William W. Crouch

{{Infobox military person

| name = William W. Crouch

| image = William W Crouch.jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption = Crouch in 1997

| nickname = Bill

| birth_date = {{birth date|1941|7|12|df=y}}

| birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2024|9|20|1941|7|12|df=y}}

| death_place = Denver, Colorado, U.S.

| placeofburial =

| allegiance = United States

| branch = United States Army

| serviceyears = 1963–1998

| rank = General

| servicenumber =

| unit =

| commands = Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army
Allied Land Forces Central Europe
United States Army Europe
Eighth United States Army
5th Infantry Division
2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment

| battles = Vietnam War

| awards = Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Army Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal (2)

| relations =

| laterwork = Cole Commission co-chair

}}

General William Wright Crouch (12 July 1941 – 20 September 2024) was a United States Army four-star general who served as Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1997 to 1998.

Early life

Crouch was born on 12 July 1941, in Los Angeles, California.{{cite web|url=http://www.defense.gov/Releases/Release.aspx?ReleaseID=1316 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100301232254/http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=1316 |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 March 2010 |title=News Release: General Officer Announcement |publisher=Defense.gov |access-date=February 2, 2012}}[http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=1316 General Officer announcement 331-91 June 24, 1997] He attended the San Diego Army and Navy Academy and graduated from Claremont Men's College with a degree in Civil Government.{{cite web|url=http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=95372&p=irol-govBio&ID=136892 |title=FLIR Systems Biography |publisher=Phx.corporate-ir.net |access-date=February 2, 2012}} He also received a master's degree in history from Texas Christian University.

Military career

Crouch commanded soldiers at every level from platoon through to army. He began his service in 1963 as a cavalry platoon leader in the 5th Infantry Division. He went on to command four companies, two of which were cavalry troops in combat. His subsequent commands included a cavalry squadron, the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment and the 5th Infantry Division.{{cite web|url=http://www.isilon.com/company/?page=advisory_boards#crouch |title=Isilon Systems Federal Advisory Board |publisher=Isilon.com |access-date=February 2, 2012}} He also served as Commanding General of the Eighth United States Army and Chief of Staff United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command and United States Forces Korea.

Crouch assumed command of United States Army Europe on 19 December 1994, and assumed command of Allied Land Forces Central Europe (LANDCENT) on February 15, 1996, and was its first American since its establishment in 1993. He served as Vice Chief of staff from 1997 until his retirement in 1998.

Crouch was a graduate of the United States Army Command and General Staff College and the United States Army War College. His decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster.

Post-military career

File:Crouch and Gehman.jpg

Crouch, along with retired Admiral Harold W. Gehman, Jr., were appointed by Defense Secretary William S. Cohen on 19 October 2000, as co-chairmen of the Department of Defense's Cole Commission to investigate the bombing of the {{USS|Cole|DDG-67}}.[http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=45610 Cole Commission Focuses On Force Protection Measures] He also served on the board of directors of the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America,[http://cadca.org/AboutCADCA/board.asp?ID=8 CADCA Board of Directors] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210224941/http://cadca.org/AboutCADCA/board.asp?ID=8 |date=February 10, 2007}} and beginning in May 2005 served on the board of Directors of FLIR Systems. He was also a Senior Mentor with the Leadership Development and Education Program for Sustained Peace at the United States Naval Postgraduate School, served on the board of the Keck Institute for International and Strategic Studies at Claremont McKenna College, and sat on the advisory board of Isilon Systems.

Personal life and death

Crouch's wife, Vicki, also a native of Southern California, attended Scripps College, as did their two daughters, Cami and Cathi. They had two grandchildren, Chris and Elizabeth, and resided in Colorado. William W. Crouch died in Denver on 20 September 2024, at the age of 83.{{cite web |title=William Wright Crouch |url=https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/castle-rock-co/william-crouch-11999716 |website=Dignity Memorial |access-date=29 October 2024}}

Awards and decorations

{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Defense Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Defense Distinguished Service Medal

{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Army Distinguished Service Medal

{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Silver_Star_ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Silver Star

{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Legion of Merit ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Legion of Merit

{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Bronze Star ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster

{{Ribbon devices|number=3|type=oak|ribbon=Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters

{{Ribbon devices|number=|type=|ribbon=Air Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Air Medal

{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Army Commendation Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Army Commendation Medal

{{Ribbon devices|number=|type=|ribbon=Army Achievement Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Army Achievement Medal

{{Ribbon devices|number=|type=|ribbon=Valorous_Unit_Award_ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Valorous Unit Award

{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|name=National Defense Service Medal ribbon|width=60}}

|National Defense Service Medal with Service star

{{Ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|name=Vietnam Service Ribbon|width=60}}

|Vietnam Service Medal with two Service stars

{{Ribbon devices|number=|type=|ribbon=Armed Forces Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Armed Forces Service Medal

{{Ribbon devices|number=|type=|ribbon=Army Service Ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Army Service Ribbon

{{Ribbon devices|number=|type=|ribbon=Army Overseas Service Ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Army Overseas Service Ribbon

{{Ribbon devices|number=|type=|ribbon=NATO Medal Yugoslavia ribbon bar.svg|width=60}}

|NATO Medal for Former Yugoslavia

60px

|Order of National Security Merit (Korea) Gugseon Medal

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Vietnamese Gallantry Cross ribbon.svg|width=60}}16px

|Gallantry Cross (Vietnam) with bronze star

{{Ribbon devices|number=|type=|ribbon=Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal ribbon-First Class.svg|width=60}}

|Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal 1st class

60px

|Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation

60px

|Vietnam Civil Actions Medal Unit Citation

{{Ribbon devices|number=|type=|ribbon=Vietnam Campaign Medal ribbon with 60- clasp.svg|width=60}}

|Vietnam Campaign Medal

References

{{USGovernment|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970616233346/http://www.dtic.mil/bosnia/bios/crouch.html|archive-date=1997-06-16|url=http://www.dtic.mil/bosnia/bios/crouch.html}}

{{succession box|

title=Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe|

before= David M. Maddox |

years= 1994–1997 |

after= Eric K. Shinseki

}}

{{succession box|

before=Ronald H. Griffith|

title=Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army|

after=Eric Shinseki|

years=1997–1998

}}