Lt. Gen. US Army
World War II - Korea _ Vietnam
Robert Fowler offers the following on Gen. William Peers:
He received his commission in the US Army in 1938 after graduating from UCLA. When WW II broke out, he was recruited into the OSS, the predecessor to what is today know as the CIA. He became commander of the department that carried out guerilla operations against the Japanese in the China India Burma Theater. He held that position until 1945 when he became Commander of all OSS operations in China south of the Yangtze River. After WW II, he joined the CIA and established the agency's first training program. He later attended the Army War College. In January 1967, he was named Commanding General, 4th Infantry Division and 14 months later was promoted to LTG and given command of the I Field Force, Vietnam, with responisbility for some 50,000 troops. Some of the units under his command in this capacity were the 1st Cavalry Division, the 101st Airborne Division and the 173rd Airborne Brigade. In 1969, he was ordered by 4 Star General William Westmoreland to investigate atrocities alleged in what had become known as the My Lai Massacre. His scathing report was known as the Peers Commission. He named 3 soldiers who attempted to stop the atrocities, WO Hugh Thompson, SP4 Glenn Andreotta and SP4 Lawrence Colburn. LTG Peers recommended the courts martial of over 2 dozen soldiers but only 3 ever went to trial because of pressure from Congress and the american public. This resulted in only one conviction, that of 1LT William Calley. Later Richard M Nixon would grand a conditional Presidential Pardon which allowed the conviction to stand but set aside his sentencing and parole obligations.
World War II - Korea _ Vietnam
Robert Fowler offers the following on Gen. William Peers:
He received his commission in the US Army in 1938 after graduating from UCLA. When WW II broke out, he was recruited into the OSS, the predecessor to what is today know as the CIA. He became commander of the department that carried out guerilla operations against the Japanese in the China India Burma Theater. He held that position until 1945 when he became Commander of all OSS operations in China south of the Yangtze River. After WW II, he joined the CIA and established the agency's first training program. He later attended the Army War College. In January 1967, he was named Commanding General, 4th Infantry Division and 14 months later was promoted to LTG and given command of the I Field Force, Vietnam, with responisbility for some 50,000 troops. Some of the units under his command in this capacity were the 1st Cavalry Division, the 101st Airborne Division and the 173rd Airborne Brigade. In 1969, he was ordered by 4 Star General William Westmoreland to investigate atrocities alleged in what had become known as the My Lai Massacre. His scathing report was known as the Peers Commission. He named 3 soldiers who attempted to stop the atrocities, WO Hugh Thompson, SP4 Glenn Andreotta and SP4 Lawrence Colburn. LTG Peers recommended the courts martial of over 2 dozen soldiers but only 3 ever went to trial because of pressure from Congress and the american public. This resulted in only one conviction, that of 1LT William Calley. Later Richard M Nixon would grand a conditional Presidential Pardon which allowed the conviction to stand but set aside his sentencing and parole obligations.
Lt. Gen. US Army
World War II - Korea _ Vietnam
Robert Fowler offers the following on Gen. William Peers:
He received his commission in the US Army in 1938 after graduating from UCLA. When WW II broke out, he was recruited into the OSS, the predecessor to what is today know as the CIA. He became commander of the department that carried out guerilla operations against the Japanese in the China India Burma Theater. He held that position until 1945 when he became Commander of all OSS operations in China south of the Yangtze River. After WW II, he joined the CIA and established the agency's first training program. He later attended the Army War College. In January 1967, he was named Commanding General, 4th Infantry Division and 14 months later was promoted to LTG and given command of the I Field Force, Vietnam, with responisbility for some 50,000 troops. Some of the units under his command in this capacity were the 1st Cavalry Division, the 101st Airborne Division and the 173rd Airborne Brigade. In 1969, he was ordered by 4 Star General William Westmoreland to investigate atrocities alleged in what had become known as the My Lai Massacre. His scathing report was known as the Peers Commission. He named 3 soldiers who attempted to stop the atrocities, WO Hugh Thompson, SP4 Glenn Andreotta and SP4 Lawrence Colburn. LTG Peers recommended the courts martial of over 2 dozen soldiers but only 3 ever went to trial because of pressure from Congress and the american public. This resulted in only one conviction, that of 1LT William Calley. Later Richard M Nixon would grand a conditional Presidential Pardon which allowed the conviction to stand but set aside his sentencing and parole obligations.
World War II - Korea _ Vietnam
Robert Fowler offers the following on Gen. William Peers:
He received his commission in the US Army in 1938 after graduating from UCLA. When WW II broke out, he was recruited into the OSS, the predecessor to what is today know as the CIA. He became commander of the department that carried out guerilla operations against the Japanese in the China India Burma Theater. He held that position until 1945 when he became Commander of all OSS operations in China south of the Yangtze River. After WW II, he joined the CIA and established the agency's first training program. He later attended the Army War College. In January 1967, he was named Commanding General, 4th Infantry Division and 14 months later was promoted to LTG and given command of the I Field Force, Vietnam, with responisbility for some 50,000 troops. Some of the units under his command in this capacity were the 1st Cavalry Division, the 101st Airborne Division and the 173rd Airborne Brigade. In 1969, he was ordered by 4 Star General William Westmoreland to investigate atrocities alleged in what had become known as the My Lai Massacre. His scathing report was known as the Peers Commission. He named 3 soldiers who attempted to stop the atrocities, WO Hugh Thompson, SP4 Glenn Andreotta and SP4 Lawrence Colburn. LTG Peers recommended the courts martial of over 2 dozen soldiers but only 3 ever went to trial because of pressure from Congress and the american public. This resulted in only one conviction, that of 1LT William Calley. Later Richard M Nixon would grand a conditional Presidential Pardon which allowed the conviction to stand but set aside his sentencing and parole obligations.
Family Members
Parents
