# John Galvin (general)

John Rogers Galvin (13 May 1929 – 25 September 2015) was an American army general who served as the sixth dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and a member of the U.S. Commission on National Security/21st Century.

## Career

Galvin began his service as an enlisted soldier in the Massachusetts Army National Guard from 1947 to 1950 before he received an appointment to United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1954 with a Bachelor of Science degree. In 1969, during the Vietnam War, lieutenant colonel Galvin commanded the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). For his actions as the battalion's commander he was awarded the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Soldiers Medal.
He earned a Master of Arts degree in English from Columbia University in 1962 and later completed a fellowship at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in 1971. Galvin served with the Army Combat Development Command, from 1970 to 1972, as a Military Assistant with Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), from 1974 to 1975 and commanded the 24th Infantry Division in the early 1980s. He was promoted to lieutenant general and commanded the VII Corps in Germany from July 1983 to February 1985.
Galvin's career included the rare opportunity to command two different Department of Defense Unified Commands following his promotion to full (4-star) general. He served as Commander in Chief, United States Southern Command in Panama from 1985 to 1987 and Commander in Chief, United States European Command from June 26, 1987, to 23 June 1992. During his tenure as Commander U.S. European Command he also served as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR).
During his time as SACEUR many stay-behind networks in Europe were dismantled, a process that started with the revelations by Italy's then prime minister, Giulio Andreotti, who disclosed to the Italian Parliament the existence of a Gladio stay-behind anti-communist paramilitary network headed by NATO and present in most European countries.

## Personal life

Galvin lived with his wife Ginny and had four daughters. One of his daughters, Beth, served a medical reporter for WAGA, the FOX affiliate in Atlanta during 1996–2024. The Galvin Middle School in Wakefield, Massachusetts, is named after him. The United States Military Academy awarded Galvin (Class of '54) the 1997 Distinguished Graduate Award. On 25 September 2015, he died in Jonesboro, Georgia at the age of 86.

## Selected awards and decorations

| Badge | Combat Infantryman Badge | Combat Infantryman Badge | Combat Infantryman Badge |
| 1st Row | Defense Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster | Defense Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster | Army Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster | Army Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster |
| 2nd Row | Navy Distinguished Service Medal | Air Force Distinguished Service Medal | Silver Star |
| 3rd Row | Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters | Distinguished Flying Cross | Soldier's Medal |
| 4th Row | Bronze Star Medal with two oak leaf clusters | Air Medal with V Device | National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star |
| 5th Row | Vietnam Service Medal with three bronze campaign stars | Army Service Ribbon | Army Overseas Service Ribbon |
| 6th Row | Great Cross of Merit with star (Federal Republic of Germany) | Bavarian Order of Merit | Légion d'honneur Grand Officier |
| 7th Row | Order of Military Merit Grand Cross (Spain) | Order of Orange-Nassau Grand Cross, 1992 (Netherlands) | Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal |
| Badge | Senior Parachutist Badge | Senior Parachutist Badge | Senior Parachutist Badge |
* 8th Cavalry Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia