John Galvin (general) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Galvin
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Galvin in March 1991
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| Birth name | John Rogers Galvin |
| Born | May 13, 1929 Wakefield, Massachusetts |
| Died | September 25, 2015 (aged 86) Jonesboro, Georgia |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ |
United States Army |
| Years of service | 1954–1992 |
John Rogers Galvin (May 13, 1929 – September 25, 2015) was an American army general who served as the sixth dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and a member of the U.S. Commission on National Security/21st Century.
Career
Galvin began his service as an enlisted soldier in the Massachusetts Army National Guard from 1947 to 1950 before he received an appointment to United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1954 with a Bachelor of Science degree. In 1969, during the Vietnam War, lieutenant colonel Galvin commanded the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). For his actions as the battalion's commander he was awarded the Silver Star.
He later earned a Master of Arts degree in English from Columbia University and completed a fellowship at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in 1971. Galvin rose through the ranks and commanded the 24th Infantry Division. later on he commanded the VII Corps from July 1983 to February 1985.
Galvin's career included the rare opportunity to command two different Department of Defense Unified Commands. He served as Commander in Chief, United States Southern Command in Panama from 1985 to 1987 and Commander in Chief, United States European Command from June 26, 1987, to June 23, 1992. During his tenure as Commander U.S. European Command he also served as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR).
Personal life
Galvin lived with his wife and had four daughters. One of his daughters is a medical reporter for WAGA, the FOX affiliate in Atlanta. The Galvin Middle School in Wakefield, Massachusetts, is named after him. The United States Military Academy awarded Galvin (Class of '54) the 1997 Distinguished Graduate Award. On September 25, 2015, he died in Jonesboro, Georgia at the age of 86.
