William B. Rosson
General William B. Rosson
BornAugust 25, 1918
Des Moines, Iowa[1]
DiedDecember 12, 2004(2004-12-12) (aged 86)
Salem, Virginia
Place of burial
Arlington National Cemetery
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service1940–1975
Rank General
Commands heldU.S. Army, Pacific
I Field Force
Battles/warsWorld War II
Vietnam War
AwardsDistinguished Service Cross
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star
Purple Heart

General William Bradford Rosson (August 25, 1918 – December 12, 2004) commanded the U.S. Army, Pacific from October 1970 to January 1973. He was commissioned in 1940 through ROTC and saw combat in World War II, earning the Distinguished Service Cross for valor on the Anzio Beachhead in Italy. He also fought in North Africa, Sicily, France, and Germany.

Rosson obtained his bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Oregon. After retirement from the military he earned a Master of Letters degree in International Relations from New College, Oxford University in England. His military schooling includes the U.S. Army War College and the National War College.

Major command experience for Rosson includes Commanding General for Task Force Oregon (Provisional), Commanding General for I Field Force, and Commanding General, Provisional Corps, for the U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. Later he was Deputy Commander for the same command. Rosson concluded his career as Commander in Chief of the United States Southern Command in Quarry Heights, Panama Canal Zone.

Additional assignments include serving in General Eisenhower's NATO headquarters in Paris, and duty with the French Forces in Vietnam in 1954. Because of this experience, he was valuable to General Westmoreland as Chief of Staff for the U.S. Military Assistance Command in Vietnam. Rosson also served as Director of the Plans and Policy Directorate, J5, for the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington, D.C..

In addition to the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation's second highest decoration for valor, General Rosson's awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart. In 1962, German magazine Der Spiegel featured him on its frontpage.[2] He died on December 12, 2004, of a heart attack in his home in Salem, Virginia. Rosson was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

He was survived by his wife Bertha Frank Rosson, who still resides in Virginia at the age of 97 (as of 2023)

See also

References

  1. ↑ Martell, P.; Hayes, G.P. (1974). World military leaders. Bowker. ISBN 9780835207850. Retrieved 2015-04-13.
  2. ↑ "Detailansicht".

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