Richard Herschel White

Colonel Richard Herschel White, a native of Norcross, Georgia, enlisted in the U.S. Army as an Airborne Infantryman, 1 April 1966. He completed Basic Infantry Training at Fort Benning, Georgia and Advanced Infantry Training at Fort Dix, New Jersey. On 7 March 1967, at the age of 19, he was commissioned as an Infantry Officer upon graduation from Infantry Officer Candidate School Class 14-67, 52nd Officer Candidate Company, Fort Benning. | His first duty assignment was as a Battalion S-4, 2nd Battalion, 50th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Armor Division, Fort Hood, Texas. His subsequent duty assignments include: Rifle Platoon Leader, Reconnaissance Platoon Leader, Assistant S-3, and Commander, Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, Camp Enari, Plieku, Vietnam; Commander, Detachment B-12, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Assistant Inspector General, Headquarters, 173rd Airborne Brigade and Commander, B Company, 1st Battalion 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, Landing Zone English, Bong Song, Vietnam; Assistant S-3, Aviation Command, Fort Benning; Commander, Aviation Detachment, U.S. Army Engineer Command, Rhein Mein Air Force Base, Germany; Aviation Safety Officer, Headquarters, 7th Corps, Mohringer, Germany; Commander, A Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, Aschaffenburg, Germany; Squadron Executive Officer and Commander, C Troop, 1st Squadron, 17th Air Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg; Headquarters Commandant, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg; Advisor, Headquarters, North Carolina Army National Guard, Raleigh, North Carolina; Commander, Raleigh Recruiting Battalion, Raleigh; Commander, 82nd Combat Aviation Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg; Deputy Commander, 18th Aviation Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg; Executive Officer to the Commander-In-Chief, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida; Commander, 128th Aviation Brigade, Fort Clayton, Panama; Active Component Training Division Chief, Headquarters, U.S. Army Forces Command, Fort McPherson, Georgia; Commander, 2nd Recruiting Brigade, Fort Gillem, Georgia; Secretary Of The General Staff, Headquarters, U.S. Army Forces Command, Fort McPherson. | His civilian and military education include: Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts - National Security Fellow & Co-Author: American Military Policy in Small Wars: The Case of El Salvador; Webster University, Fort Bragg - Masters of Art in Public Administration; Webster University, Fort Bragg - Masters of Art in Management; University of Maryland, Heidelberg, Germany - Bachelors of Science in Business Administration; Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania; Air Force Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama; Army Command & General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; Infantry Officers Advance Course, Fort Benning; Helicopter Flight School, Fort Wolters, Texas & Fort Rucker, Alabama (Aircraft Qualifications: TH-55, UH-1H, AH-1H, OH-58 / UH-1H Instructor Pilot); University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California - Aviation Safety Course. | His military awards and decorations include: Combat Infantryman Badge; Senior Aviator Wings; Master Parachutists Wings; Special Forces Tab; Ranger Tab; Air Assault Wings; Legion of Merit (2 awards); Bronze Star Medal (for valor); Bronze Star Medal (for combat service - 3 awards); Department of Defense Meritorious Service Medal; Army Meritorious Service Medal (5 awards); Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Meritorious Unit Citation; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal (2 awards: Vietnam & Gulf War); Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (El Salvador); Vietnamese Service Medal (8 campaign stars); Non Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon; Armed Forces Reserve Medal; Army Service Ribbon Overseas Service Ribbon (2 awards); Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Bronze Star; Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star; Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm (2 awards); Republic of Vietnam Civic Action Honor Medal, 1st Class (2 awards); Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal; Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry - Unit Citation with Palm (2 awards); Republic of Vietnam Civic Action Honor Medal - Unit Citation with Palm (2 awards); Overseas Service Bars (4 bars / 24 months, Vietnam); Shoulder Sleeve Insignia for Wartime Service - 4th Infantry Division & 173rd Airborne Brigade; Regimental Affiliation Crests - 35th Infantry Regiment & 503rd Infantry Regiment; United States Marine Corps Parachutists Wings. | On 31 March 1997 Colonel White retired with a total of 31 years of active service. He was inducted into the OCS Hall of Fame in 2001.