John Royster "Roy" Thurman III (April 11, 1924 – May 29, 2004) was a

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.

Early life and education

Thurman was born in

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city coterminous with and the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the city's population was 322,570, making it the List of ...

in 1924 but moved to

High Point, North Carolina High Point is a city in the Piedmont Triad region of the United States, U.S. state of North Carolina. Most of the city is in Guilford County, North Carolina, Guilford County, with parts extending into Randolph County, North Carolina, Randolph, ...

in 1928. He graduated from

High Point Central High School High Point Central High School is a public high school located in High Point, North Carolina. The school has a population of approximately 1,237 (2020–2021) students in 9th–12th grades. The school's offerings include Advanced Placement classe ...

in 1941 and then enrolled at

North Carolina State College North Carolina State University (NC State, North Carolina State, NC State University, or NCSU) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina sy ...

. After the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Thurman enlisted in the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

in 1942. Appointed to the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

, he graduated in June 1946. He was also a graduate of 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 ...

(1956), the

Armed Forces Staff College The Joint Forces Staff College (JFSC), located in Norfolk, Virginia, was established as the Armed Forces Staff College in 1946 and incorporated into the National Defense University in August 1981. It educates and acculturates joint and multinat ...

(1961), the

Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associa ...

(1965), and

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

's six-week Advanced Management Program (1969).

George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally-chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Originally named Columbian College, it was chartered in 1821 by ...

awarded Thurman a Master of Science in international affairs. His 1965 thesis was entitled ''Technology in the Congo - - a progress report''.

Military career

Before attending West Point, Thurman served as an enlisted man in the United States Army from November 1942 to July 1943. Thurman held commands during both 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 ...

and 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 ...

. In Korea, he was a battery commander for the 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division and the 674th Airborne Field Artillery Battalion, 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team. In Vietnam from August 1965 to March 1968, Thurman commanded the 1st Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment and the 25th Infantry Division Artillery. He was promoted to colonel on December 5, 1967. After a tour at the Pentagon, Thurman returned Vietnam in January 1970. He became assistant commander of the 25th Infantry Division in April 1970 and was promoted to brigadier general on June 1, 1970. Transferred to West Germany in March 1971, Thurman served as assistant commander of the 8th Infantry Division. Thurman was promoted to major general on March 1, 1973. He served as commander of the 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea from May 1975 to June 1976. Thurman then became commandant of the Combined Arms Center, Command and General Staff College and

Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., an ...

, Kansas. He was promoted to lieutenant general on September 1, 1977. Thurman last served as Deputy Commanding General, Army Training and Doctrine before retiring on October 1, 1979, after 33 years of service. After retirement, he lived in

Arlington County, Virginia Arlington County, or simply Arlington, is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Virginia. The county is located in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from Washington, D.C., the nati ...

. Thurman died from pancreatic cancer on May 29, 2004, at the Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Roy Thurman was the older brother of General

Maxwell Reid Thurman Maxwell Reid Thurman (18 February 1931 – 1 December 1995) was a United States Army general, who served as Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army and commander of United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. Early life and education ...

. Thurman's remains are interred at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

.
Thurman Zumwalt Foundation
Arlington National Cemetery's official biography

Awards

Thurman's military awards and honors include 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. ...

, the

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 ...

with five

Oak Leaf Cluster An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. It is authorized by the United States Armed Forces for a spec ...

s, the Distinguished Flying Cross with one Oak leaf Cluster, a

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious a ...

with

Valor Device Valor, valour, or valorous may mean: * Courage, a similar meaning * Virtue ethics, roughly "courage in defense of a noble cause" Entertainment * Valor Kand, a member of the band Christian Death * ''Valor'' (TV series), an American drama series ...

and four Oak Leaf Clusters, the

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 ...

with 34 oak leaf clusters, the

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 ...

, the

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the president to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...

, 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 ...

, and a

Master Parachutist Badge The Parachutist Badge, also commonly referred to as "Jump Wings", is a military badge of the United States Armed Forces. Some services, such as the Marine Corps, officially refer to it as an insignia instead of a badge. The United States Space Fo ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thurman, Roy 1924 births 2004 deaths Military personnel from Lexington, Kentucky People from High Point, North Carolina High Point Central High School alumni North Carolina State University alumni United States Army soldiers United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II Military personnel from North Carolina United States Military Academy alumni United States Army personnel of the Korean War Recipients of the Air Medal United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni Joint Forces Staff College alumni Naval War College alumni Elliott School of International Affairs alumni United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the Legion of Merit United States Army generals Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Military personnel from Arlington County, Virginia Deaths from pancreatic cancer in Washington, D.C. Burials at Arlington National Cemetery