George I. Forsythe

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George Irvin Forsythe
George I. Forsythe.jpg
Forsythe as a major general c. 1969
Born(1918-07-21)July 21, 1918
Butte, Montana
DiedDecember 28, 1987(1987-12-28) (aged 69)
Beaufort, South Carolina
Buried
Beaufort National Cemetery
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service/branchUnited States Army
Years of service1939-72
RankUS Army O9 shoulderboard rotated.svg Lieutenant general
Commands held1st Cavalry Division
Battles/warsWorld War II
Korean War
Vietnam War

George Irvin Forsythe (July 21, 1918 – December 28, 1987) was a United States Army Lieutenant General who served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

Early life and education[]

Forsythe was born on July 21, 1918 in Butte, Montana.

Military career[]

Forsythe joined the ROTC at Montana University graduating in 1939.

In June 1962, Forsythe became executive officer and senior aide to the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, both General George H. Decker and General Earle G. Wheeler. He was promoted to brigadier general in August 1963. He served as assistant division commander of the 25th Infantry Division.

In 1967/8 Forsythe served as military deputy to Robert Komer the head of Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support.[1]

Forsythe served as commander of the 1st Cavalry Division from August 1968 until April 1969.[2]

In May 1969 Forsythe was appointed commandant of the United States Army Infantry School.

In October 1970 Army Chief of Staff General William Westmoreland selected Forsythe, then commanding the Army Combat Developments Command, to serve as the Special Assistant for the Modern Volunteer Army (SAMVA) and in this role which he held until 1972 he oversaw the transition of the US Army to an all-volunteer force.[3] Project VOLAR was launched on January 1, 1971 to determine how to successfully transition the Army to an all volunteer organization.[4]

Forsythe died on December 28, 1987 in Beaufort, South Carolina and was buried at Beaufort National Cemetery.

References[]

  1. ^ Scoville, Thomas (1973). Reorganizing for Pacification Support (PDF). US Army Center of Military History. p. 66.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ Tolson, John (1973). Airmobility 1961-1971. US Army Center of Military History. p. 198. ISBN 9781931641906.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ Griffith, Robert (1997). U.S. Army's Transition to the All-volunteer Force, 1868-1974. DIANE Publishing. p. 53. ISBN 9780788178641.
  4. ^ Latham, Willard (1974). The Modern Volunteer Army Program: The Benning Experiment, 1970-1972 (PDF). US Army Center of Military History. p. 8. ISBN 9781507683125.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
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