John Bahnsen Brigadier General John C . " Doc " Bahnsen , Jr . ( born November 8 , 1934 ) is a retired United States Army officer and decorated veteran of the Vietnam War . Early years . John Charles Bahnsen , Jr . was born to John C . Bahnsen and Evelyn Williams in Albany , Georgia . on November 8 , 1934 . His nickname , " Doc " , stems from his grandfather , Dr . Peter F . Bahnsen , who immigrated with his parents to the United States from Denmark In 1890 , Dr . Bahnsen became Georgia ' s first state veterinarian , and he operated a state - of - the - art dairy farm in Americus , Georgia . The Bahnsen family moved to Rochelle , Georgia , in 1941 where Doc ' s father worked as the federal soil conservationist for Wilcox County . Bahnsen attended Rochelle ' s public schools until tenth grade . He then went to live with his grandfather and aunt in Americus , Georgia , because the high school curriculum im Americus offered more math and science courses than Rochelle ' s . After 18 months in Americus , Bahnsen gained admission to Marion Military Institute in Marion , Alabama . He was then appointed to the United States Military Academy by United States Senator Walter F . George , a close political acquaintance of his grandfather Bahnsen . West Point . Doc Bahnsen began his studies at West Point in 1952 . He won his numerals as a pole vault er on the plebe track and field team . Bahnsen also participated on intramural teams , including wrestling , lacrosse , swimming , football , and soccer . As a cadet , Bahnsen met George S . Patton IV and Hank Emerson , who were then assigned to West Point as tactical officers , and they became his mentors . Bahnsen was mediocre student , but excelled in military science and physical education courses . On June 5 , 1956 , he graduated with a commission as an Infantry Second Lieutenant , ranking standing 406 out of 480 in his class . Early career . After graduation from the Infantry Officer Basic Course at Fort Benning , Georgia , Lieutenant Bahnsen attended Airborne School . He then married his childhood sweetheart , Patricia Fitzgerald , prior to attending Fixed Wing Flight School at Camp Gary , Texas and Fort Rucker , Alabama . They had four children : Jon Christian , Bradley Duncan , Leeanne , and James Fitzgerald . Bahnsen ' s first troop assignment was in West Germany as an aviator in Artillery Flight , 3rd Aviation Company , 3rd Infantry Division . While there he transferred to the Armor branch , which led to command of B Company , 1st Battalion , 68th Armor Regiment . Bahnsen excelled in command , qualifying all 17 of his company ' s tank crews on their first run at the Tank Crew Qualification Course in Grafenwöhr , for which he received the Army Commendation Medal . Bahnsen next attended the Rotary Wing Aviator Course at Fort Wolters , Texas , followed by the Armor Officer Advanced Course at Fort Knox , Kentucky . He remained at the Armor School as an instructor of armored cavalry and air cavalry tactics before being assigned to Fort Leavenworth , Kansas to attend the Command and General Staff College . Vietnam , first tour . On October 4 , 1965 , Bahnsen reported for duty with the 145th Combat Aviation Battalion then stationed at Tan Son Nhut Air Base , contiguous to Saigon , and he was assigned to command the 118th Aviation Company ' s ( Thunderbirds ) gunship platoon ( Bandits ) at Bien Hoa Air Base . Among the highlights of this assignment was a mission to support Marine Aircraft Group 36 , 1st Marine Aircraft Wing for Operation Double Eagle , working out of Ky Ha south of Da Nang , for which he was awarded his first of five Silver Star s . Bahnsen ' s brother Peter ( USMA , 1958 ) was in Vietnam at the same time , carrying out a variety of operations for the Special Forces . Peter reportedly rode with Doc on at least one helicopter assault mission . Soon after returning from Operation Double Eagle , Bahnsen became operations officer for the 118th Aviation Company . Shortly afterwards , he was assigned to the 12th Combat Aviation Group at Long Binh and promoted to Major . While at the 12th Aviation Group Bahnsen created a " Top Gun " competition to improve helicopter weapons marksmanship by offering prizes and bragging rights for the best scores . During this combat tour , Bahnsen had a relationship with Thach Thi Hung , " the Dragon Lady of Bien Hoa . " On his departure from Vietnam , she was pregnant . Three months after he left Vietnam , Hung was killed in an automobile accident . Her son , Minh , survived the accident and later made his way to the United States , where he met his father for the first time . Minh later lived with Doc Bahnsen for about a year before returning to his home in California to pursue a career in the film industry . Minh Bahnsen has since worked on several films as an electrician and grip , including " National Treasure " and " Thor " . Pentagon duty . In December 1966 , Bahnsen reported for duty with the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Force Development . Assigned as a staff officer in the Army Aviation Directorate , his duties involved verifying the readiness of aviation and air cavalry units set to deploy to Vietnam . During this assignment , he enrolled in graduate courses offered by George Washington University . Bahnsen was also part of the Army ' s response to the assassination of Martin Luther King , Jr . , spending a day patrolling Washington , D . C during the post - assassination civil unrest . Bahnsen re - established his relationship with Patton while they were both assigned to The Pentagon , and when Patton rotated to Vietnam to take command of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment , he arranged to have Doc released from staff duties early in order to take command of the regiment ' s Air Cavalry Troop . Vietnam , Second Tour . Arriving in Vietnam on October 14 , 1968 , Bahnsen assumed command of a troop which was composed of UH - 1 " slicks " ( troop transport helicopters ) , OH - 6 scout helicopters , AH - 1 gunships , and an infantry aero rifle platoon ( ARPs ) . Bahnsen ' s Air Cav troop saw action daily — as an example , one of its ARPs , Specialist Fourth Class Jim Weller , was involved in 300 enemy contacts during his 13 months in Vietnam . Bahnsen frequently fought from the air in his UH - 1 command and control helicopter , and often joined his troops on the ground to lead infantry operations . During this period Bahnsen ' s reputation for combat leadership and courage under fire grew to near - legendary proportions . On January 1 , 1969 , Bahnsen was piloting his helicopter during combat when a white phosphorus grenade exploded inside the aircraft . Crew member Rodney J . T . Yano was burned , and ammunition inside the aircraft started to detonate , Though he had lost the use of one arm and couldn ' t see well , he continued to throw burning and exploding munitions off the aircraft , further injuring himself . Yano died as a result , but prevented a crash and additional deaths or injuries to the crew . He received the Medal of Honor , and Bahnsen has been active in other efforts to recognize Yano , including a tank range at Fort Knox , a hangar at Fort Rucker , and a vehicle washing facility at Fort Benning . In January , 1969 he was involved in an action which included landing under fire to mark a landing zone , firing on the enemy with his rifle while he directed artillery fire from his low - flying command and control helicopter , evacuating his crew members after they were wounded , and then leading a subsequent Infantry ground attack . He received the Distinguished Service Cross . During his command he began a relationship with Phyllis " Fif " Shaughnessy , a civilian employee of the International Recreation Association under contract with the U . S . State Department . Bahnsen and his wife Pat were divorced at the end of his tour , and he and Fif were married . When Patton left command , his final Officer Efficiency report ( OER ) on Bahnsen read in part : " The rated officer is the best , most highly motivated and professionally competent combat leader I have served with in twenty - three years of service , to include the Korean War and two tours in Vietnam . It is emphasized that the fine reputation this Regiment now enjoys is due primarily to the actions , reactions , and methods of operation of Major Bahnsen . . . He is one of those rare professionals who truly enjoys fighting , taking risks and sparring with a wily and slippery foe . He is utterly fearless and because of this , demands the same from his unit . . . . I cannot praise Major Bahnsen too highly for his fantastic performance in battle . " Patton was succeeded by Colonel Jimmie Leach , a battle - hardened veteran of World War II and Korea , who assigned Bahnsen to command the regiment ' s 1st Squadron , which included a headquarters troop with aviation section , three armored cavalry troops , a tank company , a howitzer battery , and an attached platoon of combat engineers . Squadrons are normally commanded by Lieutenant Colonels , and Bahnsen was the only Major to command a squadron in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment during the Vietnam War . Under Bahnsen ' s command , 1st Squadron was engaged in enemy contacts over a broad area of the III Corps Tactical Zone , the military region between Saigon and the Central Highlands , particularly the Iron Triangle , the K4 Woods , the Fishhook , and the Michelin Rubber Plantation . Elements of the squadron were often under the operational control of units in the 1st Infantry Division , 1st Cavalry Division , 25th Infantry Division , and 18th Division ( South Vietnam ) . Bahnsen ' s reputation continued to grow , and it was common for him to be given tactical command of a battle in progress despite being outranked by the commander of the principal maneuver unit . In an OER prepared by Colonel Leach , Leach observed : " Major Bahnsen is the most outstanding combat commander I know . He is intelligent , aggressive , persuasive and extremely efficient . A dynamic young officer who excels in everything He does . The bravest soldier I ' ve ever seen . " Major General Elvy B . Roberts , the 1st Air Cavalry Division commander , added his observations : " Unquestionably the finest combat leader - commander in the regiment . An alert , tenacious fighter with an abundance of ideas and common sense . At the forefront of all enemy contacts , night or day " . Bahnsen ended his second tour in Vietnam on September 8 , 1969 . On September 6 , 1st Squadron had a major enemy contact in the Michelin Plantation , for which Bahnsen received his fifth Silver Star . Bahnsen disagreed with the Nixon Administration ' s efforts to seek a negotiated peace agreement with the North Vietnam ese . Bahnsen has long argued that the U . S . , South Vietnam and other allies were winning the war and would have achieved a military victory had the " fog of politics " not obscured the tactical success . Post - Vietnam career . As a newly promoted Lieutenant Colonel , Bahnsen was assigned to West Germany as commander of 1st Battalion , 32nd Armor , serving from 1969 to 1971 . After completing his battalion command Bahnsen attended the Army War College , concurrently completing a Master of Science degree in public administration from Shippensburg State College . Three years after Bahnsen and Fif Shaughnessy were married , they divorced and Bahnsen remarried his first wife , Pat . After completing the War College Bahnsen was assigned to Combat Arms Training Board at Fort Benning as the Armor team leader . The board worked to develop state - of - the - art training methods and systems , with its most notable success being the Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System ( MILES ) which remains one of the Army ' s most important training systems . In 1974 Bahnsen and his wife Pat were divorced for the second time , and he subsequently married Peggy Miller . Peggy later joined the Army and served in the Adjutant General Corps , retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel after 20 years in uniform . Bahnsen was next assigned to the Training and Doctrine Command ( TRADOC ) , where he played a key role in the establishment of the Fort Irwin National Training Center . Bahnsen also directed major studies to improve Army training and readiness , and oversaw the production of How - To - Fight booklets and training films . Receiving an early promotion Colonel , Bahnsen was assigned to Fort Rucker as the first TRADOC Program Manager for Attack Helicopters . He next assignment was Commander of the 1st Aviation Brigade . He was then promoted to Brigadier General and assigned as Assistant Division Commander of the 2nd Armored Division . He then served as Chief of Staff of the Combined Field Army ( Republic of Korea / United States in South Korea . After his tour in Korea , Bahnsen was assigned as Chief of Staff for the III Armored Corps at Fort Hood . Retirement . Retiring in 1986 , Bahnsen returned to West Point , where his wife Peggy was the first woman to serve as a regimental tactical officer ( RTO ) , placing her in command of one - quarter of the Corps of Cadets . He was employed as a Program Manager at BDM Corporation , and then formed his own firm , Bahnsen , Inc . , which performed consulting services for the military and defense contractors . After his wife ' s retirement , the Bahnsens settled in her hometown , New Cumberland , West Virginia . In addition to operating the Miller Family Farm , they have been active in the Republican Party , and both served on the state Republican Committee . They are also participants in Camp Lincoln , a week - long summer camp for West Virginia teenagers . Bahnsen also built a wildlife habitat in one of the farm ' s wooded areas and raises corn and milo to feed the quail , dove s , pheasant s , and deer that live on the property . The Bahnsens also maintain a stream - fed pond for fishing . He also raises and trains English pointers , hosts an annual invitation - only dove shoot , and hunts fast - flying birds in the Midwest each year . Bahnsen is reportedly a breakfast regular at " John ' s Home Cooking " , a New Cumberland landmark . Active in his West Point class reunions and other events , Bahnsen also gives lectures on leadership to Army audiences . " Papa John " , as he is known to his grandchildren , frequently travels Rochelle to visit with his family , including ex - wife Pat , with whom he maintains an amicable relationship . Awards . Bahnsen was one of the most highly decorated officers of the Vietnam War . His awards include : After retirement , Bahnsen was awarded the Order of Saint George ( Gold ) by the U . S . Army Armor Association ; Order of Military Medical Merit ( O2M3 ) by the Army Medical Regiment ; Order of Saint Michael ( Bronze ) by the Army Aviation Association of America ; and Order of Saint Barbara by the U . S . Army Field Artillery Association Bahnsen is also a member of the Army Aviation Hall of Fame . Legacy . Bahnsen and his brother Peter , who retired from the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel , are rugby enthusiasts , and established the Bahnsen Pistol Award , presented annually to the Captain of West Point ' s rugby team in honor of their parents . The Bahnsens also endowed the Future American Warrior Award at Marion Military Institute , a pistol presented each year to the graduate who demonstrates the most leadership potential . The West Point class of 1956 funded the building of the Bahnsen Conference Room in the Anderson Rugby Complex at West Point .