Chester Victor Clifton, Jr.

Chester Victor Clifton, Jr. (September 24, 1913 – December 23, 1991) was a Major General in the United States Army and an aide to Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.

Clifton saluting at left, with President Kennedy, Louisiana Governor Jimmie Davis and New Orleans Mayor Vic Schiro, 1962

Biography

Clifton was born in Edmonton, Alberta before moving to the United States and settling in Puyallup, Washington.^[1] He attended the University of Washington and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Masters Degree in Journalism. As a civilian he worked as a reporter for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and the New York Herald Tribune and later worked in public relations and management. He co-authored the book "The Memories: J.F.K., 1961-1963" with Cecil W. Stoughton and was a public relations consultant in the development of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Clifton died of pneumonia after an intestinal operation at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. on December 23, 1991 and was survived by his wife, Anne Bodine. He was interred at Arlington National Cemetery.

Career

Clifton graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1936. During World War II Clifton served in the Field Artillery. Following the war he was assigned to Army Headquarters to work on public relations and later became an assistant to Omar Bradley. In 1956, he became Chief of Information of the Army. Clifton joined the Kennedy Administration in 1961 as Senior Military Aide. In this position Clifton was responsible for Kennedy's daily intelligence briefings on world events. He was in the motorcade in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963 when Kennedy was shot. Following the assassination, Clifton was in charge of dealing with military and national security affairs from the aftermath. He retained this position in the Johnson Administration until his retirement from the Army in 1965.

His awards include the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Croix de guerre, and the Italian War Cross of Military Valor.

References

See also

• Conversations recorded aboard Air Force One on November 22, 1963 — digitized audio from original 1/4" reel-to-reel tapes discovered among the memorabilia of Chester Clifton, Jr.

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