Lieutenant General Herbert Ralph Temple Jr. (February 28, 1928 – December 28, 2024) was an American military officer who served as

Chief of the National Guard Bureau The chief of the National Guard Bureau (CNGB) is the highest-ranking officer of the National Guard and the head of the National Guard Bureau. The position is a statutory office (), held by a federally recognized commissioned officer who has ser ...

Early life

Herbert Ralph Temple Jr. was born in Los Angeles, California, on February 28, 1928. He graduated from Polytechnic High School in 1947 and enlisted as a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

in the 160th Infantry Regiment, 40th Infantry Division.

Korean War

In September 1950, he deployed for the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

, serving as a

sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...

in Company B,

5th Regimental Combat Team The 5th Infantry Regiment (nicknamed the "Bobcats") is an infantry regiment of the United States Army that traces its origins to 1808. Origins: War of 1812 The 5th Infantry Regiment was created by an Act of Congress of 3 March 1815,

, 24th Infantry Division. Temple earned the

Combat Infantryman Badge The Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) is a United States Army military decoration. The badge is awarded to infantrymen and Special Forces (United States Army), Special Forces soldiers in the rank of Colonel (United States), colonel and below, wh ...

during the war.

Post Korean War

Temple returned to California in 1952 and received a

direct commission A direct commission officer (DCO) is a United States uniformed officer who has received an appointed commission without the typical prerequisites for achieving a commission, such as attending a four-year service academy, a four-year or two-yea ...

as a second lieutenant in the 160th Infantry Regiment. Temple continued his college education and entered private business, becoming vice president and a partner in V.B. Morgan Petroleum and Chemical Trucking Company of

Long Beach Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...

. In 1954, Temple received an

Associate of Arts An associate degree or associate's degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of academic qualification above a high school diploma and below a bachelor's degree ...

degree in marketing from

Los Angeles City College Los Angeles City College (LACC) is a public community college in East Hollywood, California. A part of the Los Angeles Community College District, it is located on Vermont Avenue south of Santa Monica Boulevard on the former campus of the U ...

. Temple became qualified in

Armor Armour (Commonwealth English) or armor (American English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, e ...

in 1955, and commanded Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Combat Command A, 40th Infantry Division. He then joined the staff of the 40th Infantry Division, including assignments as Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel and Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, G1. In 1966, Temple graduated from the

United States Army 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 ...

. The same year he was assigned to the 40th Division Support Command as Personnel Staff Officer, S1. He then commanded the 40th Supply and Transportation Battalion, followed by command of 3rd Battalion, 160th Infantry.

Later military career

In July 1968, Temple was assigned to

California National Guard The California National Guard (Cal Guard) is part of the National Guard (United States), National Guard of the United States, a dual federal–state military reserve force in the state of California. It has three components: the California Army ...

headquarters, where he served as operations and training officer, followed by command of the California Military Academy. Along with those assignments, he also served as Military Assistant to

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

. From 1971 to 1974, Temple was Deputy Commander of the 49th Infantry Brigade and then Commander of 3rd Brigade, 40th Infantry Division. During this period, he was also appointed by Governor Reagan to serve as Director of the California Office of Emergency Services. In 1974, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in management from

Golden Gate University Golden Gate University (GGU or Golden Gate) is a private university in San Francisco, California, United States. Founded in 1901, GGU specializes in educating professionals through its schools of law, business, taxation, technology, accounting, ...

. In 1975, he completed the

United States Army War College The United States Army War College (USAWC) is a U.S. Army staff college in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, with a Carlisle postal address, on the 500-acre (2 km2) campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks. It provides graduate-level instru ...

, and also graduated from

Shippensburg State University Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (Ship or SU) is a public university in the Shippensburg, Pennsylvania area. It is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Founded in 1871, it later became the first teachers' college ...

with a Master of Science degree in

public administration Public administration, or public policy and administration refers to "the management of public programs", or the "translation of politics into the reality that citizens see every day",Kettl, Donald and James Fessler. 2009. ''The Politics of the ...

National Guard Bureau

In September 1975, Temple was assigned to the

National Guard Bureau The National Guard Bureau (NGB) is the federal agency responsible for the administration of the National Guard established by the United States Congress as a joint bureau of the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force. It was c ...

as Chief of the Office of Mobilization and Readiness. After completing this assignment, he served as Chief of the Office of Policy and Congressional Liaison. In 1978, he was appointed Deputy Director of the

Army National Guard The Army National Guard (ARNG) is an organized Militia (United States), militia force and a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States Army. It is simultaneously part of two differen ...

and promoted to brigadier general. He was succeeded by

Richard D. Dean Richard Daniel Dean (May 27, 1929 – April 8, 2016) was a United States Army brigadier general who served as deputy director of the Army National Guard. Early life Richard Daniel Dean was born in Sedalia, Missouri, on May 27, 1929. Dean join ...

. Temple became Director of the Army National Guard in 1982, and was promoted to major general. He was succeeded by Donald Burdick. In 1986, General Temple was named

and promoted to

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 ...

. He served until retiring in 1990.

Retirement

After retiring from the military, Temple was a defense consultant for government and private business, and led congressional directed studies related to civil-military planning for defense from weapons of mass destruction. He also served on

Secretary of Defense A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divided ...

study groups on Quality of Life in the Armed Forces and Readiness of the Armed Forces. Temple moved to

Palm Desert, California Palm Desert is a city in the Coachella Valley region of Riverside County, California. The city is located in the Colorado Desert arm of the Sonoran Desert, about east of Palm Springs, northeast of San Diego and east of Los Angeles. The popula ...

and became active in local affairs. He was past president of Lincoln Club of the

Coachella Valley The Coachella Valley ( ) is an arid rift valley in the Colorado Desert of Southern California in Riverside County. The valley has been referred to as Greater Palm Springs and occasionally the Palm Springs Area due to the historic promine ...

and past president of the

World Affairs Council of the Desert The World Affairs Councils of America is a network of 90 autonomous and nonpartisan councils serving 43 states. As of 2023, it has an annual reach of over 200,000 people. It is the largest nonprofit international affairs organization in the Unit ...

