Training Directorate from 1967 to 1968. He served as commander of the

3rd Armored Division (United States) The 3rd Armored Division (also known as "Spearhead", 3rd Armored, and 3AD) was an armored division of the United States Army. Unofficially nicknamed the "Third Herd," the division was first activated in 1941 and was active in the European Theat ...

support command and the

14th Armored Cavalry Regiment The 14th Cavalry Regiment is a cavalry regiment of the United States Army. It has two squadrons that provide reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition for Stryker brigade combat teams. Constituted in 1901, it has served in conflicts ...

. He then served as assistant division commander of the 9th Infantry Division. He then served as Director of Plans, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations. In his role as Director of Plans he served as the head of the ad hoc Strategic Assessment Group to determine the role for the Army's conventional strategy post-Vietnam. The Group's findings were presented in numerous briefings to the U.S. defense community. In May 1974 he assumed command of the 1st Armored Division remaining in the role until August 1975. He served as the

Chief of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...

United States European Command The United States European Command (EUCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States military, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Its area of focus covers and 51 countries and territories, including Europe, Russi ...

until his retirement on 1 October 1978.

Decorations

His decorations included the

Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation. Examples include: *Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action * Distinguishe ...

(2),

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 ...

and

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 ...

(3).

Later life

He resided in Sarasota,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. He was a member of the New College of Florida Board of Trustees, and served as president of the New College Foundation, a position he held for 22 years. He was instrumental in raising over $25 million in funds for the college and restoring its financial health. Later serving on the Florida Board of Governors, Heiser successfully opposed the establishment of a chiropractic college at

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the st ...

, deeming it an unnecessary imposition on limited educational resources. He died on 16 June 2016 and was buried at

Sarasota National Cemetery Sarasota National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in Sarasota County, Florida. Administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, it is the sixth national cemetery developed in Florida. History The Veteran ...

References

New College of Florida United States Army generals United States Military Academy alumni George Washington University alumni 2016 deaths 1925 births {{US-army-bio-stub