Richard Greenleaf Trefry (August 6, 1924 – February 25, 2023) was a

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 ...

in the

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 ...

. His last assignment was Inspector General of the Army.

Military career

Trefry began his Army career as an enlisted soldier and served in World War II before attending the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York where he received a commission in 1950 as a field artillery officer. His first assignment was with the 70th Field Artillery Battalion, in Germany, serving as a Reconnaissance and Survey Officer. After his tour of duty, he returned to the United States and was assigned

the artillery school ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

Fort Sill Fort Sill is a United States Army post north of Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles (137 km) southwest of Oklahoma City. It covers almost . The fort was first built during the Indian Wars. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark a ...

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 ...

, where he was promoted to captain and instructed artillery tactics. Noted for his teaching abilities, he was subsequently assigned as an instructor at the Engineer School at

Fort Belvoir Fort Belvoir ( ) is a United States Army installation and a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. It was developed on the site of the former Belvoir (plantation), Belvoir plantation, seat of the prominent Lord ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. In 1958 Trefry reported to Korea and assumed command of an artillery battery of the 1st Battalion, 31st Artillery. He subsequently was assigned to instructor duty at West Point followed by a tour of duty at

Schofield Barracks Schofield Barracks is a United States Army installation and census-designated place (CDP) located in Honolulu and in the Wahiawa District of the Hawaiian island of Oahu, Hawaii. Schofield Barracks lies adjacent to the town of Wahiawā, separated ...

where he served in the Headquarters of the US Army in Hawaii. In 1966, Lieutenant Colonel Trefry returned to Fort Sill where he assumed command of the 2nd Battalion, 94th Field Artillery and then deployed that battalion to Vietnam. After attending the U.S. Army War College, Trefry assumed command of the Division Artillery, 1st Armored Division, Fort Hood, Texas and then became the chief of staff, 1st Cavalry Division. In 1973 he was posted to Bangkok, Thailand, to be the deputy chief of the Joint U.S. Military Advisory Group. He was then assigned as the defense attaché in Vientiane, Laos, where he contributed to the defeat of a coup d’état by exiled Laotian air force officers. While in Thailand, Trefry was promoted to brigadier general. Upon his return from southeast Asia, Trefry was assigned to the Army Staff in

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 ...

, where he served in multiple positions culminating with his assignment as the Inspector General of the Army in 1977. Promoted to lieutenant general in 1978, he spent six years as the inspector general reporting to the Army Chief of Staff and the Secretary of the Army on all matters pertaining to the efficiency, economy, morale, discipline, and esprit of the Army. Trefry retired from the Army in 1983.

Post retirement

In 1990, he was appointed military assistant to the president and director of the

White House Military Office The White House Military Office (WHMO) is a department within the White House Office that provides military support for White House functions, including food service, presidential transportation, medical support, emergency medical services and hos ...

. In 1995, Trefry served on the Board of Directors of

American Military University American Public University System (APUS) is a Private university, private, For-profit higher education in the United States, for-profit, distance education, online university system with its headquarters in Charles Town, West Virginia. It is c ...

and later served on the board of trustees of the

American Public University System American Public University System (APUS) is a private, for-profit, online university system with its headquarters in Charles Town, West Virginia. It is composed of American Military University (AMU) and American Public University (APU). APUS i ...

as a member and committee chair. Trefry died on February 25, 2023, at the age of 98.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trefry, Richard 1924 births 2023 deaths United States Army generals People from Newburyport, Massachusetts Burials at Arlington National Cemetery