Maxwell Reid Thurman (February 18, 1931 – December 1, 1995) was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

general, who served as

Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army The vice chief of staff of the Army (VCSA) is the principal deputy to the chief of staff of the Army, and is the second-highest-ranking officer on active duty in the Department of the Army. The vice chief of staff generally handles the day-to-d ...

and commander of

United States Army Training and Doctrine Command The United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) is a major command of the United States Army headquartered at Fort Eustis, Virginia. It is charged with overseeing training of Army forces and the development of operational doctrine. ...

Early life and education

Thurman attended

North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The univers ...

, graduating with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering (ceramics). While in college he was a member of the Professional Engineering Fraternity

Theta Tau Theta Tau () is a professional engineering fraternity. The fraternity has programs to promote the social, academic, and professional development of its members. Today, Theta Tau is the oldest and largest professional engineering fraternity and h ...

Military career

Thurman was commissioned a second lieutenant of Ordnance from NCSU's

ROTC The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. Overview While ROTC graduate officers serve in al ...

program in 1953 and branch transferred to Field Artillery. His first assignment was with the

11th Airborne Division The 11th Airborne Division ("Arctic Angels") is a United States Army airborne formation, first activated on 25 February 1943, during World War II. Consisting of one parachute and two glider infantry regiments, with supporting troops, the div ...

, and in 1958 his

Honest John Rocket The MGR-1 Honest John rocket was the first nuclear weapon, nuclear-capable surface-to-surface rocket in the United States arsenal.The first nuclear-authorized ''guided'' missile was the MGM-5 Corporal. Originally designated Artillery Rocket XM31 ...

platoon was deployed to Lebanon. From 1961 to 1963 Thurman served in

South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...

as an Intelligence Officer for South Vietnam's

I Corps I Corps, 1st Corps, or First Corps may refer to: France * 1st Army Corps (France) * I Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * I Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Ar ...

. Following his service in Vietnam, Thurman became one of the few non-Academy graduates ever assigned as a company tactical officer at the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

. In 1966 he attended the

Command and General Staff College The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...

, then returned to South Vietnam in 1967, where he assumed command of the 2d Howitzer Battalion,

35th Field Artillery Regiment I was station with 35th artillery in 1962 to 1964 in Munich Germany. originally the 92nd artillery. I help design the crest known as the Red Lions original the Red Devils My name Spec/ 4 Valerio M. Dimaya. at that time work as the driver for the S4 ...

in 1968.

Later assignments

After completing the

United States Army War College The United States Army War College (USAWC) is a U.S. Army educational institution in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the 500-acre (2 km2) campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks. It provides graduate-level instruction to senior military officer ...

in 1970, Thurman held numerous troop and staff assignments before assuming command of

United States Army Recruiting Command The United States Army Recruiting Command (USAREC) is responsible for manning both the United States Army and the Army Reserve. Recruiting operations are conducted throughout the United States, U.S. territories, and at U.S. military facilities i ...

in 1979, where he initiated the highly successful "

BE ALL YOU CAN BE BE or be may refer to: Linguistics * ''To be'', the English copular verb * Be (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic alphabet * ''be'' (interjection), in several languages * Be language or Ong Be, a language of northern Hainan province, China *Bla ...

" recruiting campaign. From 1981 to 1983 he was Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, Personnel (DCSPER) and from 1983 to 1987 he was the

. In 1989 Thurman applied for retirement while serving as Commanding General,

. Instead, he was handpicked by President George H. W. Bush to be Commander-in-Chief,

United States Southern Command The United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), located in Doral, Florida in Greater Miami, is one of the eleven unified combatant commands in the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for providing contingency planning, o ...

(USSOUTHCOM). In this position, he planned and executed

Operation Just Cause Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Ma ...

, the 1989 invasion of Panama.

Later life and death

Thurman was diagnosed with

acute myelogenous leukemia Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells, characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal cells that build up in the bone marrow and blood and interfere with normal blood cell production. Symptoms may inclu ...

while still commander in chief of USSOUTHCOM, shortly after Operation Just Cause. He retired in 1991 after more than thirty-seven years of service, and died in 1995 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, aged 64. A funeral service was held on December 7, 1995 at the Fort Myer, Virginia, chapel, followed by interment at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

(Section 30, Grave 416-A-LH). Thurman, a lifelong bachelor, was survived by his brother, the late army Lieutenant General John R. Thurman III.

Honors

Thurman's awards and decorations include the

Defense Distinguished Service Medal The Defense Distinguished Service Medal is a military decoration of the United States Department of Defense, which is presented to United States Armed Forces service members for exceptionally distinguished performance of duty contributing to the ...

, the

Army Distinguished Service Medal The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a military decoration of the United States Army that is presented to soldiers who have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service to the government in a duty of great responsibility. Th ...

, the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight u ...

and the

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. W ...

with "V" device. In August 2010 Thurman was posthumously inducted into the Theta Tau Alumni Hall of Fame for outstanding contribution to his profession.

Legacy

award An award, sometimes called a distinction, is something given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An awar ...

is given every year by the

United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

(MRMC) in honor of General Thurman. The award is generally presented at the annual meeting of the

American Telemedicine Association The American Telemedicine Association (ATA), established in 1993, is a non-profit organization whose goal is to advocacy, promote access to medical care for consumers and health professionals via telecommunications technology (alternatively refe ...

. Thurman's image as a workaholic – captured by the nickname "Mad Max" – was as widespread as his reputation as a master organizer. His posting as chief of U.S. Army Recruiting Command in 1979 is considered instrumental in remaking the Army's tarnished, post-Vietnam image and attracting new generations of highly motivated recruits.

Awards and decorations

Master Parachutist Badge * Joint Chiefs of Staff seal

Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge * United States Army Staff Identification Badge

Army Staff Identification Badge

References

External links

Arlington National Cemetery

* State Grads Develop Army Manpower – April 198

NCSU Army ROTC Bio

This website is not RS, basically SPS with WP:LINKVIO , the quotes or text are not verified. but it is kept here with hopes it can assist--> {{DEFAULTSORT:Thurman, Maxwell United States Army generals Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Recipients of the Legion of Merit United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War Burials at Arlington National Cemetery 1931 births 1995 deaths United States Army Field Artillery Branch personnel North Carolina State University alumni People from High Point, North Carolina Deaths from leukemia United States Army Vice Chiefs of Staff Deaths from cancer in Washington, D.C. United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal