| Wesley Clark |
Article Index for Wesley |
Website Links For Wesley |
Information AboutWesley Clark |
Wesley Kanne Clark (born December 23 1944 ) is a retired Four-star General of the United States Army . Clark was Valedictorian of his class at West Point , was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to the University Of Oxford where he obtained a degree in PPE , and later graduated from the Command And General Staff College with a master's degree in Military Science . He spent 34 years in the Army and the Department Of Defense , receiving many Military Decorations , several honorary Knight hoods, and a Presidential Medal Of Freedom . Clark commanded Operation Allied Force in the Kosovo War during his term as the Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO from 1997 to 2000. Some of Clark's command decisions during the conflict, such as his statements at press briefings and his actions at Priština International Airport , were heavily criticized. At times, he had a difficult relationship with Secretary Of Defense William Cohen and Chairman Of The Joint Chiefs Of Staff General Hugh Shelton , which led to rumors Clark was forced into retirement, though both he and the Department of Defense said his retirement was merely standard personnel movement. Clark joined the 2004 race for the 2006 . Clark is considered a Potential Candidate For The Democratic Nomination In 2008 , although he has not yet decided whether to run. EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION Clark's paternal great-grandfather was a Belarusian Jew who Immigrated To The United States in response to the Pale Of Settlement and Anti-Semitic violence from Russia n Pogrom s. Clark's father, Benjamin J. Kanne, graduated from the Chicago-Kent College Of Law and served in the U.S. Naval Reserve as an Ensign during World War I , although he was never assigned to a combat mission. Kanne, living in Chicago , Illinois , became involved with Ward Politics in the 1920s as a prosecutor and served in local offices. He went on to serve as a delegate to the 1932 Democratic National Convention that nominated Franklin D. Roosevelt as the party's Presidential Candidate Felix, Antonia, ''Wesley Clark: A Biography''. Newmarket Press; New York, New York, 2004. pp. 7–9. (though his name does not appear on the published roll of convention delegatesOfficial Report of the Proceedings of the Democratic National Convention, held at Chicago, Illinois, June 27th to July 2nd, inclusive, 1932). Kanne came from the 2006 . as "about as multicultural as you could've gotten in 1944." ''American Son'' by Linda Bloodworth. Produced by Linda Burstyn, Cathee Weiss and Douglas Jackson; edited by Gregg Featherman. Clark was born Wesley Kanne in Chicago on December 23 1944 . His father Benjamin died on December 6 , 1948 , following which his mother then moved the family to Little Rock , Arkansas . This move was made for a variety of reasons, including escaping the greater cost of living in a large city such as Chicago, the support Veneta's family in Arkansas could provide, and her feeling of being an outsider to the remaining Kanne family as she did not share their religion.Felix, pp. 14–15. Once in Little Rock, Veneta married Viktor Clark, whom she met while working as a secretary for a local bank.Felix, p. 22. Viktor raised Wesley as his son, and officially Adopted him on Wesley's 16th birthday. Wesley's name was changed to Wesley Kanne Clark. Viktor Clark's name actually replaced that of Wesley's biological father on his Birth Certificate , something Wesley would later say that he wished they had not done.Felix, p. 25. Veneta raised Wesley without telling him of his Jewish ancestry to protect him from the anti-Semitic activities of the Ku Klux Klan occurring in the South at the time.Felix pp. 16–17. Although his mother was Methodist, Clark chose a Baptist church after moving to Little Rock and continued attending it throughout his childhood.Felix, p. 21. He graduated from Hall High School with a National Merit Scholarship , and helped take their Swim team to the state championship, filling in for a sick teammate by swimming two legs of a Relay .Felix, p. 41.Felix, p. 52. Clark has often repeated the Anecdote that he decided he wanted to go to West Point after meeting a Cadet with glasses who told Clark (who wore glasses as well) that one did not need Perfect Vision to attend West Point as Clark had thought.Felix, p. 49. Clark applied, and received his acceptance letter on April 24 1962 . MILITARY CAREER ]] Clark's military career began speech given to the class of 1962, only months before Clark entered West Point. A recording of the speech was played for Clark's class when they first arrived.Felix, pp. 54–68. Clark sat in the "first chair" in many of his classes, a position held by the highest performer in class. Clark participated heavily in Debate , was consistently within the top 5% of his class as a whole (earning him a "Distinguished Cadet" patch on his uniform), and ultimately graduated as Valedictorian of West Point. The valedictorian is first to choose which career field of the Army to serve in, and Clark selected Armor . He met Gertrude Kingston, his future wife, at a USO dance for Midshipmen and West Point cadets. Clark eventually applied for a Rhodes Scholarship and learned in December of his senior year at West Point that he had been accepted. He spent his summer at the United States Army Airborne School at Fort Benning , Georgia. Clark worked in the Philosophy, Politics, And Economics (PPE) program during his Rhodes Scholarship, completing his degree at Magdalen College at the University Of Oxford in August 1968. While he was at Oxford, a Jewish cousin of Clark's who lived in England telephoned Clark and informed him of his Jewish heritage (after asking his mother if she would allow it). Clark spent three months after graduation at Fort Knox , Kentucky, going through Armor Officer Basic Course, then went on to Ranger School at Fort Benning. He was promoted to Captain and was assigned as commander of the A Company of the 4th Battalion, 68th Armor, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Riley , Kansas .Felix, pp. 69–80. Vietnam citation]] Clark was assigned a position in the 1st Infantry Division and flew to Vietnam on May 21 1969 during the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War . He worked as a staff officer, collecting data and helping in operations planning, and was awarded the Bronze Star for his work with the staff. Clark was then given command of A Company, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry of the 1st Infantry Division in January 1970. In February, only one month into his command, he was shot four times by a Viet Cong soldier with an AK-47 . The wounded Clark shouted orders to his men, who Counterattack ed and defeated the Viet Cong force. Clark had injuries to his right shoulder, right hand, right hip, and right leg, and was sent to Valley Forge Army Hospital in Phoenixville , Pennsylvania to recuperate. He was awarded the Silver Star for his actions during the encounter.Felix, pp. 80–84. Clark had converted to Catholicism , his wife Gertrude's religion, while in Vietnam. He saw his son, Wesley Clark, Jr., for the first time while at the Valley Forge Hospital.Felix, pp. 85–87. Clark commanded C Company, 6th Battalion, 32nd Armor, 194th Armored Brigade , a company composed entirely of wounded soldiers, at Fort Knox. Clark has said this command is what made him decide to continue his military career past the four-year commitment required by West Point, which would have concluded in 1971. Clark completed his Armor Officer Advanced Course while at Fort Knox, taking additional elective courses and writing an article that won the Armor Association Writing Award. His next posting was to the office of the Army Chief Of Staff in Washington, D.C. , where he worked in the "Modern Volunteer Army" program from May to July 1971. He then served as a Social Studies instructor at West Point for three years from July 1971 to 1974.Detailed resume included with his nomination before the Senate Armed Services Committee, First Session, 105th Congress. July 9 1997 .Felix, pp. 88–95. Clark graduated from the Command And General Staff College (CGSC), earning his military Master Of Arts degree in Military Science from the CGSC with a Thesis on American policies of Gradualism in the Vietnam War. Clark's theory was one of applying force swiftly, which was being advocated by many soldiers at the time, a concept that would eventually become established as U.S. national security policy in the form of the Weinberger Doctrine and its successor, the Powell Doctrine . Clark was promoted to Major upon his graduation from the CGSC.Felix, pp. 95–97. Post-Vietnam In 1975, Clark was appointed a White House Fellow in the Office Of Management And Budget (OMB) as a special assistant to its director, James Thomas Lynn . He was one of only 14 appointed out of 2,307 applicants."White House Assigns Fellow to OMB Office," ''Arkansas Democrat-Gazette'', June 29 1975 . Lynn also gave Clark a six-week assignment to assist John Marsh , then a counselor to the President. Clark was approached during his fellowship to help push for a memorial to the Vietnam War. He worked with the movement that ultimately helped lead to the creation of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Clark took two commands with the 1st Armored Division based in Germany from August 1976 to February 1978, first over the 3rd Battalion 35th Armor and then the entire 3rd Brigade. Clark's brigade commander while in the former position said Clark was "singularly outstanding, notably superb." Regarding his term as brigade commander, one of his battalion commanders called Clark the "most brilliant and gifted officer {Link without Title} ever known."Felix, pp. 97–102. He was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for his work with the division. The brigade commander had also said that "word of Major Clark's exceptional talent spread", and in one case reached the desk of then . After studying there from June 1982 to 1983, Clark graduated and was promoted to full Colonel in October 1983.Felix, pp. 102–110. Following his graduation, Clark worked in Washington, D.C. from July 1983 to 1984 in the offices of the 2007 . Then on November 1 1989 Clark became a general with his promotion to Brigadier General .Felix, pp. 110–116. Clark returned to Fort Irwin and commanded the in October 1992 at the end of this command.Felix, pp. 116–120. Fort Hood and the Waco Siege See Also: Waco Siege Clark's final divisional command came with the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood , Texas . Clark was in command during three separate deployments of forces from Fort Hood for peacekeeping in Kuwait. Some critics, such as 2003 . His final Officer Performance Report for his command at Fort Hood called him "one of the Army's best and brightest"; Clark was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for his work at Fort Hood and was promoted to Lieutenant General at the end of his command in April 1994. Clark's next assignment was an appointment as the Director, Strategic Plans and Policy (J5), on the staff of the Joint Chiefs Of Staff (JCS), from April 1994 to June 1996.Felix, pp. 120–122. United States Southern Command Army regulations set a so-called "ticking clock" upon the promotion to a three-star general, essentially requiring that Clark be promoted to another post within 2 years from his initial promotion or retire. This deadline ended in 1996 and Clark said he was not optimistic about receiving such a promotion because rumors at the time suggested General Dennis Reimer did not want to promote him although "no specific reason was given".Clark, ''Waging'', p. 68. General Robert Scales admitted that it was likely Clark's reputation of intelligence within the military was responsible for feelings of resentment against him from other generals. Clark was named to the United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) post despite these rumors. Congress approved his promotion to full General in June 1996, and General John M. Shalikashvili signed the order. Clark said he was not the original nominee, but the first officer chosen "hadn't been accepted for some reason."Felix, pp. 131–134. The Balkans Bosnia and Herzegovina See Also: War in Bosnia and Herzegovina Dayton Agreement Clark began planning work for responses to the 2003 . Retrieved February 2 2007 . Clark was sent to Bosnia by , a deputy assistant Secretary of Defense, Joseph Kruzel, and Air Force Colonel Nelson Drew. Clark and Holbrooke attempted to crawl down the mountain, but were driven back by sniper fire. Once the fire ceased, Clark Rappelled down the mountain to collect the bodies of two dead Americans left by Bosnian forces that had taken the wounded to a nearby hospital. After returning to Washington D.C. for funeral services, the negotiations continued and the team eventually reached the Dayton Agreement at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton , Ohio and later signed it in Paris on December 14 1995 .Felix, pp. 126–129 Clark returned to the European theater and the Balkans following his , Africa , and the Middle East .Felix, p. 137. The position made Clark the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), which granted him overall command of NATO military forces in Europe. Kosovo War See Also: Kosovo War The largest event of Clark's tenure as SACEUR was NATO's confrontation with the Federal Republic Of Yugoslavia in the Kosovo War . The United Nations Security Council introduced Resolution 1199 calling for an end to hostilities in Kosovo , and Richard Holbrooke again tried to negotiate a peace. This process came to an unsuccessful end, however, following the Račak Incident . Then U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright tried to force Yugoslavia into allowing separation of Kosovo with the Rambouillet Agreement , which Yugoslavia refused. Clark was at the Rambouillet talks and tried to convince Yugoslavian president Slobodan Milošević by telling him "there's an activation order. And if they tell me to bomb you, I'm going to bomb you good." Clark later said Milošević launched into an emotional tirade against Albanians and said that they'd been "handled" in the 1940s by Killing Large Numbers Of Them . Interview with Wesley Clark for PBS ''Frontline''.Felix, pp. 138–140. in Italy on May 9 1999 ]] Clark started the bombings codenamed Operation Allied Force on March 24 1999 on orders to try and enforce UN Resolution 1199 following Yugoslavia's refusal of the Rambouillet Agreement. Secretary of Defense William Cohen felt that Clark had powerful allies at the White House such as President Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright that were allowing him to circumvent The Pentagon in promoting his strategic ideas, while Clark felt he was not being included enough in discussions with the National Command Authority , leading Clark to describe himself as "just a NATO officer who also reported to the United States".Clark, ''Waging'', p. 342. This command conflict came to a ceremonial head when Clark was not initially invited to a summit in Washington, D.C. to commemorate NATO's 50th anniversary, despite being its supreme military commander. Clark eventually secured an invitation to the summit, but was told by Cohen to say nothing about ground troops, and Clark agreed.Clark, ''Waging'', p. 269. Clark returned to SHAPE following the summit and briefed the press on the continued bombing operations. A reporter from the '' Los Angeles Times '' asked a question about the effect of bombings on Serbian forces, and Clark noted that merely counting the number of opposing troops did not show Milošević's true losses because he was bringing in reinforcements. Many American news organizations capitalized on the remark in a way Clark said "distorted the comment" with headlines such as "NATO Chief Admits Bombs Fail to Stem Serb Operations" in '' The New York Times ''. Clark later defended his remarks, saying this was a "complete misunderstanding of my statement and of the facts," and President Clinton agreed Clark's remarks had been misconstrued. Regardless, Clark received a call the following evening from General Hugh Shelton who said he had been told by Secretary Cohen to deliver a piece of guidance verbatim. "Get your fucking face off the TV. No more briefings, period. That's it."Clark, ''Waging'', p. 273.Felix, pp. 140–143. Operation Allied Force reached another problem when NATO Accidentally Bombed The Chinese Embassy In Belgrade on May 7 1999 . The operation had been organized against numerous Serbian targets, including "Target 493, the Federal Procurement and Supply Directorate Headquarters", although the intended target building was actually 300 Meters away from the targeted area. The embassy was located at this mistaken target, and three Chinese journalists were killed. Clark's intelligence officer called Clark taking full responsibility and offering to resign, but Clark declined, saying it was not the officer's fault. Secretary Cohen and CIA Director George Tenet took responsibility the next day. Tenet would later explain in testimony before the United States House Permanent Select Committee On Intelligence on July 22 1999 that the targeting system used street addresses, which gave inaccurate positions for air bombings and that the various databases of off-limit targets did not have the up-to-date address for the relatively new embassy location.2Clark, ''Waging'', pp. 296–297. The bombing campaign was ended on 2007 . Milošević's term in office in Yugoslavia was coming to an end, and he began enacting a series of policies seen merely as attempts to preserve his power. The elections came on 1999 . Retrieved February 2 2007 . =Priština International Airport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|