Norman Schwarzkopf

Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf Jr KCB August 22 1934 December 27 2012 was a United States Army general While serving as the commander of United States Central Command he led all coalition forces in the Gulf War against Baathist Iraq Born in Trenton New Jersey Schwarzkopf grew up in the United States and later in Iran He was accepted by the United States Military Academy and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army in 1956 After a number of initial training programs Schwarzkopf interrupted a stint as an academy teacher and served in the Vietnam War first as an adviser to the South Vietnamese Army and then as a battalion commander Schwarzkopf was highly decorated in Vietnam and was awarded three Silver Stars two Purple Hearts and the Legion of Merit Rising through the ranks after the Vietnam war he later commanded the 24th Mechanized Infantry Division and was one of the commanders of the invasion of Grenada in 1983 Assuming command of United States Central Command in 1988 Schwarzkopf was called on to respond to the invasion of Kuwait in 1990 by the forces of Iraq under Saddam Hussein Initially tasked with defending Saudi Arabia from Iraqi aggression Schwarzkopfs command eventually grew to an international force of over 750000 troops After diplomatic relations broke down he planned and led Operation Desert Storm an extended air campaign followed by a highly successful 100hour ground offensive which defeated the Iraqi Army and removed Iraqi troops from Kuwait in early 1991 Schwarzkopf was presented with military honors Schwarzkopf retired shortly after the end of the war and undertook a number of philanthropic ventures only occasionally stepping into the political spotlight before his death from complications of pneumonia A harddriving military commander easily angered Schwarzkopf was considered an exceptional leader by many biographers and was noted for his abilities as a military diplomat and in dealing with the press