Frederick F . Woerner , Jr . Frederick F . Woerner , Jr . is a retired four - star general of the United States Army , former Commander of United States Southern Command , former Chairman of the American Battle Monuments Commission , and Professor Emeritus of Boston University . Military career . He was a commissioned officer in the U . S . Army from 1955 to 1989 . He graduated from the United States Military Academy , West Point , New York and was commissioned second lieutenant in Infantry . He qualified as a parachutist and as a Ranger . He pursued a military career divided between traditional infantry assignments and duties associated with Latin America . He commanded infantry units at platoon , company , battalion , and brigade levels and served on staffs at every echelon up through the U . S . Army General Staff . He spent a year in study and travel in the northern countries of South America . He advised the Guatemalan government on the use of military forces in socio - economic development , attended the Uruguayan Military Institute of Superior Studies , served as director of Latin American studies at the U . S . Army War College . He served as the commanding general of the United States Sixth Army from 1986 through 1987 , responsible for the readiness for mobilization of all Army National Guard forces and U . S . Army Reserve units in the twelve western states . His final position was as commander of U . S . Army Southern Command from 1987 through 1989 , responsible for mission performance , training , and welfare of all Department of the Army personnel in Central America , Panama , and South America . In that position he was the senior U . S . military officer responsible for strategy development and military policy execution in support of U . S . national objectives in Central America , Panama , and South America . He provided leadership to an organization consisting of over 30 , 000 military and civilian employees , located in 17 countries , and provided for the well being of the employees and their 40 , 000 family members . He retired as a four - star general . Civilian employment . From 1990 to 2003 he was a Professor of International Relations at Boston University . He was a tenured full professor teaching in the Department of International Relations , College of Arts and Sciences . He taught courses addressing U . S . national security and Latin America . Public service . 1994 to 2001 : Chairman of the American Battle Monuments Commission ( served pro bono ) . He had a Presidential appointment as Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the American Battle Monuments Commission , an independent agency of the executive branch of the federal government , responsible for commemorating the services of the armed forces through the management of 24 military burial grounds and 28 monuments / markers located worldwide , and the construction of new memorials . He served as senior executive for the completion of the project to build the congressionally mandated World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington , DC , including design , private fund raising , construction , and dedication . United States and foreign military awards and decorations . Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal , Department of the Army Distinguished Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster , Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters , Bronze Star with one Oak Leaf Cluster , Meritorious Service Medal , Air Medal , Army Commendation Medal , National Defense Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster , Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal , Army Service Ribbon with numeral five , Vietnam Service Medal with four Bronze Stars , Argentine Order of May of Military Merit ( Grand Officer Grade ) , El Salvadoran Gold Medal for Merit , El Salvadoran Gold Medal for Distinguished Service , Guatemalan Cross of Military Merit First Class , Honduran Armed Forces Cross , Panamanian Distinguished Service Medal , Venezuelan Star of Carabobo , Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Gold Star , U . S . Combat Infantryman Badge , Master Parachutist Badge , Ranger Tab , Army General Staff Badge , Ecuadorian Parachutist Badge , Guatemalan Parachutist Badge , Honduran Parachutist Badge , Panamanian Parachutist Badge , Paraguayan Parachutist Badge , and Uruguayan General Staff Badge .