Michael S . Davison Michael Shannon Davison ( March 21 , 1917 – September 7 , 2006 ) was a United States Army four - star general who served as Commander in Chief , U . S . Army Europe / Commander , Central Army Group ( CINCUSAREUR / COMCENTAG ) from 1971 to 1975 . Military career . Davison was born in 1917 in San Francisco , California into a military family . He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1939 receiving his commission in the cavalry . His first posting was at Fort Brown , Texas with the 12th Cavalry Regiment . During World War II , Davison was assigned to Operations Division , War Department General Staff Theater Group , and later reassigned to the 45th Infantry Division in North Africa as Assistant G - 2 . He remained with the division in Sicily and Italy , to include taking part in the Anzio invasion . At the age of 26 , he was chosen to command a battalion , the 1st Battalion , 179th Infantry Regiment . Four months later he was promoted to lieutenant colonel , and he remained commander of the battalion throughout the Italian campaign and the invasion of southern France . During his time with the division he was wounded twice . Towards the end of the war he served as G - 2 and G - 3 ( Operations ) at Headquarters , VI Corps . After the war , then - Colonel Davison was assigned to the Plans Section , Headquarters Army Ground Forces at Fort Monroe , and later took command of the 18th Mechanized Cavalry Squadron stationed in Puerto Rico . He received a Master ' s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University in 1951 , and following a stint in the Office , Chief of Legislative Liaison , he was assigned to his alma mater as Commander , First Regiment , United States Corps of Cadets in 1954 . In 1958 he graduated from the National War College in 1958 , and subsequently served as Chief , Combat Materiel Division , Office , Chief of Research and Development until 1960 . He was then chosen to command Combat Command A , 3rd Armored Division , and was later promoted to brigadier general and assigned as Chief of Staff , V Corps . He once again returned to West Point to become the 51st Commandant of Cadets at West Point in 1963 . He next was assigned as Commandant of the Command and General Staff College , followed by promotion to lieutenant general in 1968 , and appointment as Commander - in - Chief , U . S . Army Pacific , and subsequently as Chief of Staff for Commander - in - Chief , United States Pacific Command . In 1970 , he assumed command of II Field Force , Vietnam , and was responsible for conducting the Cambodian Campaign . In May 1971 , he was promoted to General and assigned as Commander - in - Chief , U . S . Army Europe , and concurrently as Commander , Central Army Group , NATO . During his tenure he placed emphasis on race relations and equal opportunity . Because of these efforts , he was awarded the NAACP Meritorious Service Award in 1976 . The citation reads : " In recognition of his leadership , courage , and dedication to the principles of human relations , equality of opportunity and justice , which has been the hallmark of his numerous commands in the Army of the United States . " Davison retired from the Army in 1975 . Post military . After retiring from the Army , Davison held various positions in the civilian sector , to include President of the United Service Organizations , Vice President of Joseph R . Loring Associates , an architectural engineering firm , a board member of Mercedes - Benz of North America , Vice Chairman of the Army and Air Force Mutual Aid Association , President of Shannon Enterprises , member of the Advisory Board of the International Security Council , and Board of Trustees of the Association of Graduates , United States Military Academy , and later its president from 1983 to 1989 . Davison was also responsible for ending the bitter in - fighting over what would constitute the Vietnam Veterans Memorial . It was Davison in January 1982 who suggested the inclusion of a statue , " The Three Soldiers " , as compromise between parties arguing over whether the memorial would be Maya Lin ' s black granite wall or a more traditional heroic memorial . Jan Scruggs , president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund , said " He was a think - out - of - the - box kind of guy . He was also very smart . He waited until the end of the day , when everybody was very tired , before he made his suggestion . " Davison died on September 7 , 2006 . He was survived by his second wife , Helen Walker Davison , three children , one of whom , retired Lieutenant General Michael Shannon Davison , Jr . , also achieved flag rank , 11 grandchildren , and two great - grandchildren . He was preceded in death by his first wife , Jean Miller Davison , who died in 1983 , and a daughter who died in 1957 . Awards and decorations . Davison ' s awards and decorations include the Army Distinguished Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters , the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster , the Silver Star , the Bronze Star with " V " and oak leaf cluster , the Air Medal with eight oak leaf clusters , the Purple Heart with oak leaf cluster , the French Legion of Honor , the French Croix de Guerre ; the German Grand Cross of Merit ; the Bavarian Grand Cross of Merit ; and the Royal Order of the King of Thailand , Knight First Class . He also received an honorary Doctor of Law from the University of Maryland , and was made an honorary citizen of Meximieux , France . He was the 1997 recipient of the Distinguished Graduate Award from the Association of Graduates of the United States Military Academy .