Bruce Palmer , Jr . Bruce Palmer , Jr . , ( April 13 , 1913 – October 10 , 2000 ) was a noted United States Army General and acting Chief of Staff of the United States Army from July to October 1972 . Career Summary . Palmer was born in Austin , Texas . He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1936 and was commissioned a second lieutenant and served with the 8th Cavalry at Fort Bliss , Texas , 1936 – 1939 . Palmer was promoted to first lieutenant , June 1939 , and served as regimental adjutant , June – September 1939 . He graduated from the Cavalry School at Fort Riley , Kansas , 1940 ; was a troop and squadron commander of the 6th Cavalry ( Mechanized ) , 1940 – 1942 ; and was promoted to temporary ranks of captain , October 1940 , and major , February 1942 . He served in the Operations Division of the War Department General Staff , 1942 – 1943 ; was promoted to temporary lieutenant colonel , February 1943 ; and was chief of staff of the 6th Infantry Division in Southwest Pacific operations in World War II , 1944 – 1945 . He was promoted to temporary colonel , January 1945 , and permanent captain , June 1946 , and major , July 1948 ; commanded the 63d Infantry in the Korean occupation , 1945 – 1946 ; was chief of plans and operations of the First United States Army , 1947 – 1949 ; was instructor of tactics and then director of instruction at the Infantry School , Fort Benning , 1949 – 1951 ; concurrently completed the basic airborne course ; and graduated from the Army War College , 1952 . He was secretary of the general staff and chief of the Plans Division , United States Army , Europe , 1952 – 1954 ; was promoted to permanent lieutenant colonel , July 1953 ; was commander of the 16th Infantry , 1954 – 1955 ; served on the faculty of the Army War College , 1955 – 1957 ; and was deputy secretary of the General Staff and White House liaison officer , Office of the Chief of Staff , 1957 – 1959 . He was promoted to temporary brigadier general , August 1959 ; was deputy commandant of the Army War College , 1959 – 1961 ; and was assistant division commander of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg , 1961 – 1962 . He was promoted to permanent colonel , June 1961 , and temporary major general , May 1962 ; was chief of staff of the Eighth United States Army , Korea , 1962 – 1963 ; was assistant deputy chief of staff for plans and operations , 1963 – 1964 , and deputy chief of staff for military operations , 1964 – 1965 ; was promoted to permanent brigadier general , February 1963 , and temporary lieutenant general , July 1964 . He was commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps , 1965 – 1967 , and concurrently commander of Task Force 120 and United States Land Forces , Dominican Republic , May 1965 , and commander of United States Forces and Army Forces and deputy commander of the Inter - American Peace Force in operations in the Dominican Republic , May 1965 – January 1966 . He was commander of the II Field Force , Vietnam , and deputy commander of the United States Army , Vietnam , 1967 – 1968 ; was promoted to temporary general , August 1968 , and served as vice chief of staff of the United States Army , August 1 , 1968 – June 30 , 1972 ; was acting Chief of Staff of the United States Army July 1 – October 11 , 1972 ; provided managerial continuity at the top of the Army during the Westmoreland - Abrams interregnum , supervised the continuing drawdown of Army forces from Vietnam and related Army - wide readjustments , and prepared major revisions in Army organizational structure ; resumed duties as vice chief of staff ; was commander in chief of the United States Readiness Command , 1973 – 1974 ; and retired from the Army , September 1974 , coincidentally on the day his close associate General Creighton W . Abrams died . Personal data . He married Kay Sibert in 1936 . She died in 1996 . They had a son , Bruce III , and two daughters , Maureen and Robin . General Palmer died on October 10 , 2000 . He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery . He wrote two books in his retirement , " " and " Intervention in the Caribbean : The Dominican Crisis of 1965 " . His father Bruce Palmer Sr . was an Army brigadier general , and his paternal grandfather George H . Palmer received the Medal of Honor during the Civil War . Awards and decorations . He was awarded : five Army Distinguished Service Medal s , an Air Force Distinguished Service Medal , a Silver Star , Legion of Merit , Bronze Star Medal , Air Medal and National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal .