Sidney Shachnow
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| Sidney Shachnow | |
|---|---|
 Maj. Gen. Sidney Shachnow, USA |
|
| Place of birth | Kaunas, Lithuania |
| Years of service | 1955-1994 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Commands | U.S. Army Berlin John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards | Combat Infantryman Badge Silver Star Purple Heart |
Major General Sidney Shachnow retired from the United States Army in 1994, after 40 years of active service.
He was born in Kaunas, Lithuania. During World War II, at the age of six, he was imprisoned in the Kovno concentration camp because he was Jewish.
In 1950, he immigrated to the United States. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and later entered Officer Candidate School as a Sergeant First Class. In 1960, Gen. Shachnow was commissioned in the Infantry. In 1962, he became a member of the United States Army Special Forces, better known as the "Green Berets."
Maj. Gen. Shachnow's past assignments have been as commander or staff officer with Infantry, Mechanized Infantry, Airmobile, Airborne and Special Forces units. Gen. Shachnow's most recent assignments include: Commanding General, John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, Airborne, Fort Bragg (1992-1994); Commanding General, United States Army Special Forces Command, Airborne, Fort Bragg; Commanding General, U.S. Army-Berlin; Director, Washington Office, United States Special Operations Command, Airborne; Deputy Commanding General, 1st Special Operations of Command, Airborne, Fort Bragg; and Chief of Staff, 1st Special Operations Command, Airborne, Fort Bragg.
Maj. Gen. Shachnow is the recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Silver Star with Oak Leaf Clusters, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Clusters and "V" device, the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf clusters, the Air Medal with the numeral "12", the Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf clusters and "V" device, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Ranger Tab, and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross.
Maj. Gen. Shachnow is the author of Hope and Honor, an autobiographical account of his experience in a Lithuanian concentration camp, his immigration to the United States and the role that the U.S. Army played as his guide.
