Louis C. Menetrey
Encyclopedia
Louis Charles Menetrey was a United States Army
four star general who served as Commander in Chief, United Nations Command/Commander in Chief, ROK/U.S. Combined Forces Command/Commander, United States Forces Korea
/Commanding General, Eighth United States Army (CINCUNC/CINCCFC/COMUSFK/CG EUSA) from 1987 to 1990.
, he enrolled in the University of California
, graduating with a bachelor of arts degree in Political Science. While in college, he served in both the Navy and Army Reserve. He was commissioned in 1953 in the infantry.
After completing the Infantry Basic course and Airborne and Ranger school, he served as a platoon leader, and later commanded four different companies; most officers only command a company once. During this time he also served as a nuclear weapons test and evaluation officer and as a liaison officer involved in the planning for an invasion of Cuba.
After promotion to major, he attended the Command and General Staff College
, then went to Georgetown University
and received a master's degree in International Affairs before being sent to the Armed Forces Staff College. Upon graduation he was chosen for early promotion to Lieutenant Colonel and received orders to Vietnam.
In Vietnam, his first assignment was as Deputy chief of Staff of the 1st Cavalry Division, and then was given command of the 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry
, a unit that had been badly mauled by recent combat.
After Vietnam, he attended the National War College
, and then was assigned to the Office of the Coordinator of Army Studies, working for Vice Chief of Staff General William E. DePuy
, and assisting in developing policies for transition to an all volunteer force.
He was assigned next to the 101st Airborne Division
as the G-3, then took command of the division's 2nd Brigade. While at Fort Campbell
, he was selected for flag rank. His first assignment as a general officer was as Assistant Division Commander, 2nd Infantry Division, and during his time in that billet, the Axe Murder Incident
, where U.S. Army officers were slain at Panmunjon
, occurred.
His next assignment was as Deputy Commander, Combined Arms Development Agency, where he helped lay the groundwork for the National Training Center. He was then picked for command of the 4th Infantry Division, followed by being Director of Requirements for the Army Staff.
He was chosen to command the Combined Field Army in Korea, and then the Fifth United States Army, headquartered at Fort Sam Houston
. He received his fourth star in 1987, and took command of all U.S. forces in Korea.
and Marathon, Florida
. He worked as a consultant. Gen. Menetrey died on January 14, 2009 after an extended battle with Alzheimers Disease. He was survived by his wife, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
four star general who served as Commander in Chief, United Nations Command/Commander in Chief, ROK/U.S. Combined Forces Command/Commander, United States Forces Korea
United States Forces Korea
United States Forces Korea refers to the ground, air and naval divisions of the United States armed forces stationed in South Korea....
/Commanding General, Eighth United States Army (CINCUNC/CINCCFC/COMUSFK/CG EUSA) from 1987 to 1990.
Military career
Menetrey was born on August 19, 1929 in Hollywood, California to a Swiss immigrant father and American mother. After graduating from Hollywood High SchoolHollywood High School
Hollywood High School is a Los Angeles Unified School District high school located at the intersection of North Highland Avenue and West Sunset Boulevard in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California.-History:...
, he enrolled in the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
, graduating with a bachelor of arts degree in Political Science. While in college, he served in both the Navy and Army Reserve. He was commissioned in 1953 in the infantry.
After completing the Infantry Basic course and Airborne and Ranger school, he served as a platoon leader, and later commanded four different companies; most officers only command a company once. During this time he also served as a nuclear weapons test and evaluation officer and as a liaison officer involved in the planning for an invasion of Cuba.
After promotion to major, he attended the Command and General Staff College
Command and General Staff College
The United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military officers. The college was established in 1881 by William Tecumseh Sherman as a...
, then went to Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
and received a master's degree in International Affairs before being sent to the Armed Forces Staff College. Upon graduation he was chosen for early promotion to Lieutenant Colonel and received orders to Vietnam.
In Vietnam, his first assignment was as Deputy chief of Staff of the 1st Cavalry Division, and then was given command of the 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry
28th Infantry Regiment (United States)
Since the establishment of the United States Army in 1775, three regiments have held the designation 28th Infantry Regiment. The first was a Provisional unit that was constituted on 29 January 1813 and served during The War of 1812. The second was a reorganization and redesignation of 2nd...
, a unit that had been badly mauled by recent combat.
After Vietnam, he attended the National War College
National War College
The National War College of the United States is a school in the National Defense University. It is housed in Roosevelt Hall on Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., the third-oldest Army post still active. It was officially established on July 1, 1946, as an upgraded replacement for the...
, and then was assigned to the Office of the Coordinator of Army Studies, working for Vice Chief of Staff General William E. DePuy
William E. DePuy
William Eugene DePuy was a U.S. Army general and the first commander of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. He is widely regarded as one of the principal architects of the restructuring of U.S. Army doctrine after the American withdrawal from Vietnam.-Early life and career:DePuy...
, and assisting in developing policies for transition to an all volunteer force.
He was assigned next to the 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
as the G-3, then took command of the division's 2nd Brigade. While at Fort Campbell
Fort Campbell
Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astraddle the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee...
, he was selected for flag rank. His first assignment as a general officer was as Assistant Division Commander, 2nd Infantry Division, and during his time in that billet, the Axe Murder Incident
Axe Murder Incident
The axe murder incident was the killing of two United States Army officers by North Korean soldiers on August 18, 1976, in the Joint Security Area located in the Korean Demilitarized Zone which forms the de facto border between North and South Korea...
, where U.S. Army officers were slain at Panmunjon
Joint Security Area
The Joint Security Area is the only portion of the Korean Demilitarized Zone where South and North Korean forces stand face-to-face. It is often called the "Truce Village" in both the media and various military accounts...
, occurred.
His next assignment was as Deputy Commander, Combined Arms Development Agency, where he helped lay the groundwork for the National Training Center. He was then picked for command of the 4th Infantry Division, followed by being Director of Requirements for the Army Staff.
He was chosen to command the Combined Field Army in Korea, and then the Fifth United States Army, headquartered at Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas.Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the first President of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston....
. He received his fourth star in 1987, and took command of all U.S. forces in Korea.
Post military career
Menetrey retired from the army in 1990, living between Colorado Springs, ColoradoColorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
and Marathon, Florida
Marathon, Florida
Marathon is a city on Knight's Key, Boot Key, Key Vaca, Fat Deer Key, Long Point Key, Crawl Key and Grassy Key islands in the middle Florida Keys, in Monroe County, Florida, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 10,255. As of 2005, the population estimated...
. He worked as a consultant. Gen. Menetrey died on January 14, 2009 after an extended battle with Alzheimers Disease. He was survived by his wife, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.