John A . Wickham , Jr . John Adams Wickham , Jr . ( born June 25 , 1928 ) is a retired United States Army general who served as the U . S . Army Chief of Staff from 1983 to 1987 . Early life and education . Wickham was born on June 25 , 1928 , in Dobbs Ferry , New York . He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1950 , where he later served as a social sciences instructor , from 1956 to 1960 . Career . Upon graduation from the U . S . Military Academy in 1950 , Wickham was commissioned a second lieutenant and assigned to the 18th Infantry Regiment and then the 6th Infantry Regiment in Berlin . He served as a platoon leader and company executive officer in the 511th Airborne Infantry Regiment and served as an aide - de - camp to the commander in the 37th Infantry Division and 10th Infantry Division . He received Master ' s Degrees in economics and government from Harvard University and was a graduate of the National War College and Armed Forces Staff College . Wickham then served as operations officer of the 1st Battle Group , 5th Cavalry , in Korea , and was executive officer to Army Chief of Staff Harold Johnson . Later he commanded in combat the 5th Battalion , 7th Cavalry Regiment , 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam , where he was seriously wounded . He later commanded the 1st Brigade , 3rd Infantry Division in Germany , then returned to Vietnam as the Deputy Chief of Staff , MACV , and was responsible for negotiating release of all prisoners of war . He then commanded the 101st Airborne Division , was director of the Joint Staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , and afterward , as a four - star general , became Commander in Chief of the United Nations Command and Commander of the United States Forces Korea and Eighth Army in Korea . In 1979 , he played a leading role in calming political tensions after the assassination of South Korean President Park Chung Hee , and wrote a book " Korea on the Brink " about the dangerous period . He also served as senior military assistant to Secretaries of Defense James R . Schlesinger and Donald Rumsfeld . In 1983 , President Ronald Reagan appointed him Chief of Staff of the United States Army . Later work . He retired from the U . S . Army in 1987 after 37 years of active service . He was twice awarded the Silver Star for battlefield valor , as well as the Bronze Star for valor , the Purple Heart , 11 Air Medal s , 4 Legions of Merit , 8 Distinguished Service Medals ( Defense , Army , Navy and Air Force ) , Combat Infantryman Badge , Expert Infantryman Badge , Parachutist Badge , and 21 foreign decorations including the Republic of Korea ' s highest military decoration . He was named by Army Times as one of the ten leaders who most changed the Army . The Association of Graduates USMA presented him with the Distinguished Graduate Award in 2005 , and he received the Infantry Doughboy Award in 2006 . Wickham served as Town Council President in Sun City , Arizona and as an elder at his church . He served as Chairman of the Board for Honeywell Federal Systems and Nortel Federal Systems , and as director of several other corporations . He was named vice chairman for the United States - China National Committee and has served as a member of the Secretary of Defense Policy Board . He is also active in the United Way , and a member of the Alfalfa Club , and Council on Foreign Relations . Personal life . Wickham married Ann Lindsley Prior in 1955 . They have three children and six grandchildren .