Lieutenant General Vernon A. Walters was commissioned an Infantry Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School 29 May 1942. His first duty assignment was as Platoon Leader, of the Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon of Headquarters Company, 338th Infantry. | His subsequent duty assignments include: Military Intelligence Training Center at Camp Ritchie, Maryland; 9th Infantry Division,; Chief of Section, Intelligence School at Camp Ritchie; Aide to General Mark W. Clark, Commanding General of the Fifth Army; Combat Liaison Officer, 1st Brazilian Infantry Division; Assistant Army Attache in Brazil; Aide to General Marshall; Assistant Military Attache-at-large, Ambassador Averell Harriman, Paris; Military Assistant to the Special Assistant to the President; Assistant Executive for National Military Representatives; Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics and Administration; Assistant to the President at the Geneva Conference; U.S. Element of the NATO Standing Group as Public Information Officer and Special Projects Officer; Staff Assistant to the President of the United States, accompanying President Eisenhower and Vice President Nixon; Army Attache, Rome; Rio de Janeiro; Defense Attache to France; accompanied President Nixon and Mrs. Nixon, France, Belgium, German Italy and Spain; Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. | General Walters's awards and decorations include: Distinguished Service Medal; Legion of Merit ( 1 Oak Leaf Cluster); Bronze Star; Air Medal; Army Commendation; American Defense Service Medal; American Campaign Medal; European Theatre Medal; World War II Victory Medal; Arm Occupation Medal (Germany); National Defense Service Medal; Vietnam Campaign Medal; Officer of the Legion of Honor Croix de Guerre with Palms; Combat Cross; Order of Military Merit; War Medal; Campaign Cross; Southern Cross; Bronze Medal of Valor; Commander of the Crown of Italy; Commander of Order of Merit of Italian Republic; Grand Cross of Order of Merit; Military Merit.