Donald Arthur
{{Short description|American admiral}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Donald Arthur
|image = Vice Adm. Donald C. Arthur.jpg
|imagesize =
|caption =
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|1|4}}
|birth_place = Northampton, Massachusetts
|office = Surgeon General of the Navy
|term_start = 2004
|term_end = 2007
|allegiance = {{flagu|United States}}
|branch = {{naval|United States}}
|serviceyears = 1974–2007
|rank = {{Dodseal|USNO9|25}} Vice Admiral
}}
Donald Caldwell Arthur Jr. (born January 4, 1950){{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T5DfAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA255 |title=Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Reserve Officers on the Active-Duty List |page=255 |date=October 1, 1984 |publisher=Bureau of Naval Personnel |access-date=18 August 2021}} is a former United States Navy medical corps vice admiral (VADM). He entered the Navy in 1974, qualified as both a naval flight surgeon{{Cite web |url=http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmotc/nami/academics/Pages/FlightSurgeon.aspx |title=Flight Surgeon |access-date=2014-05-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140514012301/http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmotc/nami/academics/Pages/FlightSurgeon.aspx |archive-date=2014-05-14 |url-status=dead }} and a Submarine Medical Officer, and eventually served as the 35th Surgeon General of the United States Navy from 2004 to 2007.{{cite web|url=http://www.navy.mil/navydata/bios/navybio.asp?bioID=20|title=Navy.mil Leadership Biographies|publisher=United States Navy|accessdate=28 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011123839/http://www.navy.mil/navydata/bios/navybio.asp?bioid=20|archive-date=11 October 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}
Early life and education
Born in Northampton, Massachusetts,{{cite book |title=Vital Records Index to Births, 1916–1970 |publisher=Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Registry of Vital Records and Statistics |location=Boston, Massachusetts}} Arthur received a B.A. degree from Northeastern University and continued to pursue graduate studies in genetics there. He never completed his M.A. degree before joining the Navy in 1974. Arthur received his Navy sponsored medical degree from the College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in 1978{{cite web |url=http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20090203_Doctor_who_checks_credentials_faces_questions_over_his_own_resume.html |title=Doctor who checks credentials faces questions over his own resume |first=Josh |last=Goldstein |date=February 3, 2009 |newspaper=The Inquirer |accessdate=5 January 2019}} and then completed a residency in emergency medicine. He deployed with the Marine Corps Second Medical Battalion during Operation Desert Shield/Storm{{cite web |url=http://usstranquillity.blogspot.com/2011/10/vadm-donald-c-arthur-surgeon-general.html |title=VADM Donald C. Arthur, Surgeon General (2004-2007) |first=André B. |last=Sobocinski |date=October 6, 2011 |website=Tranquillity, Solace & Mercy |accessdate=4 January 2019}} but never served under combat conditions.
In June 1992, Arthur received a Ph.D. in healthcare management from Century University in New Mexico. In August 1993, he received a J.D. from LaSalle University in Louisiana. The legitimacy of these two degrees was later called into question and both 'institutions' are considered to be diploma mills.
Career
Arthur commanded Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune and National Naval Medical Center Bethesda. He served as director of Marine Corps Medical Programs, as assistant chief for Naval Health Care Operations and as Deputy Surgeon General.
Arthur's work on the Defense Health Board Task Force on Mental Health{{cite web|url=http://www.health.mil/dhb/mhtf/mhtf-report-final.pdf|title=Defense Health Board Task Force on Mental Health|access-date=2010-08-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129150614/http://www.health.mil/dhb/mhtf/mhtf-report-final.pdf|archive-date=2010-11-29|url-status=dead}} reflected his advocacy for PTSD in service members and combat veterans. He addressed the stigma of mental health{{cite web|url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2007/06/mil-070615-dod03.htm|title=DoD News Briefing with Dr. S. Ward Casscells, Vice Adm. Donald Arthur, Rear Adm. John Mateczun, Maj. Gen. Gale Pollock, Maj. Gen. Bruce Green, Col. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, Ellen Bmbre, and Shelley Macdermid from the Pentagon|website=www.globalsecurity.org}} in the military and made efforts to alleviate it. Arthur was an advocate for service members who incurred and suffered with Traumatic Brain Injury.
=Credentials investigation=
In 2005, author and activist B.G. Burkett urged then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen to investigate Arthur, claiming that some of his education credentials were inappropriate, because they had been obtained from unaccredited institutions, and that they had influenced his promotions within the Navy. In turn, Arthur claimed that he had been misinformed about the institution's accreditation, and that an internal investigation by the Navy had cleared him of any wrongdoing.{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2008/10/01/navy-resume-doesnt-quite-hold-water/|title=Navy resume doesn't quite hold water|last=Working|first=Russell|author2=Lelia Boyd Arnheim|date=October 1, 2008|publisher=Chicago Tribune|access-date=28 July 2013}} Despite this, Arthur was quoted to have said the following about the incident at the time, "I could say I was naive, but I was 40 years old. And I didn't understand completely what was going on."
Awards and decorations
| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|colspan="3"|240px |
| |{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=award-star|ribbon=Navy Distinguished Service ribbon.svg|width=106}}
| |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Legion of Merit ribbon.svg|width=106}}21px21px21px
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}21px21px |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Navy and Marine Corps Commendation ribbon.svg{{!}}border|width=106}}21px21px |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Navy and Marine Corps Achievement ribbon.svg{{!}}border|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Combat Action Ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Navy Unit Commendation ribbon.svg{{!}}border|width=106px}} |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg{{!}}border|width=106px}}18px18px
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|ribbon=Battle Effectiveness Award ribbon, 1st award.svg{{!}}border|width=106px}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Fleet Marine Force Ribbon.svg{{!}}border|width=106px}} |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Navy Expeditionary Medal ribbon.svg{{!}}border|width=106px}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg{{!}}border|width=106px}}18px18px |{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Southwest Asia Service Medal ribbon (1991-2016).svg|width=106}}22px18px18px |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Outstanding Volunteer Service ribbon.svg{{!}}border|width=106px}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.svg{{!}}border|width=106px}}18px18px |{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon.svg{{!}}border|width=106}} |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Special Operations Service Ribbon.svg{{!}}border|width=106}} |
| 106px
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|ribbon=United States Navy Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon with expert device.svg{{!}}border|width=106px}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|ribbon=United States Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon with expert device.svg{{!}}border|width=106}} |
| colspan="3"|240px |
| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|colspan="3" | Navy Flight Surgeon Insignia |
| colspan="3" | Navy Distinguished Service Medal with one gold award star |
| Legion of Merit with three gold award stars
| Meritorious Service Medal with two award stars | Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with two award stars |
| Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal |
| Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation with two bronze 3/16 service stars |
| Navy Expeditionary Medal
| National Defense Service Medal with two service stars | Southwest Asia Service Medal w/ FMF Combat Operation Insignia and two service stars |
| Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
| Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with two service stars | Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon with service star |
| Special Operations Service Ribbon |
| Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) |
| colspan="3"|Submarine Medical Insignia |
Personal
Arthur is the son of Donald Caldwell Arthur Sr. (September 3, 1920 – September 27, 2007) and Mary Ann (Siconolfi) Arthur (March 24, 1926 – November 19, 2007). His father enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II, serving at the Battle of the Bulge. Both born in Northampton, Massachusetts, his parents were married there on July 3, 1948. Arthur Jr. has one sister.{{cite news |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/theday/name/donald-arthur-obituary?pid=95248371 |title=Donald C. Arthur |date=September 29, 2007 |newspaper=The Day |location=New London, Connecticut |access-date=18 August 2021}}{{cite news |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/theday/name/mary-arthur-obituary?pid=98320872 |title=Mary Ann Siconolfi Arthur |date=November 21, 2007 |newspaper=The Day |location=New London, Connecticut |access-date=18 August 2021}}
Arthur Jr. married Marianne Mele on August 18, 1973, in Tenafly, New Jersey. The couple had one child, but were divorced on December 18, 1980.{{cite news |title=Report of Divorce or Annulment |issue=80–023483 |publisher=Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Health–Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics |location=Richmond, Virginia}}
In the 2024 United States presidential election, Arthur endorsed Kamala Harris.{{Cite web |title=NSL4A Endorses Kamala Harris for President of the United States|publisher=National Security Leaders for America |url=https://www.nsl4a.org/nsl4a-announcements/nsl4a-endorsement-harris | accessdate=Jan 11, 2025}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Donald C. Arthur}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20190105145314/https://www.navy.mil/navydata/bios/navybio_ret.asp?bioID=20 United States Navy Biography]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arthur, Donald Caldwell, Jr.}}
Category:People from Northampton, Massachusetts
Category:Northeastern University alumni
Category:University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey alumni
Category:American emergency physicians
Category:Recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (United States)
Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit