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Wesley Kanne Clark (born December 23 , 1944 ) is a retired Four-star General in the U.S. Army . As the Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO from 1997 to 2000 , Clark commanded Operation Allied Force in the Kosovo Conflict . Before this, he had a distinguished career in the Army and the Department Of Defense . Clark received many Military Decorations over the course of his career. He was a candidate for the Democratic Party Presidential Nomination in 2004 , but withdrew from the Democratic primary race on February 11 and continued to actively campaign for eventual Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry , as well as many Democratic Congressional candidates across the country. Currently, Clark leads WesPAC , a Political Action Committee formed after the 2004 Democratic Primaries . Clark is considered a potential candidate for the Democratic nomination for president in 2008 . He is fluent in four languages, including Spanish and Russian. There are two roads named after Wes Clark. The people of Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, named their main street after him for his role in helping to end ethnic cleansing in their city and saving the lives of their people. The people of the U.S. State of Alabama, a Republican-leaning southern state which is not his home state, named a boulevard after him in recognition of his 38 years of devoted service in uniform and his southern heritage. Besides his many military decorations (both foreign and domestic), Wes Clark also holds an advanced degree in economics, two honorary Knighthoods (British & Dutch), the nation's highest civilian level award of the Presidential Medal Of Freedom , and a National Audubon Society award for saving an endangered species of desert turtle. EARLY LIFE, EDUCATION, AND MILITARY CAREER Clark was born in Chicago , Illinois , on December 23 , 1944 . His father, Benjamin J. Kanne, was a Democratic Chicago Councilman , World War I veteran, delegate at the 1932 Democratic National Convention (where Franklin Roosevelt was first nominated) and lawyer who died in 1948 when Wesley Clark was almost 4 years old. Benjamin was the son of Jacob Kanne and Ida Goldman, immigrants from Russia (Clark's middle name, Kanne, refers to his grand father's lineage as a Kohen , a descendant of the ancient Jewish priests). 1 After the death, Veneta Updegraff Bogard Kanne, Clark's mother, who was a Methodist, returned to her Ubdegraff parents' home in Little Rock, Arkansas . Through the UpdeGraff line, Wesley Clark's ancestry goes back to American colonial, pre-revolutionary times and the Pennsylvania Dutch/Germans.Three of the "Original 13" who came over from the Dutch sector of Kresfeld Germany and were the first settlers of Pennsylvania were UpdeGraffs (OpdeGraeffs) and UpdGraffs fought in the American Revolutionary War. Veneta, Clark's mother, went back to work as a bank teller/secretary, raising her son as a single working mother, with the help of Clark's maternal grandparents who worked in an Arkansas lumber mill. The death of Wes Clark's biological father left the nearly 4yr old Wes with a speech impediment that he would eventually overcome by the age of 7. During Clark's primary campaign in 2004, his cousin remarked that they grew up poor but that Clark always drove himself to study hard without any prodding from adults, a child consciously limiting his own play time so that he could go study. During this cold war era, he started learning Russian on his own because he wanted to understand how the other side thought. He stated that the only thing his deceased Democratic Party activist father left him was a navy uniform and a love of family and country. He would find his life's calling in John F. Kennedy's speech, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." In 1954, when Wesley was 9, Veneta married a former banker Victor Clark, who adopted Wesley. Wesley grew up Baptist in Little Rock, attended Public School , and was very active in the Boys and Girls club and in Southern Baptist Church activities and summer camps. He graduated from Hall High School in Little Rock as Valedictorian , having led the swim team to the state championship. 