Frederick Kroesen

Frederick J. Kroesen, Jr.
Frederick J. Kroesen, Jr.
	Kroesen as commander of NATO Central Army Group
Born	February 11, 1923; Phillipsburg, New Jersey
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1943—1983
Rank	General
Commands held	United States Army Forces Command; U.S. Army Europe; Seventh Army; 23rd Infantry Division; 82nd Airborne Division
Battles/wars	World War II; Korean War; Vietnam War
Awards	Defense Distinguished Service Medal; Army Distinguished Service Medal; Silver Star (2); Legion of Merit (3); Distinguished Flying Cross; Bronze Star with "V" (3)
Other work	Chairman, Military Professional Resources Inc

Frederick James Kroesen, Jr. (born February 11, 1923) 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. He commanded troops in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, enabling him to be one of the very small number who ever was entitled to wear the Combat Infantryman Badge with two Stars, denoting active combat in three wars.

Biography

Early life

Born in Phillipsburg, New Jersey,^[1] Kroesen is a 1944 graduate of Rutgers University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture. He earned Bachelor of Arts (1962) and Master of Arts (1966) degrees in International Affairs at George Washington University. In addition, he is also a member of Delta Upsilon fraternity to which his membership traces back to his days at Rutgers University.

World War II

In 1944 General Kroesen was commissioned through the Infantry Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Ga., then 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.

Korean War

During the Korean War General Kroesen served in Korea with the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team.

Vietnam War

Kroesen was the commander of the 196th Light Infantry Brigade of the Americal Division in 1968. He was an adviser to the assistant chief of staff, J-3, in Vietnam, and then served there as commander of the 23rd Infantry Division; deputy commander, XXIV Corps; and commanding general, First Regional Assistance Command.

Red Army Faction attack

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 an 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).^[2]^[3] In 1991, West German prosecutors announced that former East German secret police leader Erich Mielke had been indicted for collusion with the attack.^[4]

Later life

After retiring from the Army in 1983, Kroesen became a businessman.^[5] 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.

General Kroesen is a Compatriot of the George Washington Chapter of the Virginia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution based on the service of his ancestor, Johannes Kroesen, who served as a second lieutenant in the Bucks County Pennsylvania Militia during the Revolutionary War. ^[6]

Military education

Infantry Officer Candidate School, Fort Benning, Ga, 1944
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^[7]

Senior assignments

Commanding Officer, 196th Light Infantry Brigade (1968-1969)
Adviser to the Assistant Chief of Staff (J3), Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (1969-1970)
Assistant Chief of Staff (J3), Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (1970-1971)
Commanding General, 23rd Infantry Division (1971)
Commanding General, First Regional Assistance Command (1971-1972)
Deputy Commander, XXIV Corps (1972)
Commanding General, 82nd Airborne Division (1972-1974)
Deputy Commanding General, V Corps (1974-1975)
Commanding General, VII Corps (1975-1976)
Commanding General, United States Army Forces Command (1976-1978)
Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army (1978-1979)
Commanding General, Seventh United States Army, United States Army Europe and NATO Central Army Group (1979-1983)^[7]

Awards and decorations

Military awards

	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

	Defense Distinguished Service Medal
	Army Distinguished Service Medal
	Silver Star with one bronze oak leaf cluster
	Legion of Merit, with two oak leaf clusters
	Distinguished Flying Cross
	Bronze Star, with valor device & two oak leaf clusters
	Air Medal, with bronze award numeral 29
	Army Commendation Medal, with two oak leaf clusters
	Purple Heart, with oak leaf cluster
	Army Presidential Unit Citation, with two oak leaf clusters
	Army Good Conduct Medal
	American Campaign Medal
	European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, with three service stars
	World War II Victory Medal
	Army of Occupation Medal
	National Defense Service Medal with 1 oak leaf cluster
	Korean Service Medal, with 1 service star
	Vietnam Service Medal, with 8 service stars
	Army Service Ribbon
	Army Overseas Service Ribbon, with award numeral 3
	French Legion of Honour (Officer)
	National Order of Vietnam (Officer)
	National Order of Vietnam (Knight)
	Vietnam Military Merit Medal
	Vietnam Army Distinguished Service Order, 1st Class
	Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm (four awards)
	Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Knight Commander's Cross)
	Korean Presidential Unit Citation
	Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
	United Nations Korea Medal
	Vietnam Campaign Medal
	Korean War Service Medal

