General William Childs Westmoreland - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

General William Westmoreland is best remembered as the commander of United State Military Operations in Vietnam from 1964 through 1968. He also served as the Army Chief of Staff from 1968 – 1972. General Westmoreland was a 1936 graduate of the United States Military Academy and served in both World War II and the Korean War. Following his service as Army Chief of Staff, General Westmoreland retired from Military Service and spent his retirement in Charleston, South Carolina. General Westmoreland died on July 18, 2005, and is buried in Section 18 - Plot 66 at the United States Military Academy Post Cemetery in West Point, New York.

Note: The United States Military Academy is a secure post. Visitors to the United States Military Academy are required to present valid identification with photo. Vehicles and persons are subject to search prior to entering the Academy Campus.

Source/Credit: The United States Military Academy

Description: General William Westmoreland was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina on March 26, 1914. He entered the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1932 after spending a year at the Citadel. He graduated from West Point in 1936 he became an artillery officer and served in the European Theater during World War II. He also served with the 82nd Airborne for four years and during the Korean War he commanded the 187th Regimental Combat Team. He was promoted to Brigadier General in 1953 he spent five years assigned to the Pentagon. He later assumed command of the 101st Airborne Division in 1958 and in 1960 became Superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point. He became deputy commander of the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, and assuming command of MACV from General Paul Harkins in 1964. His most notable campaign was the 1968 Tet Offensive during Vietnam. Shortly after the Tet Offensive in June 1968, General Westmoreland was replaced by General Creighton Abrams. From 1968 to 1972 he served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army. He retired from military service in 1972. He spent his remaining years defending both his role and the role of the United States in Vietnam, as he was fond of saying that the war was not lost but rather the objectives were unfinished. General Westmoreland died in Charleston, South Carolina on July 18, 2005. He is resting in the United States Military Academy Post Cemetery in West Point, New York. Date of birth: 03/26/1914 Date of death: 07/18/2005 Area of notoriety: Military Marker Type: Headstone Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Daily Dawn to Dusk Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

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