. He was also appointed to serve on the Riverside County Veterans Committee.

Civic and professional memberships

Temple was a member of the

National Guard Association of the United States The National Guard Association of the United States was founded in 1878 as a congressional lobbying organization for National Guard issues. A member of the Military Coalition, NGAUS lobbies on behalf of over 400,000 officers and enlisted members ...

, National Guard Association of California,

Association of the United States Army The Association of the United States Army (AUSA) is a private, non-profit organization that serves as the professional association of the United States Army. Founded in 1950, it has 121 chapters worldwide. Membership is open to everyone, not ju ...

, Fifth Regimental Combat Team Association and Marines Memorial Association. He was a senior member of the

Los Angeles Athletic Club Los Angeles Athletic Club (LAAC) is a privately owned Sports club, athletic club and social club in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles, California, United States. Established in 1880, the club is today best known for its John R. Wooden Award pr ...

and a member of Al Malaikah Shrine. Temple also served as Chief of Staff for the Military Order of the World Wars.

Personal life and death

Temple married Patricia Ann Riley on July 30, 1949. They had met while in college, and she worked at

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

Studios and as personal secretary for

Rod Serling Rodman Edward Serling (December 25, 1924 – June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter and television producer best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his Anthology series, anthology television series ''The Twilight Zone (1 ...

. They had no children. Riley died in

Rancho Mirage, California Rancho Mirage is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. The city is a low-density desert community with resorts, golf courses, and country clubs within the Colorado Desert section of the Sonoran Desert. Nestled along the foothil ...

, on April 22, 2014. Temple died on December 28, 2024, at the age of 96.

Legacy

The conference facility at the

Camp San Luis Obispo Camp San Luis Obispo is the original home of the California Army National Guard. It served as an Infantry Division Camp and Cantonment Area for the United States Army during World War II. History Camp San Luis Obispo, formerly called Camp Merr ...

officers' club is named the Herbert R. Temple Center. Fort Leavenworth's Mission Training Complex includes the Herbert R. Temple, Jr. Leadership Training Center. Camp Joseph T. Robinson,

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

is the home of the Herbert R. Temple, Jr. Marksmanship Training Center. The Herbert R. Temple, Jr. Papers are part of the collections of the

U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center The United States Army Heritage and Education Center (USAHEC), at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, is the U.S. Army's primary historical research facility. Formed in 1999 and reorganized in 2013, the center consists of the Military History Instit ...

. In April 2014 the armory in

Moreno Valley, California Moreno Valley is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and is part of the Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario metropolitan area. It is the second-largest city in Riverside County by population and one of the Inland Empire's pop ...

was named the Lt. Gen. Herbert R. Temple, Jr. Army National Guard Readiness Center. In February 2017 the Army National Guard named its

Arlington Hall Station Arlington Hall (also called Arlington Hall Station) is a historic building in Arlington, Virginia. Originally it was a girls' school and later the headquarters of the United States Army's Signal Intelligence Service (SIS) cryptography operations ...

headquarters the Herbert R. Temple, Jr. Army National Guard Readiness Center.

Awards

General Temple's awards and decorations include:

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 ...

;

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. ...

(2);

Air Force Distinguished Service Medal The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a military decoration of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force and is presented to airmen and guardians to recognize distinguished and exceptionally meritorious service to the United S ...

;

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 ...

;

Meritorious Service Medal A Meritorious Service Medal is an award presented to denote acts of meritorious service, and sometimes gallantry, that are worthy of recognition. Notable medals with similar names include: Singapore *Pingat Jasa Gemilang, or Meritorious Services Me ...

;

Army Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issu ...

;

Air Force Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fift ...

;

; and

Army Staff Identification Badge The Army Staff Identification Badge is an identification badge awarded by the Chief of Staff of the Army to officers, warrant officers, and enlisted soldiers assigned to authorized positions at Headquarters, Department of the Army.

. His foreign honors include:

Swedish Home Guard The Home Guard – National Security Forces () is a military reserve force of the Swedish Armed Forces. It was formally established on May 29, 1940, during World War II upon popular demand. While originally composed of former militia groups, tod ...

Medal of Merit;

French National Order of Merit French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), a ...

; and Swedish

Order of the Polar Star The Royal Order of the Polar Star (Swedish language, Swedish: ''Kungliga Nordstjärneorden''), sometimes translated as the Royal Order of the North Star, is a Swedish order of chivalry created by Frederick I of Sweden, King Frederick I on 23 F ...

.Turner Publishing Company
The Military Order of World Wars
1997, page 60

References

External links

Herbert Temple
a
The National Guard Education Foundation

a
Camp Roberts Historical Museum
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Temple, Herbert R., Jr. 1928 births 2024 deaths United States Army personnel of the Korean War Chiefs of the National Guard Bureau Golden Gate University alumni John H. Francis Polytechnic High School alumni Los Angeles City College alumni National Guard (United States) generals Order of the Polar Star Military personnel from Los Angeles People from Palm Desert, California Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Recipients of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania alumni United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni United States Army generals United States Army War College alumni Recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (United States)