Military Wiki
Bruce Palmer Jr.
GEN Bruce Palmer
General Bruce Palmer Jr. official portrait by Herbert Elmer Abrams
Born (1913-04-13)April 13, 1913
Died October 10, 2000(2000-10-10) (aged 87)
Place of birth Austin, Texas
Buried at Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Department of the Army Seal United States Army
Years of service 1936-1974
Rank US-O10 insignia General
Commands held Chief of Staff, U.S. Army (acting)
II Field Force, Vietnam
XVIII Airborne Corps
Battles/wars World War II
Operation Power Pack
Vietnam War
Other work author

Bruce Palmer Jr. (April 13, 1913 – October 10, 2000) was a noted United States Army General and acting Chief of Staff of the United States Army from July to October 1972.

Career summary[]

Palmer was born in Austin, Texas. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1936 and was commissioned a second lieutenant and served with the 8th Cavalry at Fort Bliss, Texas, 1936–1939. Palmer was promoted to first lieutenant, June 1939, and served as regimental adjutant, June–September 1939.

He graduated from the Cavalry School at Fort Riley, Kansas, 1940; was a troop and squadron commander of the 6th Cavalry (Mechanized), 1940–1942; and was promoted to temporary ranks of captain, October 1940, and major, February 1942. He served in the Operations Division of the War Department General Staff, 1942–1943; was promoted to temporary lieutenant colonel, February 1943; and was chief of staff of the 6th Infantry Division in Southwest Pacific operations in World War II, 1944–1945.

He was promoted to temporary colonel, January 1945, and permanent captain, June 1946, and major, July 1948; commanded the 63rd Infantry in the Korean occupation, 1945–1946; was chief of plans and operations of the First United States Army, 1947–1949; was instructor of tactics and then director of instruction at the Infantry School, Fort Benning, 1949–1951; concurrently completed the basic airborne course; and graduated from the Army War College, 1952.

He was secretary of the general staff and chief of the Plans Division, United States Army, Europe, 1952–1954; was promoted to permanent lieutenant colonel, July 1953; was commander of the 16th Infantry, 1954–1955; served on the faculty of the Army War College, 1955–1957; and was deputy secretary of the General Staff and White House liaison officer, Office of the Chief of Staff, 1957–1959.

He was promoted to temporary brigadier general, August 1959; was deputy commandant of the Army War College, 1959–1961; and was assistant division commander of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, 1961–1962. He was promoted to permanent colonel, June 1961, and temporary major general, May 1962; was chief of staff of the Eighth United States Army, Korea, 1962–1963; was assistant deputy chief of staff for plans and operations, 1963–1964, and deputy chief of staff for military operations, 1964–1965; was promoted to permanent brigadier general, February 1963, and temporary lieutenant general, July 1964.

He was commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps, 1965–1967, and concurrently commander of Task Force 120 and United States Land Forces, Dominican Republic, May 1965, and commander of United States Forces and Army Forces and deputy commander of the Inter-American Peace Force in operations in the Dominican Republic, May 1965–January 1966. He was commander of the II Field Force, Vietnam, and deputy commander of the United States Army, Vietnam, 1967–1968; was promoted to temporary general, August 1968, and served as vice chief of staff of the United States Army, August 1, 1968–June 30, 1972; was acting Chief of Staff of the United States Army July 1–October 11, 1972; provided managerial continuity at the top of the Army during the Westmoreland-Abrams interregnum, supervised the continuing drawdown of Army forces from Vietnam and related Army-wide readjustments, and prepared major revisions in Army organizational structure; resumed duties as vice chief of staff; was commander in chief of the United States Readiness Command, 1973–1974; and retired from the Army, September 1974, coincidentally on the day his close associate General Creighton W. Abrams died.

Personal data[]

He married Kay Sibert in 1936. She died in 1996. They had a son, Bruce III, and two daughters, Maureen and Robin. General Palmer died on October 10, 2000. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

He wrote two books in his retirement, The 25 Year War: America's Military Role in Vietnam and Intervention in the Caribbean: The Dominican Crisis of 1965.

His father Bruce Palmer Sr. was an Army brigadier general, and his paternal grandfather George H. Palmer received the Medal of Honor during the Civil War.

Awards and decorations[]

He was awarded: five Army Distinguished Service Medals, an Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, a Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal and National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal.[1]

  • US Army Airborne senior parachutist badge
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Distinguished Service Medal ribbon
Air Force Distinguished Service ribbon
Silver Star ribbon
Legion of Merit ribbon
Bronze Star ribbon
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Medal ribbon
NIDRib
American Defense Service ribbon
American Campaign Medal ribbon
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign ribbon
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign ribbon
World War II Victory Medal ribbon
Bronze oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal ribbon
AFEMRib
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Vietnam Service Ribbon
Noribbon
BRA Ordem do Merito Militar Cavaleiro
Vietnam gallantry cross-3d
Vietnam Campaign Medal ribbon

References[]

External links[]

Military offices
Preceded by
Gen. Ralph E. Haines Jr.
Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army
1968 – 1973
Succeeded by
Gen. Alexander Haig
Preceded by
William C. Westmoreland
Chief of Staff of the United States Army
(Acting)

July–October 1972
Succeeded by
Creighton Abrams


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