Melvin R. Gaines

Colonel Melvin R. Gaines was commissioned an Infantry Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School 16 March 1945, class number 422. His first duty assignment was as Rifle & Weapons Platoon Leader, 5th Infantry Regiment, 71st Infantry Division, Germany and Austria. | His subsequent duty assignments include:  Battalion S2 and Battalion S3, 5th Inf Regiment & 505 MP Bn, Austria; Commissary Officer, Salzburg, Austria; Battalion S2 and Company Commander, 14th Inf Regiment, & 109th Inf Regiment, 28th Div, Camp Carson, Colorado, Camp Atterbury, Indiana; Company Commander, Battalion & Regiment S2, 279th Inf Regiment, 45th Div, Korea; Company Commander, Battalion S2, 21st Inf Regiment, 24th Div, Japan; Regiment S2, 21st Inf Regiment, 24th Div, Korea; Associate Adv Inf Course, Instructor-Tactical Dept, The Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia; Assistant G3, Headquarters, 3d Inf Div, Fort Benning, Georgia; Assistant G3, Headquarters, 3d Inf Div, Germany; Assistant Operations Officer, G3, Headquarters, V Corps, Germany; War Plans Officer, Joint Alternate Comd Element, Washington, D.C.; Operations Staff Officer, Joint Alternate Comd Element, Washington, D.C.; Personnel Staff Officer, DA Staff, Office Res Components, Washington, D.C.; Chief, Personnel management Branch, DA Staff, Officer Res Components, Washington, D.C.; Battalion Commander, 2d Bn, 23d Inf (M), 2d Inf Div, Korea; Chief, Data & Systems Mgt Div, Team V, USACDCEC, Fort Ord, California; Chief, Team V, USACDCEC, Fort Ord, California. | His awards and decorations include: DA Staff Badge and JCS Badge, AFFM, NDSM w/Oak Leaf Cluster; AFRR; AFRM; CR; Nat Def Svc Medal; UN Svc Medal, 5 OS Bars; Bronze Star Medal w/V Device; Purple Heart; CIB; KSM; A OCC Medal (Germany); World War II Victory Medal; EAME Medal.