2 .]] In July 1962, at the age of 17, Clark entered the U.S. Military Academy in West Point , New York , beginning his 38 years in the U.S. Military . Here Clark met Gertrude "Gert" Kingston of Brooklyn at a dance when some of the West Point cadets "crashed" the dance given by the Annapolis U.S. Naval Academy cadets. Clark graduated from West Point as the valedictorian in June 1966, at the age of 21. As the first in his class, he earned the right to choose his branch of service first. Washington Post military-affairs reporter Rick Atkinson wrote: :"Now, an officer stood at the podium in South auditorium and began calling out names by class rank. ::"''Clark, Wesley K.'' :"Wes Clark stood up, the first to choose his branch. Brilliant and intense, he had ranked at the top of his class for three of the four years and would spend his first years after graduation at Oxford as a Rhodes scholar. ::"''Armor!'' Clark declared. :"His classmates responded with a series of cheers and catcalls, which continued through each section." Clark's class of 1966 would go on to distinguish themselves for bravery and sacrifice, holding the record for most combat casualties at the frontlines of Vietnam. Clark married Gert Kingston, an Irish-American Catholic, and became a Roman Catholic (Clark now attends Presbyterian services with his wife when they are in Little Rock, but they both remain Roman Catholic.) Two months later, in August, Clark was on the road again, this time to complete his studies as a Rhodes Scholar at Magdalen College at the University Of Oxford . There he studied Philosophy, Politics And Economics (PPE), earning a Master's Degree in August 1968. Once home, he attended the Armor Officer Basic Course in the Army Armor School at Fort Knox until October and the Army Ranger Course in the Army Infantry School at Fort Benning until December. The following year, Clark commanded A Company of the 4th Battalion, 68th Armor, 82d Airborne Division at Fort Riley , Kansas . In May, he was called to duty in Vietnam during the Vietnam War . For the rest of the year,Lieutenant Clark served in Vietnam as the Assistant Staff Officer (Assistant G-3) of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Infantry Division. In January, Clark was promoted to Captain , and was given command of a Mechanized Infantry unit — the A Company, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. citation.]] The next month, February 1970, then 25, Clark was wounded by a Sniper in the jungle. Ambushed by the Viet Cong , Clark was shot four times (in the right shoulder, right hand, right hip and right leg) before he could find cover. He managed to shout commands to troops, who launched a counterattack and defeated the enemy force. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Silver Star : :"As the friendly force maneuvered through the treacherous region, it was suddenly subjected to an intense small arms fire from a well-concealed insurgent element. Although painfully wounded in the initial volley, Captain Clark immediately directed his men on a counter-assault of the enemy positions. With complete disregard for his personal safety, Captain Clark remained with his unit until the reactionary force arrived and the situation was well in hand. His courageous initiative and exemplary professionalism significantly contributed to the successful outcome of the engagement. Captain Clark's unquestionable valor in close combat against a hostile force is in keeping with the finest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, the 1st Infantry Division, and the United States Army." After a few days in hospital Clark was flown back to the States for two months of recuperation at Valley Forge General Hospital in Pennsylvania. It was there that he first saw his son, Wesley Jr, who had been born in his absence. “I saw him for the first time when he was four or five months old. I had a hook in my hand and it scared her when I tried to hold him. But he didn’t seem to mind.” It would take him another year of rehabilitation to recover from his injuries, which doctors had warned him would leave him with a permanent limp due to the large amount of muscle lost to his right calf. Clark refused this prognosis, teaching himself to walk again and to use his injured hand by teaching himself to play the piano. He would go on to occasionally receive perfect scores on his physical fitness tests throughout his career. After recovering, Clark continued his military career (eventually qualifying and being confirmed up the line from Captain, to Major, to Colonel,to Brigadier General, which is also called 1-star General, and then, the 3 ranks up to 4-Star General). From May to September 1970, Clark commanded the C Company, 6th Battalion, 32d Armor, 194th Armored Brigade at Fort Knox ; from October of that year to May 1971 he commanded the 1st Battalion, 77th Armor, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson . After this, Clark spent the June and July in Washington, DC as a Staff Officer in the Modern Volunteer Army program, working as a Special Assistant for the Chief of Staff. Clark later returned to West Point for three years as an instructor and Assistant Professor of Social Science . After this, he graduated from the National War College and Command And General Staff College , as well as completing Armor Officer Advanced and Basic