William Westmoreland

William Childs Westmoreland (March 26, 1914 – July 18, 2005) was a U.S. Army General who commanded American military operations in the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968 and who served as US Army Chief of Staff from 1968 to 1972.

Dates of rank

• Second Lieutenant, Regular Army: June 1936
• First Lieutenant, Regular Army: June 1939
• Captain: Not held on active duty (held as a permanent rank in Regular Army: June 1946)
• Major, Army of the United States: February 1942 (made permanent in Regular Army: July 1948)
• Lieutenant Colonel, Army of the United States: September 1942 (made permanent in Regular Army: July 1953)
• Colonel, Army of the United States: July 1944 (made permanent in Regular Army: June 1961)
• Brigadier General (temporary), Regular Army: November 1952 (made permanent in February 1963)
• Major General (temporary), Regular Army: December 1956 (made permanent in August 1965)
• Lieutenant General: July 1963
• General: August 1964