William L. Palmer

Colonel William L. Palmer was commissioned an Infantry Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School Class 7-N-F, Class 2, 15 August 1961. His first duty assignment was as a Rifle Platoon Leader, B Company, 1st Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division, Siler City, North Carolina. | Subsequent duty assignments include: Rifle Platoon Leader, C Company, 2nd Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Detachment Executive Officer, A-15, C Company, 16th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Charlotte, North Carolina. Detachment Commander, A-8, A Company, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Huntsville, Alabama. Group Adjutant, 6th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Detachment Civic Action Officer, B-23, Company B, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, Bam Me Thout (II Corps), Republic of Vietnam (ARepublic of Vietnam); Detachment Commander, A-236, B Company, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, Camp Bu Prang (II Corps), Republic of Vietnam ; Company Commander, A Company, 3rd Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry, 173rd Airborne Brigade, Landing Zone Uplift (II Corps), Republic of Vietnam; Battalion Senior Advisor, Airborne Division Advisory Detachment, (MACV Team 162),11th Battalion (Airborne), 3rd Brigade, ARepublic of Vietnam Airborne Division, Headquarters, U.S. Army Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, Republic of Vietnam; Assistant Operations Officer, Division Support Command, 8th Infantry Division, Bad Kreuznach, Germany; Company Commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion (Airborne), 509th Infantry, Rhein Kaserne, Wiesbaden, Germany; Company Commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 509th Infantry, Caserma Ederle, Vicenza, Italy; Headquarters Commandant, Headquarters, 2nd Infantry Division, Camp Casey, Korea; Executive Officer, U.S. Army Support Detachment, Fort MacArthur, California; Psychological Operations Officer, 1st Special Operations Command (Airborne), assigned to U.S. Pacific Command, Camp Smith, Hawaii: Security Assistance Officer, Security Assistance/ Arms Transfer Division, Politico-Military Affairs; J-5 (Plans and Policy Directorate) Organization of the Joint Chief of Staff, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.; Psychological Operations Officer, Joint Special Operations Agency, J-3 (Operations Directorate)/ J-33 (Current Operations), Organization of the Joint Chief of Staff, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.; Assistant Deputy Director for Unconventional Warfare, Operations, Readiness, and Mobilization Directorate Office, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans, Headquarters, Department of the Army, Washington, D.C.; Assistant Deputy Director for Special Operations, U.S. Special Operations Agency Office; Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans, Headquarters, Department of the Army, Washington, D.C. | Colonel Palmer's awards and decorations include: Combat Infantryman Badge, Silver Star, Bronze Star w/ “V” device and w/ 5 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart, Air Metal w/ 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross w/ Silver Star (twice awarded). | Colonel Palmer retired 19 April 1991.