William E . DePuy William Eugene DePuy ( ; October 1 , 1919 – September 9 , 1992 ) was a U . S . Army general and the first commander of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command . He is widely regarded as one of the principal architects of the restructuring of U . S . Army doctrine after the American withdrawal from Vietnam . Early life and career . DePuy was born in Jamestown , North Dakota . His military career began when he enlisted in the South Dakota National Guard , eventually becoming a squad leader . He graduated from South Dakota State University with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and received a commission as a second lieutenant in the Infantry in 1941 . His first assignment was with the 20th Infantry Regiment at Fort Leonard Wood , and during this time he walked to the Louisiana Maneuvers and back with his platoon . Assigned to the 90th Infantry Division during World War II , he served as an operations officer and battalion commander in the fierce fighting from Utah Beach through the Battle of the Bulge . Post World War II . Following the war , DePuy served in myriad command and staff positions , including command of the 2d Battalion , 8th Infantry , 4th Infantry Division , and the 1st Battle Group , 30th Infantry , 3d Infantry Division , both in the Federal Republic of Germany . In 1948 he attended the Defense Language Institute for a year to learn Russian , followed in 1949 by assignment as Assistant Military Attaché , and later the acting Army Attaché in Budapest , Hungary . He met Marjory Kennedy Walker of Salem , Virginia , a Far East specialist who served with both the Office of Strategic Services and the Central Intelligence Agency , and they were married in June 1951 . A son , William E DePuy , Jr . was born in July 1952 , and daughters Joslin and Daphne in July 1953 and 1954 , respectively . Vietnam . First deployed to Vietnam in 1964 , he served as Chief of Staff of Operations for Military Assistance Command , Vietnam , and in March 1966 he assumed command of the 1st Infantry Division ( " the Big Red One " ) . During his time as commander , he established a scholarship fund for the children of 1st Infantry Division soldiers killed in Vietnam , which eventually became the 1st Infantry Division Foundation . Post - Vietnam . DePuy is perhaps best remembered for his efforts while commander of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command , where he helped create a new , innovative fighting doctrine for the Army . His wide - ranging and sometimes controversial changes in combat development and the way the Army trains sparked a debate that resulted in the widely accepted AirLand Battle Doctrine . He retired from active duty in July 1977 and settled in Highfield , Virginia . He died on September 9 , 1992 of Creutzfeldt – Jakob disease , and his wife died on March 15 , 2002 . Decorations . DePuy awards included two Distinguished Service Crosses , five Distinguished Service Medals , the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal , three Silver Star s , two Purple Heart s , the Legion of Merit , the Distinguished Flying Cross , the Bronze Star , and Air Medal with " V " device . His foreign decorations include the Order of Commander in the French Legion of Honor , the Knight ' s Cross of the German Order of Merit , the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry , and the Republic of Korea Order of National Security Merit First Class . External links .