Courses and Army Ranger and Airborne schools. From 1975 to 1976, Clark was a White House Fellow and served as a Special Assistant to the Director of the Office Of Management And Budget . Later, he was an instructor and Assistant Professor of Social Science at West Point. Clark commanded the 1st Battalion, 77th Armor, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson , Colorado and later trained there and in Germany . He became director of the Battle Command Training Program, and created the very first BCTP exercises. He was later promoted to general. During the Persian Gulf War , Clark became Commander of the Army National Training Center, in charge of arranging the 1st Cavalry Division's three emergency deployments to Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm . In 1994, Clark was again promoted, and started working with the Joint Chiefs Of Staff as 'Director for Strategic Plans and Policy'. During this time, Clark ensured that the United Nations and Department of Defense worked together during the invasion of Haiti . From 1996 to 1997, General Clark served as the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Southern Command, responsible for all U.S. troops, their families, domestic infrastructure such as healthcare, education, social services, family counselling, commissaries (grocery stores) in Latin America and the Caribbean. From 1997 to 2000, he served as Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. European Command (CINCEUR). As stipulated by international treaty, Clark also held the simultaneous position of Supreme Allied Commander(SACEUR), which is a NATO position that is independent of the U.S. chain of command, but always held by an American. As SACEUR, Clark also held Head of State status requiring meeting with other heads of state, and control over international NATO forces. Supreme Allied Commander of NATO was the same position held by Eisenhower immediately prior to his becoming President of the United States. The U. S. Army once tested a thousand of its officers to see how well they extrapolated future trends from current patterns, and Clark, long before he became a General, finished in first place. IN THE BALKANS Under the overall leadership of Richard Holbrooke , Clark headed the U.S. Military team during negotiations that led to the Bosnian Peace Accords , in Dayton , Ohio . In 1995, during the negotiation process, Clark and Holbrooke's diplomatic convoy was ambushed on a road by landmines and small arms fire, after Milosevic refused them safe passage. One of their jeeps crashed down a ravine and killed its passengers. Risking his life, Clark, then a 50 yr old man and 3-star general, rapelled down the ravine to search for survivors, admist enemy gunfire. He stayed with the burning jeep until help arrived, saving the wedding band of a dead soldier to personally return it to the soldier's widow. {Link without Title} From 1997 , he was head of the U.S. European Command ( CINCEUR ), responsible for about 109,000 U.S. troops, their families, health care, education, social services, and all related infrastructure, and all U.S. military activities in 89 countries and territories of Europe , Africa , and the Middle East . Simultaneous, he also occupied the separate NATO position of Supreme Allied Commander( SACEUR ), which granted him Head of State status and overall command of NATO military forces in Europe and leadership of approximately 60,000 troops from 37 NATO and other nations in Bosnia-Herzegovina . As SACEUR, he confronted Yugoslavia over Kosovo . NATO's 78-day bombing campaign ended with the Kumanovo truce, a withdrawal of Yugoslav military and police force from Kosovo , and the entry of NATO and other Kosovo Force soldiers. In December 2003 , Clark testified at Milosevic's trial in the International Criminal Tribunal . His appearance was not public and transcripts of his testimony were subject to U.S. review before being released, a precaution the Bush Administration didn't take when Madeleine Albright testified. The timing of this precaution during the height of Clark's primary campaign led many to speculate that Bush ordered this precaution to prevent Clark from getting publicity and airtime. Clark's testimony was sought because he had spoken with Milosevic for a total of more than 100 hours, in his role as the head of the U.S. military team during the Dayton Agreement negotiations and as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. Another controversial part of Clark's command in Kosovo came after the end of the military campaign and involved the use of a Kosovo airfield by the Russian military. After a small Russian force suspiciously left their peacekeeping station in Bosnia unannounced and took control of the Slatina airfield, near Pristina, on June 10, 1999, there was a "battle of wills" between Clark and the British NATO commander, Lt. Gen. Mike Jackson . Clark ordered British forces to block the runways to the airfield, to prevent the Russian troops from being resupplied from their homeland. This maneuver would have been one step short of hostile, and Jackson did not comply, reportedly later saying: "I'm not going to start the Third World War for you." Clark, in an NPR interview, said that the incident was a surprising moment for him. Clark stated that his order to block the Runway s was refused by an emotional Jackson and that he took the matter up the British Chain Of Command . In his book ''Waging Modern War'', Clark says Jackson protested, "Sir, I'm a three-star general; you can't give me orders like this," and that he responded, "Mike, I'm a four-star general, and I can tell you these things." Clark stated that General Sir Charles Guthrie , British Chief Of The Defence Staff , agreed with Jackson. Guthrie, according to Clark, also told him that Hugh Shelton , the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs Of Staff , also agreed with him. Clark said he found this very surprising, contending that the original suggestion to block the Russians came from Washington. Clark stated that he called The Pentagon , looking for support, and was told by Shelton: "We don't want a confrontation, but I do support you." Clark said that he told Shelton: "Then you've got a policy problem". Clark maintained in the NPR interview that the matter was a difference in the perception of the policy between the US administration and the British government. Clark said he believed he was carrying out the suggestions of the administration in Washington. The Clinton Administration later persuaded Hungary and Romania to deny Russia flight over their airspace, preventing the Russians from landing transport planes carrying reinforcements to their troops at Pristina. In July 1999 , the Russians agreed to integrate their forces into NATO's operations. John McCain would go on to say that later intelligence reports of massed Russian troops waiting for airlift to enter Kosovo and split control from NATO proved Clark's assessment of the situation with the Russians to be correct. Colonel Hackworth, a decorated veteran and respected journalist, who initially blamed Clark would later recant and said that Clark did nothing wrong, and that the fault for the miscommunication laid squarely with the Republicans Bill Cohen and Hugh Shelton. {Link without Title} PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDACY After retiring from the army, Clark worked as a military and international affairs analyst, including a stint as a commentator for CNN . He began preparations for a Democratic 2004 Presidential Candidacy in 2002 , including visits to the all-important first primary state of New Hampshire . In March of 2003 , DraftWesleyClark.com began a Nationwide campaign to " Draft Clark" for the Democratic Party's nomination for the 2004 presidential election. By August 2003 , the movement had grown to include several Draft groups working on this behalf. Also by this time, DraftWesleyClark.com had raised nearly $2,000,000 in "pledges" for a potential Clark candidacy. CNN on 13 August showed a Commercial by DraftWesleyClark.com, and interviewed Clark. He disavowed any connection with the "draft Clark" groups, but said he had been considering his position and that within a few weeks he would likely make public his decision on whether or not to run. He also fueled speculation with a television interview in which he first declared himself a Democrat. On September 17 , 2003 in Little Rock, Arkansas, Clark announced his intention to run in the Presidential Primary Election for the Democratic Party nomination, becoming the tenth and last Democrat to do so (coming many months after the others): "My name is Wes Clark. I am from Little Rock, Arkansas, and I am here to announce that I intend to seek the presidency of the United States of America." He said, "We're going to run a campaign that will move this country forward, not back." His campaign focused on themes of leadership and patriotism; early campaign ads relied heavily on biography. His late start left him with relatively few detailed policy proposals. This weakness was apparent in his first few debates, although he soon presented a range of position papers, including a major tax-relief plan. Many Democrats flocked to his campaign. They were drawn by his impressive military background, and saw such foreign policy credentials as a valuable asset in challenging George W. Bush post- 11 September . Advisors and supporters portrayed him as more electable than Howard Dean , who was the frontrunner for the party's nomination up until the Iowa Caucus . Criticism of Clark began almost the moment he entered the race. Originally heralded as an anti-war general, he stumbled in the first few days of his candidacy. He was perceived as changing his answer on how he would have voted on the Iraq war resolution. His supporters argued that his perceived indecision was due to lack of experience with the media and their insistence on short "sound bite" answers. As an Independent throughout his military career, Wesley Clark affiliated himself with the Democratic Party in 2003. Clark stated that he voted for Republican candidates in the past, including Presidents Nixon and Reagan , as well as Democratic candidates, Clinton and Gore . He previously made critical comments about the Bush administration and its foreign policy team, including one at a GOP fundraiser in 2001. However, Clark had been a strong critic of President Bush's war with Iraq, which he argued was not part of the war on terror. In September 2002, Clark gave testimony before the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) at Capital Hill, where he warned that the Bush Administration's Iraq war policy would be flawed without a comprehensive strategic foreign policy to stabilize Iraq after the ouster of the Saddam regime. In April 2005, Clark again appeared before the HASC , where he again outlined suggestions for Congress towards how to deal with the Iraq quagmire. He was praised by members of both parties for his keen foresight and predictions regarding costs and consequences of the Iraq war and in US foreign policy. In answer, Clark supporters emphasized the Progressive character of his policy positions. A frequent refrain, echoed in the campaign's official "Talking Points for Supporters," is that he is " Pro-choice , pro- Affirmative Action , pro-environment, pro- Health Care , and pro- Labor ." Clark was supported by documentary filmmaker Michael Moore , as well as Pop singer Madonna , who held a fundraiser for his campaign at her Los Angeles home, former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Robert Rubin , and many other widely known Americans. He had also received an Audubon Award for helping to save an endangered species at one of the bases he commanded, and was endorsed by the founder of Earthday, 55 diplomats, human rights activists like Samantha Powers, civil rights activists, and the whistleblower who helped expose Enron's corruption. In a 30-second campaign commercial aimed at young people released October 30 , 2003, his presidential campaign made reference to the Hip Hop duo OutKast . In the ad, Clark is sitting in a coffee shop with a dozen middle-class young adults of various American ethnicities. The young adults do not speak, but sit and listen as Clark appears to be answering their questions. "Well, to answer your questions, no, I would not have voted for the Iraq War ...I am pro-choice and I am a strong believer in Affirmative Action...And I don't care what the other candidates say, I don't think OutKast is really breaking up. Andre 3000 and Big Boi just cut solo records, that's all." The last comment prompts a blond-bearded young man to say approvingly "all right" and to tap fists with Clark. Clark's campaign also made an aggressive effort to develop a strong base of Meetup users, starting in November, 2003, and "Clark in 2004" was soon the second most popular Meetup topic, immediately following "Dean in 2004". His campaign developed a very strong s and Web tools. Its E-Blocks , and campaign train allowed Clark to raise $10 million (of a total of $29.5 million) in the forth quarter of 2003 , raising more money than any other candidate during that quarter. This innovative technology was cutting edge, but largely overlooked by media excitement over the Dean Internet strategy. In January of 2004, he decided to bypass campaigning in the Iowa Caucus , instead focusing his campaign to win or place second in New Hampshire, and announced a plan that would raise taxes on upper-income individuals in order to cut income taxes for "all families of four earning below $ 50,000". His Son later mused that the former was a fatal mistake. Clark focused on winning New Hampshire, or placing second to Dean, to position himself to defeat presumed frontrunner Dean, but when John Kerry and John Edwards each placed ahead of Dean in the Iowa caucuses, they drew the media focus in the days immediately before the New Hampshire primary. Clark took third place in New Hampshire, behind New Englanders Kerry and Dean, and ahead of Edwards despite the Kerry/Edwards momentum from Iowa. The younger Clark suggested that had Clark remained a candidate in Iowa he, instead of Kerry and Edwards, might have benefited from Dean's drop in support. Despite this setback, Clark decided to remain in the race, at least until February 3 , when 8 primaries — many in the South , Clark's regional base — would be held. During the February 3 contests, he won the Oklahoma primary, making him the only candidate other than John Kerry to win a non-"home" state. He also placed second in Arizona, North Dakota, and New Mexico, giving him more second place finishes in the Feb 3rd primaries than John Edwards, who would become the eventual vice-presidential nominee. Following 3 February , he moved on to campaign in Tennessee and Virginia , states he hoped would provide him the necessary momentum to remain in the race. After placing third in the primaries in both Tennessee and Virginia, he withdrew from the race on February 11 , 2004 . A day after his withdrawal, Clark announced he would endorse John Kerry , at a rally in Madison, Wisconsin . Although 2004 was Wes Clark's first run for office, where he started a year or two behind everyone else, entering the race after the first Democratic Primary debate had already occurred, he ended up surpassing many experienced campaigners who had solid national reputations, years of elective experience, and established fundraising and campaign staffs. {Link without Title} He is considered a prospective presidential candidate for 2008. AFTER THE PRIMARIES Following Clark's endorsement of John Kerry, he engaged in fundraising and spoke out against the Bush Administration and their handling of Iraq. He wrote extensive editorial articles, made frequent appearances on televised political talk shows, and founded a new Political Action Committee called WesPAC . In addition, he has maintained a very strong following of dedicated supporters who discuss and spread his ideals presented during the primaries. They have called themselves "Clarkies", "Clarkistas," , Clark Democrats, Wes Clark Democrats, or Wes Wingers. Many continue their active support for him, as "Clark Bloggers," through the Clark Community Network (CCN) , Clark Volunteers , A Wes Clark Democrat , various Yahoo Groups, DailyKos, MyDD, DemocraticUnderground, and numerous other progressive online venues and blogs. Following John Kerry's defeat in the 2004 Election , Wesley Clark is viewed as a possible Democratic Party candidate for President or Vice President in the 2008 Presidential Election , one who can unite the various factions of the Democratic party, as well as bringing in independents and moderate Republican voters. In June 2005 Fox News Channel announced that they had signed General Clark as a Military and Foreign Affairs Analyst . Clark believes that it is essential to the health of America's democracy to reestablish a multiparty system where one party does not control all three branches of government. Towards this end, he has devoted the bulk of his time to fundraising and campaigning for Democratic candidates and local grassroots establishments across the country, especially in traditionally Republican areas, in the hopes of winning at least one of the two chambers of congress. This drive is reflected in the heavy schedule he has maintained in helping Democrats:
LIFE EVENTS
CURRENT AND FORMER OFFICES This list is not complete
MILITARY DECORATIONS
OTHER HONORS
NOTEWORTHY SPEECHES
BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS NOTEWORTHY ARTICLES WRITTEN BY WESLEY K. CLARK Retired General Clark has written numerous articles published in newspapers and magazines. Below is just a sampling.
MULTIMEDIA
NOTES 1 For more information on Clark's Jewish heritage and his religious views in general, see the following: :Kampeas, Ron. " Latest contender for president comes from long line of rabbis ." JTA News] 17 September 2003 :Kampeas, Ron. " What´s in a name? For Clark, clues to his Jewish heritage ." JTA News] 14 October 2003 :Kampeas, Ron. " Rabbinical past revised: Wesley Clark corrects Jewish heritage remarks ." JTA News] 17 October 2003 : Clark, Wesley. Interview with Steven Waldman . Beliefnet. ¹The following references report the confrontation. Clark devotes an entire chapter to the incident in his book ''Waging Modern War'' (Chap. 15).
2 During one of his schooling years, Wes temporarily went to another school which he discovered had swimming. Upon returning to his own school, he discovered that they had no swim team. He set about creating a swim team even though they had no pool, no team, no coach, and no swimming lessons. He would go on to lead this team to win the state championship. On the day of the relay medley contest, one of the members fell ill. Short of the requisite number of teammates, they were about to be disqualified. Wes Clark convinced the judges to let them replaced the sick member by letting Wes swim not just his own leg of the race, but that of the sick member as well, thus leading his team to victory by swimming twice as hard and long. SOURCES
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