Bill R. Blalock

Colonel Blalock entered the service in 1941 as a private and underwent basic training at Camp Wheeler, Georgia. Later that year as a Corporal he entered Infantry Officer Candidate School, and graduated in Class Number 81 on 12 October 1941. Colonel Blalock’s first assignment after graduation was as motor officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 393rd Infantry, Camp Van Dorn, Missouri. The same year he was transferred to the Service Company, 16th Infantry Division, in Europe. In 1945 he was promoted to First Lieutenant and transferred to the 701st Ordnance, also in the 1st Division. | At the end of World War II, Colonel Blalock entered the Army Reserve.  In 1948 he returned to active duty as a First Lieutenant, and served as a Platoon Leader with Service Battery, 50th Field Artillery Battalion, Fort Jackson, South Carolina. In 1950 he was transferred to Company D, 43d Armored Infantry Battalion, Fort Sill, Oklahoma. | During the following year he served as Automotive Maintenance and Replacement Officer (Ordnance Section), at Headquarters, Tenth Corps, United States Army, Pacific.  Later that year he served as a Company Commander with Company C, 701st Armored Infantry Battalion, Fort Hood, Texas.He was promoted to Captain in 1953 and attended Infantry Officer Advanced Course at Fort Benning.  After graduation, Colonel Blalock was assigned as a Division Advisor with the Military Assistance Advisory Group, Formosa. | He attended the Command and General Staff College in 1955, after which he went to Headquarters, United States Continental Army Command, at Fort Monroe, Virginia, where he served for 4 years as Operations and Training Staff Officer. In 1960 he became a Company Commander with the 2d Battle Group, 10th Infantry in the Carribean. In 1961 he was promoted to Major and transferred to Fort Amador, Canal Zone, where he served as Chief, Plans and Training Division. After his promotion to Lieutenant Colonel in 1964, he spent two academic years studying at George Washington University, followed by two years with Headquarters, Combat Development Command, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. In 1968 Colonel Blalock was assigned to the United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam in the capacity of the Operations Staff Officer, Civil Operations Revolutionary Development Support. The following year he was promoted to Colonel and returned to Headquarters, Combat Development Command, Fort Belvoir. At the time of his induction, he was Professor of Military Science, Reserve Officer Training Corps Instruction Group, University of Alabama. | Colonel Blalock’s awards include the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, Joint Commendation Ribbon, and the Army Commendation Medal.