Walter Thomas Kerwin Jr. (June 14, 1917 – July 11, 2008) was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

four star general who served as Commanding General, United States Continental Army Command in 1973, Commanding General,

United States Army Forces Command United States Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) is the largest United States Army command. It provides expeditionary, regionally engaged, campaign-capable land forces to combatant commanders. Headquartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, FORSCOM con ...

from 1973 to 1974, and

Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army The vice chief of staff of the Army (VCSA) is the principal deputy to the chief of staff of the Army, and is the second-highest-ranking officer on active duty in the Department of the Army. The vice chief of staff generally handles the day-to-d ...

from 1974 to 1978. He was the first commander of United States Army Forces Command and a member of the Association of the United States Army's Advisory Board of Directors since 1984.

Military career

Kerwin 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 ...

in 1939 and was commissioned in the field artillery and assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division. During World War II he fought in North Africa, Sicily, Italy and France. In December 1944, while in France, he was wounded in Mutzig and evacuated to the United States, returning to Europe in 1945 and assigned to the Theater Operations Division of the War Department's General Staff. As a brigadier general Kerwin took command of the 3rd Armored Division Artillery in Hanau, Germany in August 1961. During the 1960s he held various flag officer billets to include Chief of Staff,

Military Assistance Command, Vietnam U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) was a joint-service command of the United States Department of Defense. MACV was created on 8 February 1962, in response to the increase in United States military assistance to South Vietnam. MACV ...

(MACV), Commander,

II Field Force, Vietnam II Field Force, Vietnam was a United States Army Corps-level command during the Vietnam War. Activated on 15 March 1966, it became the largest corps command in Vietnam and one of the largest in Army history. II Field Force was assigned the lineag ...

, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army for Personnel, and Commanding General of the Continental Army Command, later split into two, Forces Command and Training and Doctrine Command. Kerwin is heralded as the champion of the "One Army" or "Total Army" concept. This concept, which became a reality under his leadership, recognized the indispensable role of the Army National Guard and United States Army Reserve as equal partners with the active Army in executing defense policy and in preparing for war. Recognized by his commanders and peers as an innovative artilleryman, Kerwin developed a system of massing fires that contributed immeasurably to the success of the Allied landings at Anzio Beachhead. After World War II, he attended the Army War College and the National War College, and served in various assignments, including Plans and Operations Officer at the

Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory Los Alamos National Laboratory (often shortened as Los Alamos and LANL) is one of the sixteen research and development laboratories of the United States Department of Energy (DOE), located a short distance northwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, in ...

; Commander of the 56th Artillery Group,

XVIII Airborne Corps The XVIII Airborne Corps is a corps of the United States Army that has been in existence since 1942 and saw extensive service during World War II. The corps is designed for rapid deployment anywhere in the world and is referred to as "America ...

; and Deputy Director in the Army's Office of the Chief of Research and Development. On October 29, 1974 Kerwin became

during the army's transition to an all-volunteer force and post-Vietnam War restructuring.

Awards and decorations

Kerwin awards and decorations include the

Defense Distinguished Service Medal The Defense Distinguished Service Medal is a military decoration of the United States Department of Defense, which is presented to United States Armed Forces service members for exceptionally distinguished performance of duty contributing to the ...

, Army Distinguished Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, the

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 ...

with ten oak leaf clusters, the Army Commendation Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal and the

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...

. Kerwin's service awards include the American Defense Service Medal, European Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal with star, Vietnam Service Medal and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

Post military

After retiring from the army, Kerwin continued to work for the Department of Defense in different capacities. He also served for 17 years as a consultant for Martin Marietta and Lockheed Martin. Having been a member of the board of directors of the Army and Air Force Mutual Aid Association since 1969, he became its chairman in 1982, serving in that capacity until 1997. He has also been involved with the

Association of the United States Army The Association of the United States Army (AUSA) is a private, non-profit organization that serves as the professional association of the United States Army. Founded in 1950, it has 121 chapters worldwide. Membership is open to everyone, not ju ...

, the Field Artillery Association, and the Army Emergency Relief Association. He received the 2003 Distinguished Graduate Award from the Association of Graduates, the West Point alumni organization.

Death

On July 11, 2008 in Alexandria, Virginia of respiratory failure. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Barbara in 1980. Kerwin was survived by his second wife Marion Kerwin, his son, Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Kerwin, and his daughter, Anne Walker Kerwin.

References

2003 Distinguished Graduate Award bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kerwin, Walter 1917 births 2008 deaths Lockheed Martin people Martin Marietta people United States Army generals United States Military Academy alumni United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Recipients of the Legion of Merit United States Army Vice Chiefs of Staff Recipients of the Air Medal United States Army War College alumni Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal