Charles C . Pixley Charles Calvin Pixley ( 8 August 1923 - 31 December 2005 ) , was the 34th Surgeon General of the United States Army , serving in that capacity from October 1 , 1977 to September 20 , 1981 . Early life . He was born in Grants Pass , Oregon . He earned his M . D . degree from the University of Oregon and completed an M . S . degree in surgery at Baylor University . He received a commission as a First Lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve on 20 January 1947 and was integrated into the Regular Army in that grade on September 4 , 1948 . Residency . He completed his residency in surgery at Robert Packer Hospital , Sayre , Pennsylvania , from November 1948 to September 1949 after which he completed a special course in orthopedic surgery at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons until November 1949 when he was promoted to Captain . He was then assigned to Brooke Army Medical Center for a one - year residency in general surgery as off 1 January 1950 . In March 1950 , he was ordered to the Ryukyus Command in Okinawa on a special 90 - day temporary duty assignment to help relieve the shortage of medical officers in the Far East Command . In May the TDY was extended to 150 days . He returned to Brooke AMC in November 1950 and resumed his residency in surgery on 1 January 1951 . He remained at Brooke for the next 3 years , first as senior resident in general surgery until 31 December 1952 and then as chief resident in general surgery until 31 December 1953 . Further training . In February 1954 , Pixley was transferred to Fort Benning , Georgia , and assigned to the U . S . Army Hospital . While at Fort Benning , he was promoted to Major in April 1954 . He was then assigned to the Office of The Surgeon General from November 1954 until July 1958 when he moved to Fort Sam Houston , Texas , to attend the Officers ' Advanced Course at the Medical Field Service School . Then he completed the U . S . Air Force School of Aviation Medicine and the Army Aviation Medical Orientation Course at the U . S . Army Aviation School , Fort Rucker , Alabama , before serving at year in Korea . He then attended the U . S . Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth , Kansas , from July 1960 to July 1961 . He was promoted to Lt . Colonel in May 1961 . In July 1961 , he was assigned to the U . S . Army Hospital , Fort Lee , Virginia , and remained there until July 1963 when he moved to the Office of The Surgeon General to become the chief of the Medical Corps Branch , Directorate of Personnel and Training . Promotions . From August 1965 to July 1966 , he studied at the Air War College , Maxwell Air Force Base , Alabama , before going to Vietnam in July 1966 to command the 68th Medical Group for a year . He was promoted to Colonel in September 1966 . He returned from Asia in June 1967 to become for three years the commanding officer of the Army Medical Training Center at Ft . Sam Houston , Texas . He left there in April 1970 for assignment to Ft . George G . Meade , Maryland where he served as First Army Surgeon . While there , he was promoted to brigadier general on 1 November 1972 . He moved back to The Surgeon General ' s Office in February 1973 where he spent a month in its Supply and Operations Branch before becoming Director of Health Care Operations until August 1975 . He next served as commanding general of William Beaumont Army Medical Center , El Paso , Texas where he was promoted to major general on 1 September 1976 . General Pixley left El Paso in December for Ft . Sam Houston , Texas where he became the superintendent of the Army Academy of Health Sciences , serving there for a year prior to his appointment as the Surgeon General . Awards . Pixley ’ s military awards include three Legions of Merit and three Army Commendation Medal s . He also earned the Parachutist and Senior Flight Surgeon Badge s .