| Frederick J. Kroesen, Jr. | |
|---|---|
 Kroesen as Vice Chief of Staff of the Army | |
| Born | February 11, 1923 |
| Died | April 30, 2020 (aged 97) |
| Place of birth | Phillipsburg, New Jersey |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch |
 United States Army |
| Years of service | 1943-1983 |
| Rank |
 General |
| Commands held |
Forces Command U.S. Army Europe Seventh Army 23rd Infantry Division 82nd Airborne Division |
| Battles/wars |
World War II Korean War Vietnam War |
| Awards |
Silver Star (2) Legion of Merit (3) Distinguished Flying Cross Bronze Star with "V" (3) Purple Heart (3) Air Medal (30) |
| Other work | Chairman, Military Professional Resources Inc |
Frederick James Kroesen, Jr. (born February 11, 1923 - April 30, 2020) is a United States Army four-star general and was the Commanding General of the Seventh United States Army and the commander of NATO Central Army Group from 1979 to 1983, and Commanding General, United States Army Forces Command from 1976 to 1978. He also served as Vice Chief of Staff of the Army from 1978 to 1979.
Born in Phillipsburg, New Jersey,[1] Kroesen is a graduate of Rutgers University. He earned an Master of Arts in International Affairs at George Washington University. He commanded troops in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. He was awarded the Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal.
After leaving the army, Kroesen became a businessman.[2] He is currently chairman of the board of Military Professional Resources Inc. and a senior fellow at the Institute of Land Warfare of the Association of the United States Army. He is additionally the Vice-President of the American Security Council Foundation.
Contents
World War II[edit | edit source]
General Kroesen fought in World War II with the 254th Infantry Regiment of the 63rd Infantry Division. He was a company grade officer, serving as platoon leader and company commander, in the fighting in the Colmar Pocket and into Germany. He participated in the particularly tough fighting in Jebsheim.
Baader-Meinhof Gang Attack[edit | edit source]
As Commander of the United States Army Forces Command
General Kroesen was injured in Heidelberg on September 15, 1981, when his armoured Mercedes was targeted with a RPG-7 anti-tank rocket. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by the "Kommando Gudrun Ensslin" of the Red Army Faction (aka Baader-Meinhof Gang).[3][4]
Education[edit | edit source]
- Rutgers University ROTC
- Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, KS, 1956
- Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, VA, 1959
- United States Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, PA, 1962
Senior Assignments[edit | edit source]
- Commanding Officer, 196th Light Infantry Brigade of the Americal Division
- Deputy Commander, XXIV Corps
- Commanding General, First Regional Assistance Command
- Commanding General, 23rd Infantry Division
- Commanding General, 82nd Airborne Division
- Deputy Commanding General, V Corps
- Commanding General, VII Corps
- Commanding General, Seventh United States Army
- Commanding General, United States Army Europe
- Commanding General, United States Army Forces Command
- Commanding General, NATO Central Army Group
- Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army
Awards and decorations[edit | edit source]
|
Combat Infantryman Badge, third award |
|
Master Parachutist Badge |
|
Silver German Parachutist Badge |
|
Army Staff Identification Badge |
|
Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge |
Kroesen in 2005
- Association of the United States Army Abrams Award, 2005
- West Point Assiciation of Graduates Sylvanus Thayer Award, 2007
- Namesake of the American Security Council Foundation General Frederick Kroesen Leadership Award
- Chairman Emeritus of the board of MPRI
Works[edit | edit source]
- General Thoughts: Seventy Years with the Army. Publisher: Institute of Land Warfare, Association of the United States Army, 2003
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Mrozek, Steven J. (1997) (Google books). 82nd Airborne Division. Turner Publishing Company. p. 194. ISBN 1-56311-364-3. http://books.google.com/books?id=0_j1VTNOh5gC&pg=PA149&dq=Frederick+Kroesen&hl=en&ei=ihj9TPymCsT58AamldHvCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CEQQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=Frederick%20Kroesen&f=false. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
- ↑ Center for Military Readiness
- ↑ Stars and Stripes Published: August 5, 2005
- ↑ Jessup, John E. (1998) (Google books). An encyclopedic dictionary of conflict and conflict resolution, 1945-1996. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 409. ISBN 0-313-28112-2. http://books.google.com/books?id=hP7jJAkTd9MC&pg=PA409&dq=Frederick+Kroesen&hl=en&ei=ihj9TPymCsT58AamldHvCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CEkQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=Frederick%20Kroesen&f=false. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 General Kroesen bio
External links[edit | edit source]
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Gen. Walter T. Kerwin, Jr. |
Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army 1978 – 1979 |
Succeeded by Gen. John William Vessey, Jr. |
| Preceded by George S. Blanchard |
Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe May 29, 1979 to April 15, 1983 |
Succeeded by Glenn K. Otis |
| This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors). |