Other honors

Association of the United States Army Abrams Award, 2005
West Point Association of Graduates Sylvanus Thayer Award, 2007
American Veterans Center Audie Murphy Award, 2013
Sons of the American Revolution Gold Good Citizenship Medal, 2013
Namesake of the American Security Council Foundation General Frederick Kroesen Leadership Award
Chairman Emeritus of the board of MPRI^[7]
Life Member Emeritus, United States Army Officer Candidate School Alumni Association

Works

General Thoughts: Seventy Years with the Army. Publisher: Institute of Land Warfare, Association of the United States Army, 2003

References

↑ Mrozek, Steven J. (1997). 82nd Airborne Division (Google books). Turner Publishing Company. p. 194. ISBN 1-56311-364-3. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
↑ Stars and Stripes Published: August 5, 2005
↑ Jessup, John E. (1998). An encyclopedic dictionary of conflict and conflict resolution, 1945-1996 (Google books). Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 409. ISBN 0-313-28112-2. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
↑ "World IN BRIEF : GERMANY : Ex-Security Chief Accused in Attack", Los Angeles Times, March 27, 1991.
↑ Center for Military Readiness
↑ http://www.gwsar.org/honoring-patriots/chapter_veterans/
1 2 3 General Kroesen bio Archived 2012-04-26 at the Wayback Machine.

External links

Interview with Kroesen for the ORAL HISTORY ARCHIVES OF WW-II

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

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[82ndabd-1] Mrozek, Steven J. (1997). 82nd Airborne Division (Google books). Turner Publishing Company. p. 194. ISBN 1-56311-364-3. Retrieved 6 December 2010.

[2] Stars and Stripes Published: August 5, 2005

[3] Jessup, John E. (1998). An encyclopedic dictionary of conflict and conflict resolution, 1945-1996 (Google books). Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 409. ISBN 0-313-28112-2. Retrieved 6 December 2010.

[4] "World IN BRIEF : GERMANY : Ex-Security Chief Accused in Attack", Los Angeles Times, March 27, 1991.

[5] Center for Military Readiness

[6] ttp://www.gwsar.org/honoring-patriots/chapter_veterans/

[GEN_Kroesen_bio-7] 1 2 3 General Kroesen bio Archived 2012-04-26 at the Wayback Machine.

Leaders of the United States Army
Senior Officer / Commanding General	Washington Knox Doughty Harmar St. Clair Wayne Wilkinson Washington Hamilton Wilkinson Dearborn J. Brown Macomb W. Scott McClellan Halleck Grant Sherman Sheridan Schofield Miles
Chiefs of Staff	Young Chaffee Bates Bell Wood Wotherspoon H. Scott Bliss March Pershing Hines Summerall MacArthur Craig Marshall Eisenhower Bradley Collins Ridgway Taylor Lemnitzer Decker Wheeler Johnson Westmoreland B. Palmer Abrams Weyand Rogers Meyer Wickham Vuono Sullivan Reimer Shinseki Schoomaker Casey Dempsey Odierno Milley
Vice Chiefs of Staff	Collins Haislip Hull Bolte W. Palmer Lemnitzer Decker Eddleman Hamlett Abrams Haines B. Palmer Haig Weyand Kerwin Kroesen Vessey Wickham Thurman A. Brown RisCassi Sullivan Reimer Peay Tilelli Griffith Crouch Shinseki Keane Casey Cody Chiarelli Austin Campbell Allyn McConville

Frederick J. Kroesen, Jr.
Kroesen as commander of NATO Central Army Group
Born	(1923-02-11) February 11, 1923 Phillipsburg, New Jersey
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1943—1983
Rank	General
Commands held	United States Army Forces Command U.S. Army Europe Seventh Army 23rd Infantry Division 82nd Airborne Division
Battles/wars	World War II Korean War Vietnam War
Awards	Defense Distinguished Service Medal Army Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star (2) Legion of Merit (3) Distinguished Flying Cross Bronze Star with "V" (3)
Other work	Chairman, Military Professional Resources Inc