Earle Wheeler Earle Gilmore " Bus " Wheeler , ( January 13 , 1908 – December 18 , 1975 ) was a United States Army General who served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army ( 1962 – 1964 ) and then as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ( 1964 – 1970 ) , holding the latter position during the Vietnam War . Life and military career . Earle Gilmore Wheeler was born in Washington , D . C . to Dock Stone and Ida Gilmore . He was later adopted by Ida ' s second husband . He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1932 and was commissioned into the infantry . After graduation he married Frances " Betty " Rogers Howell , whom he met at a society party in 1930 . He served in the 29th Infantry from 1932 to 1936 , then attended Infantry School in 1937 . He served with the 15th Infantry Regiment , from 1937 to 1940 , stationed in China 1937 - 38 . From 1940 to 1941 , Wheeler was a mathematics instructor at West Point . Rising from battalion commander to more senior roles , he trained the newly activated 36th and 99th Infantry Divisions from 1941 to 1944 , then went to Europe in November 1944 as second in command of the newly formed 63rd Infantry Division . Wheeler served in senior staff positions in a variety of specialties , including supply , intelligence , planning , and armor . In late 1945 , he returned to the U . S . as an artillery instructor at Fort Sill , then returned to Germany from 1947 - 1949 as a staff officer of the United States Constabulary ( formerly VI Corps ) , occupying Germany . He attended the National War College in 1950 . He then returned to Europe as a staff officer in NATO , in a series of roles . In 1951 - 52 he commanded the 351st Infantry Regiment , which controlled the Free Territory of Trieste , a front - line position of the Cold War . In 1955 he joined the General Staff at the Pentagon . In 1958 he took command of the 2nd Armored Division . In 1959 he took command of III Corps . He became Director of the Joint Staff in 1960 . In 1962 he was briefly Deputy Commander of U . S . Forces in Europe before being named Chief of Staff of the United States Army later that year . President Lyndon B . Johnson appointed Wheeler Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in July 1964 to succeed General Maxwell Taylor . General Wheeler ' s tenure as the nation ' s top military officer spanned the height of America ' s involvement in the Vietnam War . Wheeler ' s accession to the top job in the U . S . military , over the heads of officers with more combat experience , drew some criticism . Wheeler oversaw and supported the expanding U . S . military role in the Vietnam War in the mid ‐ 1960s , consistently backing the field commander ' s requests for additional troops and operating authority . He often urged President Johnson to strike harder at North Vietnam and to expand aerial bombing campaigns . Wheeler was concerned with minimizing costs to U . S . ground troops . At the same time , he preferred what he saw as a realistic assessment of the capabilities of the South Vietnamese military . This earned him a reputation as a " hawk . " Wheeler , with General William C . Westmoreland , the field commander , and President Johnson , pushed to raise additional U . S . forces after the February 1968 Tet Offensive . U . S . media at the time widely reported the Tet Offensive as Viet Cong victory . This followed a widely - noted news report in 1967 that cited an unnamed American general ( later identified as General Frederick C . Weyand ) who called the situation in Vietnam a " stalemate . " It was a view with which Gen . Wheeler agreed in more confidential circles . However , Gen . Wheeler also was concerned that the U . S . buildup in Vietnam depleted U . S . military capabilities in other parts of the world . He called for 205 , 000 additional ground troops , to be gained by mobilizing reserves , but intended these remain in the U . S . as an active reserve . The president decided this was not easily accomplished . Together with the Tet Offensive and shifts in U . S . public opinion , this abortive effort contributed to President Johnson ' s ultimate decision to de - escalate the war . After the election of President Richard M . Nixon , Wheeler oversaw the implementation of the " Vietnamization " program , whereby South Vietnam ese forces assumed increasing responsibility for the war as U . S . forces were withdrawn . He retired from the army in July 1970 . Gen . Wheeler was the longest - serving chairman of the Joint Chiefs to date , serving six years . He died in Frederick , Maryland after a heart attack . He is survived by a son , Gilmore " Bim " Stone Wheeler , two grandsons , William Gilmore Wheeler and John Robinson Wheeler , and two great - grandchildren , Chelsey Anne and William Gilmore Jr . Awards and Decorations . While although not worn , he qualified for the following :