Lars-Eric Wahlgren

Lars-Eric Malcom Wahlgren (14 May 1929 – 10 October 1999) was a Swedish Army lieutenant general. Wahlgren served as commanding officer of Gotland Military Command, as Chief of Home Guard and as Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR)

Career
Wahlgren was born in Åsele, Västerbotten, Sweden, the son of Erik Wahlgren, a forester, and his wife Ruuth (née Ellung). In 1953, Wahlgren was commissioned as an officer in the Swedish Armoured Troops and in the Scanian Dragoon Regiment (Skånska dragonregementet, P 2) in Hässleholm with the rank of Fänrik. He completed the staff course at the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College from 1963 to 1965 and was appointed Captain of the General Staff Corps. Over the next few years, he alternated between various staff and squad postings. During the years 1967-1968 he was educated at the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth. From 1970 to 1975 he served in the Southern Military Area Staff and studied at the Swedish National Defence College.

Wahlgren received his first position in the United Nations in 1974-1975 as battalion commander of the Swedish Battalion 56M in the Middle East, which was part of the Second United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF II). He was promoted to Colonel in 1977 and served in the years 1977-1980 as a defense attaché in Oslo and during that same year also as head of the UN Staff Officers Course in Strängnäs. In 1980, Wahlgren began an era as commanding officer of Gotland Regiment (P 18) and this for a longer period. In 1983 he was promoted to Major General and commander of Gotland Military Command. Wahlgren established himself well in the Gotlandian environment and became an esteemed interpreter for Gotlandian defense and voluntary movement. He had at the same time gained a good international experience.

In 1988, however, it was time to leave Gotland. Wahlgren served as Chief of Home Guard from 1 April 1988 to 30 September 1988 but the posting was short-lived as he was promoted to Lieutenant General, and appointed Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Wahlgren succeeded Lieutenant General Gustav Hägglund on 1 July 1988. Wahlgren led UNIFIL at the time when the Lebanese Civil War finally ended after fifteen long years with a peace agreement signed in the Saudi Arabian city of Ta'if in August 1990.

Wahlgren succeeded General Satish Nambiar as Force Commander of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) on 3 March 1993. From the headquarters in Zagreb, he came to command one of the largest and most expensive and most complex UN missions ever. The force numbered about 14,000 men from 21 nations. He made a remarkable effort there in a worrying situation. A difficult job, he faced questions of political significance, which had to do with national considerations in the UN mission. On Wednesday, 23 June 1993, however, Wahlgren's time in Yugoslavia ended after a game at a high political level where he was replaced by the French general Jean Cot. However, Wahlgren received strong praise from UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali for his efforts in Yugoslavia.

Wahlgren, who throughout his career carried with him a clear West Bothnian dialect, became one of Sweden's most internationally oriented officers. He reached the high positions and was involved in various assignments even after his retirement. From 1995, he was one of the eight senior officers from various countries who were members of the International Defense Advisory Board, created at the request of the Defense Ministers of the three Baltic states to provide independent expert advice on defense matters. He was also engaged by UNESCO on issues that had to do with the protection of cultural heritage in war situations, an issue that had been extensively raised during the Bosnian War. He presented his visions of the possibilities of the United Nations in his publication FN:s insatser för fred mot år 2000 (1994).

Personal life
In 1957, Wahlgren married Gunilla Margaretha Granlind (born 1933). They had two daughters.

Dates of rank

 * 1953 – Fänrik
 * 1955 – Lieutenant
 * 1964 – Captain
 * 1969 – Major
 * 1972 – Lieutenant Colonel
 * 1977 – Colonel
 * 1983 – Major General
 * 1988 – Lieutenant General

Awards and decorations

 * Illis quorum (1993)

Honours

 * Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences (1983)