Scope and Contents

The collection consists of approximately 1.5 linear feet of materials documenting General Volney Frank Warner's U.S. Army career that included service in Korea and Vietnam in a variety of roles including an Infantry Platoon Leader in Korea (1950-1951), Senior Advisor for Kien Giang Province, Vietnam (1963-1964), and both Commander of 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division and Assistant Chief of Staff, G-5, II Field Force Vietnam (1969-1970). The materials include maps; photographs and images; memos and correspondence; commendation and appreciation letters; speeches; notes and drafts; essays and academic papers; articles, clippings, and excerpts; meeting minutes and memos of record; daily staff journals and war diaries; reports (unit, command, casualty, end of tour); electronic media; artifacts; personal narratives and recollections; scrapbooks and photo albums; award citations and certificates; military orders; service records; financial records; Vietnamese documents; and a moving image. Items of note include papers reflecting General Warner's interactions with General Westmoreland and those originating from General Westmoreland himself, such as correspondence and speeches (including drafts). The materials are dated 1950-2018.

Biographical / Historical

General Volney Frank Warner was born 7 June 1926 in Woonsocket, SD. He earned a BS degree in Engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY in 1950 and married Belva Forbes. He began his military career that same year and saw combat as an Infantry Platoon Leader during the Korean War from 1950-1951. He then took Company Commander and Battalion Staff assignments in Trieste, Italy; Austria, and Germany from 1953-1958. He earned an MA degree in Psychology from Vanderbilt University in 1960 and returned to West Point as an Instructor of Psychology and Leadership, where he worked from 1960-1962. He then deployed to Vietnam and served as a Senior Advisor for Kien Giang Province from 1963-1964. He then returned to the United States and went to Washington, DC, where he held various advisory and supporting positions at the Pentagon and earned an MS degree in International Relations from George Washington University (1969). From 1969-1970, he completed a second tour of Vietnam, this time serving as Commander of 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division and as Assistant Chief of Staff, G-5, II Field Force Vietnam. Upon his return to the United States, he served as Executive Officer and Senior Aide to the Army Chief of Staff at the Pentagon (1970-1972) before holding Chief of Staff positions with the 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, NC (1972-1974) and Forces Command (FORSCOM) in Atlanta, GA (1974-1976). He then served as Commander of the 9th Infantry Division at Ft. Lewis, WA (1976-1977) and Commander of XVIII Airborne Corps at Ft. Bragg, NC (1977-1979). He ended his military career as Commander in Chief of United States Readiness Command (USCINCRED) and Director of the Joint Deployment Agency at MacDill AFB, FL (1979-1981). He retired from active duty on 31 July 1981. He received numerous awards during his service, including the Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Legion of Merit with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star with V Device and 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Meritorious Service Award, the Air Medal with V Device, and the Master Parachutist Badge. After his military service, he worked as Vice President of Applied Technology at Vertex Systems Incorporated. He and his wife had four children: Victoria Jean, Volney Jim, Jerry B., and Valerie Jean.