Commander of the United States forces during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968

Chief of Staff of the United States Army

He fought in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War

(1914-2005) Born at Spartanburg, South Carolina, he graduated in the West Point class of 1836, as First Captain, the highest cadet rank, and he received the "Pershing Sword," which is "presented to the cadet with the highest level of military proficiency." Following graduation, Westmoreland became an artillery officer and served in several assignments with the 18th Field Artillery at Fort Sill. In 1939, he was promoted to first lieutenant, after which he was a battery commander and battalion staff officer with the 8th Field Artillery at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. In World War II, Westmoreland saw combat with the 34th Field Artillery Battalion, 9th Infantry Division, in Tunisia, Sicily, France, and Germany; and he commanded the 34th Battalion in Tunisia and Sicily. He reached the wartime rank of colonel, and on October 13, 1944, he was appointed the chief of staff of the 9th Infantry Division. After the war, Westmoreland completed paratrooper training at the Army's Jump School in 1946. He then commanded the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. From 1947 to 1950, he served as chief of staff for the 82nd Airborne Division, and was an instructor at the Command and General Staff College from August to October 1950, and at the newly organized Army War College from October 1950 to July 1952. From July 1952 to October 1953, he commanded the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team in Japan and Korea. He was promoted to brigadier general in November 1952 at the age of 38, making him one of the youngest U.S. Army generals in the post World War II era. From 1955 to 1958, he was the United States Army's Secretary of the General Staff. He then commanded the 101st Airborne Division from 1958 to 1960, and was Superintendent of the United States Military Academy from 1960 to 1963. He was promoted to lieutenant general in July 1963, and was Commanding General of the 18th Airborne Corps from 1963 to 1964. General Westmoreland was sent to Vietnam in 1963, and in January 1964, he became deputy commander of Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara told President Lyndon B. Johnson in April that General Westmoreland was "the best we have, without question". He was known for highly publicized, positive assessments of U.S. military prospects in Vietnam, and in 1965, TIME Magazine named him the man of the year. He was also mentioned in another Time magazine article as a potential candidate for the 1968 Republican presidential nomination. On April 28, 1967, Westmoreland addressed a joint session of Congress. "In evaluating the enemy strategy", he said, "it is evident to me that he believes our Achilles heel is our resolve. ... Your continued strong support is vital to the success of our mission. ... Backed at home by resolve, confidence, patience, determination, and continued support, we will prevail in Vietnam over the communist aggressor!" Westmoreland claimed that under his leadership, United States forces "won every battle." The turning point of the war was the 1968 Tet Offensive, in which communist forces attacked cities and towns throughout South Vietnam. Westmoreland adopted a strategy of attrition against the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army, attempting to drain them of manpower and supplies. He also made use of the United States' edge in artillery and air power, both in tactical confrontations and in relentless strategic bombing of North Vietnam. Nevertheless, public support for the war eventually diminished, especially after the the Tet Offensive in 1968. Westmoreland's strategy was ultimately politically and militarily unsuccessful. Growing United States casualties and the draft undermined United States support for the war, while large-scale casualties among non-combatants weakened South Vietnamese support. Westmoreland served as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army from 1968 to 1972. In 1970, in response to the My Lai Massacre by U.S. Army forces and the subsequent cover-up by the Army chain of command, he commissioned an investigation that compiled a comprehensive and seminal study of leadership within the Army during the Vietnam War demonstrating a severe erosion of adherence to the army's officer code of "Duty, Honor, Country". However, to lessen the impact of this damaging report, Westmoreland ordered that the document be kept on "close hold" across the entire Army for a period of two years and not disseminated to War College attendees. The report became known to the public only after Westmoreland retired in 1972. Westmoreland's tenure as Chief of Staff ended on June 30, 1972. He was offered the position of Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, but opted to retire instead. He was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal by President Richard Nixon. Westmoreland ran unsuccessfully for Governor of South Carolina as a Republican in the 1974 election, and published his autobiography the following year. Westmoreland died on July 18, 2005, at the age of 91 at the Bishop Gadsden retirement home in Charleston, South Carolina. He had suffered from Alzheimer's disease during the final years of his life, and was buried on July 23, 2005, at the West Point Cemetery. General William C. Westmoreland was inducted as a Laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois and awarded the Order of Lincoln, the state's highest honor, by the governor of Illinois in 1970. Westmoreland had fought in 3 wars; World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, and earned the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star Medal just to name a few of the more than 40 medals he was honored with during his military career.

Autographed First Day Cover: 6 1/2 x 3 1/2, superb imprinted envelope with a beautiful portrait of General Douglas MacArthur, and his immortal World War II slogan, "I Shall Return." Descriptive text honoring MacArthur as the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in the Southwest Pacific. Stamped First Day Of Issue ties on a 6 cents U.S. postage stamp of General MacArthur. C.D.S., Norfolk, Va., Jan. 26, 1971. The cover bears a wonderful black ink signature at the bottom, "W.C. Westmoreland." Large, bold, and extremely desirable autograph. Complete with back flap. Choice condition. Important United States army commander.