William B. Steele

Last updated

William B. Steele
General Steele Official Photograph.jpg
Steele, during his tenure as a major general
Born (1929-08-17) August 17, 1929 (age 92)
Atlanta, Georgia
AllegianceFlag of the United States.svg  United States of America
Service/branch United States Department of the Army Seal.svg United States Army
Years of service1950–1979
RankMajor General
Commands held5th Battalion (Mechanized) 60th Infantry Regiment,9th Infantry Division,
197th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized),
5th Infantry Division (Mechanized),
Fort Polk, Louisiana
Battles/wars Vietnam War
Awards Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star (2)
Legion of Merit
The Distinguished Flying Cross
The Meritorius Service Medal (2)
Air Medal (18)
the Bronze Star Medal with "V" for Valor
the Bronze Star Medal for Meritorius Service

William Berry Steele (born August 17, 1929) is a retired two-star general of the United States Army. He is a former commander of the 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized) and Fort Polk, Louisiana. Steele graduated from the University of Georgia in 1950 with a BBA degree, cum laude, and was commissioned as a distinguished military graduate from the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry in the U.S. Army.

Contents

He later attended the Navy Command and Staff College in Newport, Rhode Island, and the Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. In addition, he earned a master's degree in International Relations from George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. He spent 29 years in the Army, receiving numerous military decorations and awards, which include the Army Distinguished Service Medal, two Silver Star Medals, the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Meritorious Service Medals, seventeen Air Medals, the Bronze Star Medal with "V" for Valor, the Bronze Star Medal for Meritorious Service and three Army Commendation Medals, as well as several foreign decorations.

Early life and education

The only son of Wade Hampton Steele, Jr. and Frances Lucille Berry, William "Bill" Berry Steele was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on August 17, 1929. However, Bill grew up in rural middle Georgia near Lilly, Georgia, after his mother and father returned to Wade and Dora Steele's farm, his paternal grandparents, in the early years of the Depression. In 1935 the family moved to Fort Valley, Georgia, where Bill's father found a job with the Farm Security Administration (FSA). During Bill's childhood they lived in Tifton, Thomasville, and Athens, Georgia, then later Montgomery, Alabama; Bill and his family returned to Athens in subsequent years. In 1942, the family moved to Lyons, Georgia, but after the death of Bill's paternal grandfather Wade, the family moved back to the Lilly farm. Bill first attended Vienna High School and for his senior year he studied at Gordon Military High School in Barnesville, Georgia. After Gordon Military High School, Bill attended Gordon Junior College for two years, and then continued his studies at the University of Georgia. He also became an Army ROTC cadet.

During this time, Bill dated Virginia "Ginny" Nell Akin and they were married on August 7, 1949, when Bill had one more year to go at the University of Georgia. Upon graduation, Bill was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry in the U.S. Army.

Military career 1950-1979

Steele first trained in Fort Benning, Georgia, with the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment where he was soon deployed to Schweinfurt, Germany. He commanded at every level of troop command from platoon to division level. He commanded rifle companies and held staff positions in the 3rd Infantry Division, the 4th Infantry Division and the 82nd Airborne Division. In August 1967, Steele took command of the 5th Infantry Battalion (Mechanized) in Vietnam and later completed his Vietnam tour as Chief Of Staff of the 9th Infantry Division (Forward). From 1972 to 1974 he commanded the 197th Independent Infantry Brigade (Mechanized) at Fort Benning, Georgia. Finally, he served as Commanding General of the 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized) from 1976 to 1978 and took the division and supporting forces to Germany on a NATO maneuver in 1978.

Steele also handled officer assignments and school selections in the Infantry Officer Assignment Branch of the Department of Army; he was military advisor to the King's Royal Guard in Saudi Arabia; he taught at the U.S. Army Infantry School and the Army War College; he was Executive Officer and Senior Aide to the Army Chief of Staff, General William Westmoreland, and he was Deputy Commander of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command.

Post-military career with Aflac

Following his retirement from the Army in 1979, Steele joined Aflac, Inc. (American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus) in Columbus, Georgia. While there, he successfully served in both their marketing and administration capacities, with his last four years spent as Senior Vice President for International Operations. He retired from Aflac in 1994, but has continued to be active in Army-related matters, having been elected President of the National Infantry Association in 2011.

Personal

Steele married Virginia "Ginny" Nell Akin (1928-2003) on August 7, 1949. They had two sons, Wade Shannon Steele (1951-2000) and William Berry Steele Jr. (1954-). Steele has four grandchildren and seven great-great grandchildren. On November 26, 2005, Steele married Sandra "Sandy" Ingram Cross and they currently make their home in Columbus, Georgia.

My Journey

In 2012 Steele published My Journey, which retraces his life from rural Georgia during the Great Depression to his career in the military. The memoir features his personal sacrifices, triumphs, and tragedies, while ultimately it is about how proud he was to serve his country and to experience the joy and rewards of family life.

Related Research Articles

William Westmoreland 25th Chief of Staff of the United States Army (1914–2005)

William Childs Westmoreland was a United States Army general, most notably commander of United States forces during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968. He served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1968 to 1972.

