William C. Abernathy

Colonel William C. Abernathy was commissioned an Infantry Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School Class Number 240, 22 May 1943. His first duty assignment was Platoon Officer, Company G, 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Camp Mackall, North Carolina. | His subsequent duty assignments include: Liaison Officer, 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Southwest Pacific Theater; Aide to Assistant Division Commander, 11th Airborne Division, Southwest Pacific Theater; \ Liaison Officer, G-3 Section, 11th Airborne Division, Southwest Pacific Theater and Japan; Instructor and S3, The Airborne School/ The Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia; Instructor, Anti-Aircraft and Guided Missiles School, Fort Bliss, Texas; Executive Officer, Senior Army Advisors Office, U.S. Army Reserve, Fort Brooke, Puerto Rico; Chief, Plans Branch, G3 Section, U.S. Army Forces and Military District of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Technical Operations Officer, Division of Military Application, USAtomic Energy Commission, Washington, D.C.; Staff Officer, G-3 Plans Division, Headquarters U.S. Eighth Army, Korea; Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3, 1st Cavalry Division, Korea; S-3,  2d Infantry Brigade (Separate), Fort Devens, Massachusetts; Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry, 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Devens, Massachusetts; Chief, Operations and Training Section, Headquarters, Landsoutheast, Izmir, Turkey; Chief, Plans Division Office, Chief Research and Development, U.S. Army Staff, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.; Commanding Officer, Division Support Command, 4th Infantry Division, Vietnam; and Staff Officer, Weapons Systems Evaluation Group, Office of Chief, Department of Defense Research and Engineering, Washington, D.C. | Colonel Abernathy is a graduate of Infantry Officer Candidate School; Parachute School; Infantry Officer's Advanced Course; U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; and U.S. Army War College. | His military awards and decorations include: Legion of Merit w/ Oak Leaf Cluster; Bronze Star Medal w/ V and 2 Oak Leaf Clusters; Meritorious Service Medal; Air Medal w/ 2 Oak Leaf Clusters; Army Commendation Medal w/ 2 Oak Leaf Clusters; Purple Heart; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ Bronze Arrowhead and 3 Campaign Stars; American Campaign Medal; Victory Medal w/ Oak Leaf Cluster (World War II); National Defense Service Medal; Philippine Liberation Medal w/ 2 Campaign Stars; Vietnam Service Medal w/ 3 Campaign Stars; AFAM (Vietnamese); Vietnamese Cross of gallantry w/ Palm, U.S. Presidential Unit Citation; Meritorious Unit Citation; Philippine Presidential Unit Citation; Republic of Vietnam Commendation Medal w/ 60 Device; General Staff Identification Badge (Army); Office, Secretary of Defense Identification Badge. | At the time of his induction Colonel Abernathy was Director of Industry Affairs, Mechanical Contractors Association of America, Rockville, Maryland.