From the late 1960s to the late 1970s, the United States Army was a demoralized institution in a country in the midst of a social revolution. The war in Vietnam had gone badly and public attitudes about it shifted from indifference, to acceptance, to protest. Army Chief of Staff General Creighton Abrams directed a major reorganization of the Army and appointed William E. DePuy (1919--1992) commander of the newly established Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), in 1973. DePuy already had a distinguished record in positions of trust and high responsibility: successful infantry battalion command and division G-3 in World War II by the age of twenty-five; Assistant Military Attaché in Hungary; detail to CIA in the Korean War; alternating tours on the Army Staff and in command of troops. As a general officer he was General Westmoreland's operations officer in Saigon; commander of the 1st Infantry Division in Vietnam; Special Assistant to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Assistant Vice Chief of Staff, Army. But it was as TRADOC Commander that DePuy made his major contribution in integrating training, doctrine, combat developments, and management in the U.S. Army. He regenerated a deflated post-Vietnam Army, effectively cultivating a military force prepared to fight and win in modern war. General William E. DePuy: Preparing the Army for Modern War is the first full-length biography of this key figure in the history of the U.S. Army in the twentieth century. Author Henry G. Gole mined secondary and primary sources, including DePuy's personal papers and extensive archival material, and he interviewed peers, subordinates, family members, and close observers to describe and analyze DePuy's unique contributions to the Army and nation. Gole guides the reader from DePuy's boyhood and college days in South Dakota through the major events and achievements of his life. DePuy was commissioned from the ROTC six months before the attack on Pearl Harbor, witnessed poor training and leadership in a mobilizing Army, and served in the 357th Infantry Regiment in Europe -- from the bloody fighting in Normandy until victory in May 1945, when DePuy was stationed in Czechoslovakia. Gole covers both major events and interesting asides: DePuy was asked by George Patton to serve as his aide; he supervised clandestine operations in China; he served in the Office of the Army Chief of Staff during the debate over "massive retaliation" vs. "flexible response"; he was instrumental in establishing Special Forces in Vietnam; he briefed President Lyndon B. Johnson in the White House. DePuy fixed a broken Army. In the process his intensity and forcefulness made him a contentious figure, admired by some and feared by others. He lived long enough to see his efforts produce American victory in the Gulf War of 1991. In General William E. DePuy, Gole presents the accomplishments of this important military figure and explores how he helped shape the most potent military force in the history of the world.
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""General William E. DePuy had an interesting and significant career spanning from combat in the World War II through the rebuilding of the Army after the Vietnam War. Henry Gole's excellent biography is an important contribution to American military history." Edward M. Coffman, author of The Regulars: The American Army, 1898-1941" -- Edward M. Coffman
""General William E. DePuy: Preparing the Army for Modern War is a superb contribution to our knowledge of our army's transformation and provides much food for thought about the forthcoming challenges of regeneration and reorientation the nation faces."--Parameters" --
""The book is loaded with valuable information about Gen. William E. Depuy. It answers many questions and leaves the reader wanting to know more about the man."--Army Magazine" --
"An excellent biography of a man who has been largely ignored by historians. It provides a much needed re-examination of the early post-Vietnam Army and the men who created and built what is regarded today as the best army in the world." -- Bowling Green Daily News
"An unbiased and objective study, the book reveals both DePuy's great strengths and his human weaknesses." -- Air Power History
""[DePuy] was a dynamic, intelligent, hard-driving officer whose personality an military record have been well captured by author Henry G. Cole." Journal of America's Military Past" -- Journal of America's Military Past
""Readers less familiar with that army might better understand how painfully slow its post-Vietnam healing was, and the extent of heroin addiction, racism, illiteracy, and gener"al systematic dysfunction that junior combat arms leaders continued to confront daily." Military History of the West" -- Military History of the West
"Gole not only conducts a comprehensive examination of DePuy's contributions to the Army but also provides insight into the complexities of the man and his motivations.... Well written in a highly engaging style and extremely informative." -- Marine Corps University Journal
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About the Author
Henry G. Gole has taught at West Point, the U.S. Army College, the University of Maryland, and Dickinson College. He is the author of The Road to Rainbow: Army Planning for Global War, 1934--1940 and Soldiering: Observations from Korea, Vietnam, and Safe Places. In addition, he served as a rifleman in Korea and completed two tours as a Special Forces Officer during the Vietnam War.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding guide for the days ahead,
By Charles A. Krohn (Panama City Beach, Florida) - See all my reviews
This review is from: General William E. DePuy: Preparing the Army for Modern War (American Warriors) (Hardcover)
I expected a conventional treatment of the life and times of General DePuy, but only a few pages into this book, I knew I'd have a hard time putting it down. Absorbing and insightful, it describes the fascinating details where DePuy came from (South Dakota), how he grew up in the Army (90th Infantry Division from D-Day to VE Day), his advocates and adversaries, Vietnam service, and how he died (a variant of mad cow disease), with points in between. Of course the essence is how he re-shaped the Army while commander of the Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Monroe, VA. He created order out of chaos. If this seems an over-statement, it crosses the line only slightly. I won't attempt to capture how he transformed TRADOC from a sleepy Tidewater rest camp into the center of the Army universe, because the book does it and does it so well. Gole gives credit where it's due, not just to DePuy but to others who shared and extended his vision and labored to put the pieces in place.
Our times will call soon for a new DePuy able to see the future as well as The Master. Today the Army is overwhelmed fighting insurgencies, stretching the force past its theoretical limits. When the world settles down, will the Army be able to produce another DePuy who can put under one rational roof doctrine, equipment and training?
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Why DePuy?,
This review is from: General William E. DePuy: Preparing the Army for Modern War (American Warriors) (Hardcover)
William DePuy is not a houshold name: certainly not in the genre of Westmoreland,nor Powell, neither Schwartzkopf,nor the recently annointed Petraeus. But, Henry Gole pumps blood into the veins of this seemingly lustreless Four Star and traces his path relentlessly..the good and the bad..the brilliance and the brooding..selfish desires given over to selflessness. What comes to life under the author's pen is a soldiers' soldier; a commander and patriot whose total focus is on and for the troops..each and every one..to school them and train them - and to inspire their leaders (sometimes ruthlessly) to enable them to engage in the chaos of combat and emerge with a good chance of survival.
A great biography replete with an accurate history of confusing times for our Army and our nation. A truly rewarding read.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gen William E Depuy,
By Jim Buratti (Fairfax County, VA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: General William E. DePuy: Preparing the Army for Modern War (American Warriors) (Hardcover)
A fantastic read. How one individual, by his sense of urgency changed the training and education of the US Army after Vietnam. Although I never served directly under General Depuy, after reading this book, I feel that I have known him for my entire life. While reading the Chapter on the then existing training programs in the late 50s - early 60s, I began to laugh out loud. I remember vividly at Ft Sill, OK, after our group "qualified" with the compass, we were sent out on a night training mission in November on a very dark, cold and rainy night. My partner and I completed the course in a reasonably length of time; several of our compatriots walked off a cliff and suffered broken legs and miles from where they were supposed to be. Others straggled in over the next day or so. A well researched and very well written book with very appropriate comments added as appropriate by the author. This is a book for anyone advocating a change of direction in any organization - military or civilian. Highly recommended reading.
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vice chief, assistant division commander, marching fire, battle group commander, fire superiority, free maneuver Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
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