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2023 SESSION


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 281
Commending Major General Vincent E. Falter, USA, Ret.

 

Agreed to by the Senate, January 26, 2023
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 30, 2023

 

WHEREAS, Major General Vincent E. Falter, USA, Ret., is a distinguished veteran of the United States Army who served the Commonwealth and the United States with the utmost dedication for 35 years; and

WHEREAS, Vincent Falter enlisted in the United States Army in 1953 during the Korean War and was commissioned as a second lieutenant after graduating from the Field Artillery Officer Candidate School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma; he served one tour of duty in Korea; and

WHEREAS, during the Vietnam War, Vincent Falter commanded the 2nd Battalion, 13th Field Artillery Regiment, held an assignment as a plans officer in the War Plans Division of the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans (ODCSOPS) at the Pentagon, then returned to Vietnam, where he was attached to the 1st Cavalry Division; and

WHEREAS, Vincent Falter served as chief of staff of Task Force Shoemaker, which conducted the first official United States Army combat operation in Cambodia, then took command of the 2nd Battalion, 19th Field Artillery Regiment; and

WHEREAS, Vincent Falter returned to Washington, D.C., as executive officer of the Field Artillery Branch of the United States Army’s Office of Personnel Operations, then transferred back to Fort Sill as a department director and later secretary of the Field Artillery School; and

WHEREAS, upon his promotion to colonel, Vincent Falter took command of the 75th Field Artillery Group at Fort Sill; he subsequently relocated to the Pentagon and became chief of the Firepower Division of the Force Development Directorate of the ODCSOPS where he directed the development of new cannon and missile artillery systems and was promoted to brigadier general; he then became director of the Nuclear and Chemical Directorate of ODCSOPS and concurrently commander of what was then the Army Nuclear and Chemical Agency; and

WHEREAS, Vincent Falter next deployed to Germany as commanding general of VII Corps Artillery, one of the largest nuclear-capable field artillery organizations in the world; and

WHEREAS, Vincent Falter finished his career as director of operations at what was then the Defense Nuclear Agency and as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Atomic Energy during the Reagan administration, then retired after 35 years of meritorious service; and

WHEREAS, over the course of his military career, Vincent Falter earned two Defense Distinguished Service Medals, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, four Bronze Stars, 16 Air Medals, and three Legion of Merit awards, as well as many other awards and decorations; and

WHEREAS, after his well-earned retirement, Vincent Falter settled in Madison County and became an active member of the community; he helped revitalize the local American Legion Post, supported young people by guiding the establishment of a local youth competitive shooting program, and was a devoted member of Our Lady of the Blue Ridge Catholic church; and

WHEREAS, Vincent Falter also led efforts to honor the life and legacy of Corporal Clinton Greaves, a former slave from Madison County, who had been presented the Medal of Honor for his service as a Buffalo Soldier during the Indian Wars, but whose accomplishments had been lost to history; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Major General Vincent E. Falter, USA, Ret., for his outstanding service to the Commonwealth and the nation; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Major General Vincent E. Falter, USA, Ret., as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for his personal and professional achievements.