John W. Vessey, Jr.
John William Vessey, Jr. (born June 29, 1922) is a retired United States Army general. He served as the tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from June 18, 1982 to September 30, 1985. When he retired in 1985 at the age of 63, General Vessey was the longest serving active duty member in the United States Army. He began his 46-year military career in the Minnesota National Guard in 1939 when he was still 16. He received a battlefield commission during the Battle of Anzio in World War II. General Vessey also served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. As a Lieutenant Colonel, he graduated from college in 1963 at the age of 41. As a Colonel, he was a student at the Army helicopter school at the age of 48. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan appointed him as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a position he would hold for over three years, a comparatively short term. He was the last four star combat veteran of World War II on active service. After retiring from the Army, General Vessey became involved in efforts to account for military personnel listed as missing in action from the Vietnam War. He made several trips to Vietnam to search for remains as part of resolving the Vietnam War POW/MIA issue. General Vessey was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992.