William R. Richardson

General William Rowland Richardson (born March 25, 1929) is a retired United States Army four-star general and former Commander of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command

William R. Richardson
General William R. Richardson
Born (1929-03-25) March 25, 1929
Taichow, Kiangsu, China
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchUnited States Army
Years of service1951–1986
RankGeneral
Commands heldUnited States Army Training and Doctrine Command
United States Army Combined Arms Center
193rd Infantry Brigade
198th Infantry Brigade
3rd Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment
Battles/warsVietnam War
AwardsArmy Distinguished Service Medal (2)
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star (2)
Legion of Merit (3)
Distinguished Flying Cross
Bronze Star Medal with "V" (4)
Purple Heart
Other workVice President, Burdeshaw Associates, Ltd.
Board of Advisors, National Infantry Foundation

Early life

William Rowland Richardson was born in Taichow, Kiangsu, China, on March 25, 1929 to missionary parents. Richardson graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1951 and was commissioned in the Infantry. His initial assignment was with the 24th Infantry Division on occupation duty in Japan.

Military career

Richardson was deployed to Korea in 1953 with the 7th Infantry Division. After the end of the Korean War, he subsequently served in various staff positions before taking command of the 3rd Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division in 1966. He deployed with his battalion to Vietnam, and later was assigned as the Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3, of the 9th Infantry Division. He returned to Vietnam in June 1971 as the Commander of the 198th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division, and later became the Division Chief of Staff. In 1972 he became the Assistant Commandant of the Infantry School at Ft Benning, Georgia. In 1974 he served as Commander of the 193rd Infantry Brigade in the Panama Canal Zone from December 1974 to June 1977. He followed his second brigade command as the Director of Requirements on the Army Staff from 1977 to 1979.

As commander of 3rd Battalion, 39th Infantry, touring the village of Rach Kien, Vietnam, with United States Ambassador to the United Nations Arthur Goldberg, 1967.

Richardson served as Commander of the Combined Arms Center and Commandant of the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth from 1979 to 1981.[1] He was the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans from 1981 to 1983, and in 1983, he became Commander of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, retiring from this position in 1986.

Richardson's education includes the Canadian Army Staff College, the Armed Forces Staff College, the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and a master's degree from the George Washington University. His awards and decorations include the Army Distinguished Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star Medal with "V" device and three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Republic of Korea Order of National Security Merit, Tong II Medal.

Later life

After retirement, Richardson became Executive Vice President, Army Programs at Burdeshaw Associates, Ltd., a position he filled until 1995, when he became a BAL Senior Associate. He serves on the Board of Advisors of the National Infantry Foundation. He is a Senior Associate and on the Board of Directors of O'Connell and Associates, a defense consulting firm.[1] In February 2007 he was named to the Board of Trustees of the Command and General Staff College Foundation.[2] He also serves on the board of advisors of the Code of Support Foundation, a nonprofit military services organization.[3]

Richardson was awarded the Doughboy Award in 1999 by the Infantry Center and was inducted ino the Fort Leavenworth Hall of Fame in 2008.

References

Military offices
Preceded by
John R. Thurman III
Commandants of the United States Army Command and General Staff College
1979–1981
Succeeded by
Howard F. Stone
Preceded by
Glenn K. Otis
Commanding General, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command
1983—1986
Succeeded by
Carl E. Vuono
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