Ronald H. Griffith

Ronald H. Griffith

General Ronald H. Griffith
Born March 16, 1936
Lafayette, Georgia
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service 1960-1997
Rank General
Commands held 1st Armored Division
Battles/wars Vietnam War
Gulf War
Awards Legion of Merit (3)
Bronze Star (7)
Purple Heart
Other work Vice President, Military Professional Resources

Ronald Houston Griffith (born March 16, 1936) is a retired United States Army four-star general who served as Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army (VCSA) from 1995 to 1997. He was born in Lafayette, Georgia.[1]

Military career

Griffith comes from North Georgia, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army after graduating from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1960.

He is a Vietnam War veteran, having served as an infantry unit advisor with the Army of the Republic of Vietnam from 1964 to 1965 and later as Executive Officer of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division from 1969 to 1970.

Griffith's commands include 1st Battalion, 32nd Armor in Germany, 1st Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division in Korea, and 1st Armored Division which he commanded in Germany and during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. His staff positions at the Department of the Army level include Executive Officer to the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army for Operations and Plans; Chief of the War Plans Division; Deputy Director of Operations,the Inspector General of the Army, and Vice Chief of Staff of the Army. He also served as the Chief of Staff, and later as the Assistant Division commander of the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas. Griffith retired from the Army on November 1, 1997.

His awards and decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Army Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Legion of Merit with 2 oak leaf clusters, the Bronze Star with "V" device and 6 oak leaf clusters, the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantry Badge, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge, and the Army Staff Identification Badge. Griffith also received a number of foreign decorations to include, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star, the German Army Cross of Honor (Gold Class) and the Order of May for Military Merit (Grand Cross) from Argentina. He holds a master’s degree in public administration from Shippensburg University. His military education includes the Armor Officer Advanced Course, the Command and General Staff College, and the Army War College. He also studied French and German at the Defense Language Institute.

V

Bronze star

Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star

Bronze star
Bronze star

Silver star

Post military

After retiring from the military, Griffith became Executive Vice President of Military Professional Resources (MPRI) and later he was selected to serve as Executive Vice President of the L-3 Communications Government Services Group. He retired from these positions in 2010. For eight years he served on the Board of Visitors of the Virginia Military Institute, completing tenure in this position in 2011. General Griffith presently serves as a member of the Board of Regents of the Uniformed Services Health Sciences University and is on the Board of the Aurora Foundation. Griffith's wife, Dr. Hurdis M. Griffith, is Dean Emeritus of the College of Nursing, Rutgers University. General and Dr. Griffith have two adult daughters and five grandchildren.

See also

References

Military offices
Preceded by
Gen. John H. Tilelli, Jr.
Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army
1995 1997
Succeeded by
Gen. William W. Crouch