Richard G. Stilwell

Richard Giles Stilwell (24 February 1917 – 25 December 1991) was a United States Army general who served as Commander United States Forces Korea from 1973 to 1976, and acting Commander of the U.S. Army Pacific from September to December 1974. He was not closely related to General Joseph W. Stilwell.

Early life and education

Born in Buffalo, New York, in 1917, Stilwell attended Brown University before graduating from the United States Military Academy in 1938 with a commission into the Corps of Engineers. He subsequently attended the U.S. Army War College.

Career During World War II, Stilwell participated in the Normandy invasion, and briefly served under General George S. Patton immediately after the war during the occupation of Europe. From there he was a special military advisor to the U.S. Embassy in Rome before serving in the Central Intelligence Agency.

During the Korean War, Stilwell commanded the 15th Infantry Regiment, and was a senior advisor to the I Republic of Korea (ROK) Army Corps.

As a brigadier general, Stilwell was Commandant of Cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. while General William Westmoreland was Superintendent during the early 1960s.

Stilwell served as commander of the U.S. Military Assistance Command, Thailand (MACTHAI) from 1965 to 1967. From there he commanded the 1st Armored Division at Fort Hood, Texas, from 1967 to 1968.

During the Vietnam War Westmoreland appointed Stilwell as his chief of staff. He served as deputy commanding general, III Marine Amphibious Force in South Vietnam during 1968 and then as commander of XXIV Corps from 1968 to 1969.

On his return to the US he served as deputy chief of staff for US military operations at the Pentagon under Army Chief of Staff Westmoreland from 1969 to 1972. Stilwell later served as the commanding general of the Sixth United States Army, at the Presidio from 1972 to 1973, followed by commander-in-chief of the United Nations Command in Korea. Stilwell oversaw Operation Paul Bunyan to remove a tree in the DMZ. He retired in 1976, with the rank of general.

Later life and death After retiring from the Army, Stilwell served as U.S. Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Policy from 1981 to 1985. He died on 25 December 1991, of cardiac arrest, at the age of 74. He was buried at West Point Cemetery, in West Point, New York.

Awards and decorations His awards and deocrations decorations includes:

Foreign decorations and awards His foreign awards and decorations include: