Richard Horner Thompson Richard Horner Thompson ( born September 24 , 1926 ) was a United States Army General . Biography . He was born on September 24 , 1926 in New York City , New York . He entered in the Army in November 1944 and advanced to the grade of staff sergeant before being commissioned a second lieutenant . He served first at Fort Hamilton and then was assigned to Japan , where he performed duties as the Army Exchange Officer at Kokura . He returned to the U . S . in March 1957 to take the Associate Infantry Company Officer Course at the United States Army Infantry School . Upon completion , he was assigned to Fort Chaffee , Arkansas . In the two years he was stationed there , General Thompson attained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Science from the School of the Ozarks ( now the College of the Ozarks ) . From September 1959 to May 1960 , General Thompson attended the Quartermaster Officer Advanced Course at Fort Lee , Virginia , and from there was assigned to Korea , serving until August 1961 as S - 4 , 321st U . S . Army Security Agency Battalion at Camp Red Cloud . From Korea , he attended the U . S . Air Force Air University , Air Command and Staff College , and until August 1965 worked in multiple jobs as a staff officer in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics ( DCSLOG ) . He enrolled at the George Washington University at that time and graduated with a Master ' s Degree in Public Administration in June 1968 . Prior to the completion of his tour at the Department of the Army , he also went on temporary duty to the Army Logistics Management Center at Fort Lee in April 1965 and completed the Army Supply Management Course . He then attended the Armed Forces Staff College . From there he was reassigned to Frankfurt , Germany , in October 1966 , where he commanded the 503d Supply and Transport Battalion , 3rd Armored Division . He remained in Germany until August 1967 when he returned to Washington to attend the National War College . He was then assigned as a logistics systems officer with the Assistant Vice Chief of Staff and then as Chief of the Tactical Support Systems Group . In April 1970 , General Thompson served as Commander of the U . S . Army Inventory Control Center in Vietnam . Returning from overseas , he was assigned as Commander of the Defense Logistics Service Center , Battle Creek , Michigan , until July 1973 . From September 1972 to February 1973 , he also served as Commander of the Defense Property Disposal Service , which he established and activated . In July 1973 , he was reassigned to HQDA as Director of Logistics Plans , Operations and Systems , DCSLOG . In 1975 , he became the Director of Supply and Maintenance , DCSLOG . In July 1977 , General Thompson became the first Commander of the U . S . Army Troop Support and Aviation Materiel Readiness Command , an organization formed by the merger of two Army Materiel Command major subordinate commands — the Aviation Systems Command and the Troop Support Command . In August 1980 , he was reassigned to HQDA as Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics . One year later , General Thompson was promoted to lieutenant general and became the Army DCSLOG . On 29 June 1984 , General Thompson received his fourth star and began his assignment as Commander of the U . S . Army Materiel Command , a position he held until his retirement in April 1987 . Awards and decorations which General Thompson has received include the Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster , the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters , the Bronze Star , the Joint Service Commendation Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster , the Army Commendation Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters , designation as an Army Logistician , the Brazilian Grand Master of the Order of Military Merit , the Spanish Grand Cross of the Order of Military Merit , and Korean Order of National Security Merit Tong - II Medal .