Creighton Abrams United States Army general (1914–1974)

Creighton Williams Abrams Jr. was a United States Army general who commanded military operations in the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1972, which saw United States troop strength in South Vietnam reduced from a peak of 543,000 to 49,000. He was then Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1972 until his death in 1974.

Harold Keith Johnson US Army general (1912–1983)

Harold Keith "Johnny" Johnson was a United States Army general who served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1964 to 1968. Regarded as a premier tactician, Johnson became skeptical that the level of resources given to the Vietnam War, much of which went into 'find, fix, and destroy the big main force units' operations, could deliver victory. Johnson came to believe that the Communist forces held a trump card, because they controlled whether there were engagements with U.S. forces, giving an option to simply avoid battle with U.S. forces if the situation warranted it.

Earle Wheeler US Army general (1908–1975)

Earle Gilmore Wheeler, nicknamed Bus, was a United States Army general who served as the chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1962 to 1964 and then as the sixth chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1964–1970), holding the latter position during the Vietnam War.

Bruce Palmer Jr. United States Army general (1913–2000)

Bruce Palmer Jr. was a general in the United States Army. He commanded the XVIII Airborne Corps during Operation Power Pack, the II Field Force, Vietnam during the Vietnam War, and was acting Chief of Staff of the United States Army from July to October 1972.

Bernard W. Rogers

Bernard William Rogers was a United States Army general who served as the 28th Chief of Staff of the United States Army, and later as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Europe and Commander in Chief, United States European Command.

Thomas F. Metz Lieutenant General in the United States Army

Thomas Fredric Metz is a retired lieutenant general in the United States Army. Metz retired from the Army in Jan 2010 after more than 40 years of active military service. His tour of duty prior to retirement was as the director, Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization., leading the DOD organization tasked with finding and fielding ways to defeat the IED threat. Previously he was the deputy commanding general and chief of staff, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command. Previous to that assignment he was commanding general of the U.S. III Corps and Fort Hood. He assumed command of III Corps on 7 February 2003.

Dennis Reimer

Dennis Joe Reimer is a retired general of the United States Army, who served as the 33rd Chief of Staff of the Army from June 20, 1995 to June 21, 1999. He is also a graduate of Ranger and Airborne school.

William M. Steele United States Army general

William Michael Steele is a retired United States Army Lieutenant General who commanded major organizations including U.S. Army, Pacific, the Combined Arms Center and the 82d Airborne Division. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, he graduated from The Citadel in 1967 and earned a Master of Arts in Management from Webster University in St. Louis. His military education includes the National War College.

Michael Spigelmire United States Army general

Michael Spigelmire is a retired American lieutenant general.

Sam Wetzel United States Army general (1930–2022)

Robert Lewis Wetzel was a retired United States Army lieutenant general.

William J. Livsey

William James "Lipp" Livsey was a United States Army general who served as the Commander in Chief of United Nations Command/Commander in Chief, ROK/U.S. Combined Forces Command/Commander, United States Forces Korea/Commanding General, Eighth United States Army from 1984 to 1987.

John F. Forrest United States Army general

John Franklin "Jack" Forrest was a career officer in the United States Army and a combat commander during the Korean War and Vietnam War.

Walter F. Ulmer United States Army general

Walter Francis Ulmer Jr. is a retired lieutenant general in the United States Army.

Lieutenant General Richard Joe Seitz was a United States Army officer and paratrooper who, during a 35-year career, commanded the 2nd Battalion, 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment during World War II, the 82nd Airborne Division and the XVIII Airborne Corps.

William B. Caldwell III United States Army general

William B. Caldwell III was a United States Army general who retired as the Fifth United States Army commanding general at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. A combat veteran of wars in Korea and Vietnam, he was awarded the Silver Star on three separate occasions for gallantry and heroism under fire. Coming from a long line of soldiers, his great-great-great-great grandfather, Thomas Maze, fought in the Revolutionary War, his grandfather served in the Union Army during the Civil War, his father was an army colonel during World War II, and his son William B. Caldwell IV is a retired lieutenant general with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

William Robertson Desobry United States Army general

William Robertson Desobry was a senior U.S. Army field commander in Germany during the Cold War, and a Lieutenant General in the United States Army. General Desobry was a decorated hero from World War II, and played a significant role as an advisor to the Republic of Vietnam Army and on the Army Staff during the Vietnam War. In addition to commanding a division and corps, he was the Commanding General of the Armor Center and was the President of the XM-1 Tank Task Force.

Richard G. Graves United States Army general

Richard Gordon Graves is a retired lieutenant general in the United States Army. He was Commander of III Corps and Fort Hood. He is a 1958 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy.

James W. Monroe United States Army general

Major General James W. Monroe is a retired general officer in the United States Army and served as the Commanding General of the United States Army Industrial Operations Command at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois from 1995 to 1998. Prior to this, he served as the 28th Chief of Ordnance and Commandant of the U.S. Army Ordnance School at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland.

Robert D. Shadley United States Army general

Major General Robert David Shadley is a retired general officer in the United States Army and served as the Director of Logistics, G-4, for the United States Army Forces Command at Fort McPherson, Georgia. Prior to this assignment, he served as the 28th Chief of Ordnance and Commandant of the U.S. Army Ordnance School at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland.

References

    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.