Nicholas S . H . Krawciw Nicholas S . H . Krawciw ( ) ( ) is a retired United States Army Major General who served two tours of duty in the Vietnam War , and served as Commanding General of the 3rd Infantry Division from 1987 to 1989 . Early life . Nicholas Krawciw was born on November 28 , 1935 , to Bohdan and Neonila Krawciw , in Lviv , Galicia , Poland ( present - day Ukraine ) . His family moved to Germany during World War II , and to the United States in 1949 . As a youth , Nick grew up in a Philadelphia Ukrainian - American community and is able to speak the Ukrainian language . He was a member of Plast , a Ukrainian scouting organization , and attended the Bordentown Military Institute . He entered the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1955 , where he played varsity soccer , became a cadet regimental commander , and was in the graduating class of 1959 . Military career . Nick Krawciw was one of the first members of his class to go to Vietnam , and was severely wounded in an ambush . After recuperating , Captain Krawciw commanded a cavalry troop at Fort Hood where he co - invented an advanced armor system for ground vehicles , a composite system similar to that later incorporated into tank design . Following a tour in the Tactical Department at West Point , Major Krawciw returned to Vietnam as S - 3 of the 3rd Squadron , 5th Cavalry . During a year of intense fighting along the DMZ , Nick was awarded three Silver Stars and was instrumental in devising new tactics and counter measures that frustrated a tenacious enemy . Major Krawciw was sent to Israel in 1972 as the Chief Operations Officer for the UN Truce Supervision Organization . Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel , he produced intelligence reports prior to the start of the Yom Kippur War that led to a personal commendation from the Chief of Staff of the Army , General Abrams . Nick commanded the 1st Squadron , 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in 1974 , and later served at Headquarters , U . S . Army , Europe . Following a year as a Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford , Colonel Krawciw was assigned to the Training and Doctrine Command as Director of Concepts and Doctrine in combat development . Here , his work on maneuver doctrine revolutionized the way the Army fought , was organized , and was trained . Nick Krawciw ’ s ideas influenced victories in Operation Just Cause ( Panama ) , Operation Desert Storm , Operation Iraqi Freedom , and many important but smaller contingencies . In 1979 , Colonel Krawciw returned to Germany to command the First Brigade of the 3rd Armored Division . Back home after two years in command , Nick was nominated by the Army Chief of Staff to attend the Senior Seminar of the Department of State . In 1982 , he was assigned to the Army staff and then as Military Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense . Promoted to Brigadier General , he returned to Germany in 1984 as Assistant Division Commander of the 3rd Infantry Division and then Executive Officer to the Supreme Allied Commander , Europe . In 1987 , Major General Krawciw assumed command of the 3rd Infantry Division . His final active duty assignment was Director of NATO Policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense in 1989 – 1990 . Krawciw retired from the Army on July 1 , 1990 . Post military . Since he spoke Ukrainian fluently , Nick Krawciw was urged by the United States Department of Defense to become involved in assisting the newly independent Ukraine to establish political freedom and a marketplace economy . With the approval of the U . S . government , General Krawciw met with Ukrainian officials and agreed to help them set up a non - profit , non - governmental political science institute . At the behest of the Chief of Staff of the U . S . Army and the Undersecretary of Defense , Nick and his dedicated wife Christina moved to Ukraine in 1992 where , for a year , he worked to reorganize , educate , and restructure the Ukrainian military on Western lines . Beginning in 1993 , as a consultant to the Secretary of Defense on Ukrainian matters , and later as Secretary of Defense Senior Military Representative to Ukraine , General Krawciw was largely responsible for converting the Ukrainian Armed Forces from a communist army that was feared throughout Europe to one that now has democratic standards . The country had not governed itself in 300 years , so there was no body of law , no democratic tradition , and a military organized on the totalitarian model with corresponding values . Nick assisted in professional development , including ethics , guided reduction of forces to appropriate levels , and identified sound leaders . Progress was slow and difficult , but ultimately effective . The culmination of his efforts was the refusal of the Ukrainian Army to disperse the Orange Revolution demonstration that ultimately overturned the fraudulent election of 2004 , thus justifying the years of dedicated effort General Krawciw and other American officers had spent to achieve a democratic Army in Ukraine . Some of the programs Krawciw organized or participated in were " Operation Peace Shield " and " Operation Sea Breeze . " Nick Krawciw was instrumental in establishing educational exchange programs with the Ukrainian military , devoting many hours to sponsoring and escorting both military and civilian groups from Ukraine around the United States . In 1995 , in addition to his work with Ukraine , Nick Krawciw began 10 years service as President of The Dupuy Institute ; and is now Chairman of the Board . Under Nick ’ s leadership , the Institute , dedicated to scholarly analysis of military historical trends , expanded its activity . Throughout a lifetime of distinguished service , Nick Krawciw ’ s career has been marked by inspirational leadership and steadfast dedication to the ideals expressed in the West Point motto : “ Duty , Honor , Country . ” His extraordinary accomplishments in the international arena have made a lasting and invaluable contribution to the national security of the United States . Awards and decorations . His awards and decorations included the Silver Star ( three ) with two oak leaf clusters , the Distinguished Flying Cross , the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster , the Bronze Star ( four total , two for valor ) , and the Purple Heart .