Dave Richard Palmer (born May 31, 1934) is a retired

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

who served as the 53rd

Superintendent of the United States Military Academy The superintendent of the United States Military Academy is the academy's commanding officer. This position is roughly equivalent to the chancellor (education), chancellor or University president, president of an American civilian university. T ...

(1986–1991), military historian and author, and former President of Walden University. A 1956 graduate of West Point, he served two tours in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

and numerous command positions during the height of the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

. He taught courses at both West Point and the Vietnamese National Military Academy.

Early life and education

Palmer was born in Ada,

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

, on May 31, 1934. He grew up in New York and

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, receiving his appointment to the academy from Texas and graduating 37th in his class from West Point in 1956. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the armor branch and embarked on a military career that spanned the Cold War era. During his military career, Palmer received a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

in history from

Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...

Military career

Palmer's initial assignment was as an armor officer in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

. He commanded a tank company in the 1st Armored Division, and would later command that same division. From 1969 to 1971, he commanded the 2nd Battalion, 33rd Armor in the 3rd Armored Division. His brigade command was of the 1st Brigade, 2nd Armored Division,

Fort Hood, Texas Fort Cavazos is a United States Army Military installation, post located near Killeen, Texas. The post is currently named after Gen. Richard E. Cavazos, a native Texan and the US Army’s first Hispanic four-star general. The post is located ha ...

, from 1976 to 1977. His career saw two tours in Vietnam; one of these consisted of serving on the faculty at the Vietnamese National Military Academy. Palmer's staff and academic assignments included a tour as an instructor in the Department of Military Art and Engineering at West Point where he wrote ''The River and the Rock'' in 1969. He also served as the Deputy Commandant of the Army Command and General Staff College. He also served multiple assignments with the Joints Chiefs of Staff and Army staff at

the Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense, in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The building was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As ...

.Hurst pp. 8-9.

Decorations

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. ...

Defense Superior Service Medal The Defense Superior Service Medal (DSSM) is a military decoration of the United States Department of Defense, which is presented to United States Armed Forces service members who perform superior meritorious service in a position of significant ...

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...

Bronze Star 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. Wh ...

Air Medal The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. Criteria The Air Medal was establi ...

* ,

Vietnam Service Medal The Vietnam Service Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces established on 8 July 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The medal is awarded to recognize service during the Vietnam War by all members of the U.S. ...

with three bronze service stars

Civilian career

Upon completion as his tour as West Point Superintendent, Palmer retired from the Army in 1991. He joined the Board of Directors of Walden University the following year. From 1995 to 1999, he served as president of Walden University, where he pioneered distance learning methods. Under Palmer's leadership, enrollment at the university doubled, and now has more than 10,000 students. From 1999 to 2000, he was Chief Executive Officer of Walden e-Learning, Incorporated. Palmer has been a prolific author throughout his career and is recognized as a premier

military historian Military history is the study of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, cultures and economies thereof, as well as the resulting changes to local and international relationships. Professional historians ...

Bibliography

*''River and the Rock: The History of Fortress West Point 1775-1783'' *''The Way of the Fox; American Strategy in the War for America, 1775-1783'' (Greenwood Press, 1975) *''Summons of Trumpet: US-Vietnam in Perspective'' (Presidio Press, 1978) *''Early American Wars and Military Institutions'' (Avery Pub. Group, 1986) *''1794: America, Its Army, and the Birth of the Nation'' (Presidio Press, 1994) *''George Washington and Benedict Arnold: A Tale of Two Patriots'' (Regnery Pub., 2006) *''George Washington's Military Genius'' (Regnery Pub., 2012)

References

External links

Portrait of General Palmer
by Margaret Holland Sargent
Palmer discusses ''George Washington & Benedict Arnold: A Tale of Two Patriots''
at the

Pritzker Military Museum & Library The Pritzker Military Museum & Library (formerly Pritzker Military Library) is a non-profit museum and research library for the study of military history located in a state-of-the art facility in Kenosha, WI. The institution was founded in 2003, ...