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Walters, Vernon A. (01284614): Difference between revisions

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|surname=Walters
|surname=Walters
|first=Vernon
|first=Vernon
|middle=A.
|middle=Anthony
|class_number=2
|class_number=2
|class_rank=2nd Lt
|class_rank=2nd Lt
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|religion=Catholic
|religion=Catholic
|certificate=815
|certificate=815
|photo=Wikipedia_Ambassador_Vernon_A._Walters.jpg
|photo=Walters_Vernon_A_01284614_portrait.jpg
|confidence=medium
|confidence=medium
|class_display=2
|class_display=2
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|death_place=West Palm Beach, Florida
|death_place=West Palm Beach, Florida
|years_of_service=1941-1976
|years_of_service=1941-1976
|rank_final=Lieutenant general
|rank_final=Lieutenant General
|battles=World War II
|battles=World War II
|occupation=United States Ambassador to Germany; United States Ambassador to West Germany; 17th United States Ambassador to the United Nations; Director of Central Intelligence
|occupation=United States Ambassador to Germany; United States Ambassador to West Germany; 17th United States Ambassador to the United Nations; Director of Central Intelligence
|known_for=United States Ambassador to Germany
|known_for=United States Ambassador to Germany
|awards=Legion of Merit
|awards_grid=Legion of Merit
|awards_ribbons=Ribbon_Legion_of_Merit_ribbon.png
|awards_ribbon_rows=Ribbon_Legion_of_Merit_ribbon.png
}}
}}


<div class="soldier-lead">
<div class="soldier-lead">
'''[[Walters, Vernon A. (01284614)|Vernon A. Walters]]''' (1917–2002) was a Ritchie Boy (from United States; Catholic) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 2.
'''Vernon Anthony Walters''' (3 January 1917 &ndash; 10 February 2002) was a United States Army officer and diplomat who trained and taught at [[Camp Ritchie]], Maryland, in [[Class 2]], later serving as Deputy Director of Central Intelligence and as ambassador to the United Nations and Germany.
</div>
</div>


== Biography ==
== Biography ==
Walters was born in New York City on 43 January 1917. Vernon Walters was born January 3, 1917 in New York City. He lived abroad with his parents and attended St Louis Gonzaga School in Paris, France, and Stonyhurst College in England, His military career began on 2 May 1941 when he entered the Army as an enlisted man.
Vernon Anthony Walters was born on 3 January 1917 in New York City. He lived abroad with his parents and attended St. Louis Gonzaga School in Paris and Stonyhurst College in England. He entered the Army as an enlisted man on 2 May 1941, graduated Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning as a second lieutenant of infantry on 29 May 1942, and late in 1942 was assigned to Camp Ritchie (Class 2).


Special Course for Brazilian Officers at the Command & General Staff School at Ft Leavenworth in 1943, Subsequently, he returned to Italy, serving as aide to General Mark W. Vernon graduated OCS at Fort Benning as second lieutenant (ASN: 01284614). After serving in Algeria and Tunisia, he returned to the United States as Chief of Section at the Intelligence School at Camp Ritchie.
Walters went overseas with the 9th Infantry Division and took part in the assault landing at Safi, Morocco, on 8 November 1942, receiving the Legion of Merit and promotion to first lieutenant. After service in Algeria and Tunisia he returned to the United States as a section chief at the Camp Ritchie intelligence school and attended a special course for Brazilian officers at Fort Leavenworth. He later served in Italy as an aide to General Mark W. Clark and as combat liaison officer with the Brazilian Expeditionary Force.


Late in 1942, he was assigned to Camp Ritchie, Maryland and went overseas with the 9th Infantry Division, taking part in, the assault landing at Safi in Morocco on 8 November 1942.
After the war Walters built a long career as interpreter, military attaché, and intelligence officer for successive presidents, culminating as Deputy Director of Central Intelligence (1972–1976), United States Ambassador to the United Nations (1985–1989), and Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany (1989–1991) during German reunification. His memoir ''Silent Missions'' appeared in 1978. He died on 10 February 2002 in West Palm Beach, Florida.
 
Vernon Anthony Walters (January 3, 1917 – February 10, 2002) was a United States Army officer and a diplomat. He served there from 1945 to 1948, During the visits of President. Walters received the Army Commendation Ribbon, In June 1948, he was assigned to Ambassador Averell Harriman as Assistant Military Attache at Large with station in Paris, and in 1949 he was appointed Army Attache at Large.
 
Returning to the United States with Ambassador Harriman in June 1950, he became Military Assistant to the Special Assistant to the President. He also served as Assistant to the President at the Geneva Conference in 1953. Returning to the United States in January 1955, he was assigned to the US Element of the NATO Standing Group as Public Information Officer and Special Projects Officers.
 
He was with Vice President Richard Nixon in 1958 when an anti-American crowd stoned their car in Caracas, Venezuela. He attended courses at Ft Bliss, Texas, and Sandia, New Mexico and in May 1960 was ordered to Rome, Italy as Army Attache, serving there until October 1962, when he was assigned to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as Army Attache. Walters was sent to Brazil in 1962 after a meeting between President John F.
 
Goulart was eventually ousted in the 1964 coup that brought a military dictatorship to power for the next two decades. He had previously been chosen by Richard Nixon to be their translator/interpreter during Pompidou's 1970 trip to the United States. Most notably, he served from 1972 to 1976 as Deputy Director of Central Intelligence, from 1985 to 1989 as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations and from 1989 to 1991 as Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany during the decisive phase of German Reunification.
 
He served from 1972 to 1976 as Deputy Director of Central Intelligence, from 1985 to 1989 as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations and from 1989 to 1991 as Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany during the decisive phase of German Reunification. Walters himself reflected on those challenging days in his 1978 autobiography Silent Missions: Walters was then United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 1985 to 1989 and ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany from 1989 to 1991, being responsible on behalf of the United States for the preparations of the Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany. In 1987 he visited Fiji, two weeks after Timoci Bavadra came to office.
 
He served as aide to Brazilian Expeditionary Force. He served as an aide and interpreter for several Presidents. He was at President Harry S.
 
His language skills helped him win Truman's confidence, and he accompanied the President to the Pacific in the early 1950s, serving as a key aide in Truman's unsuccessful effort to reach a reconciliation with an insubordinate General Douglas MacArthur, the Commander of United Nations forces in Korea. In Europe in the 1950s, Walters served President Dwight Eisenhower and other top US officials as a translator and aide at a series of NATO summit conferences. During this period he participated in the famous visit of Eisenhower to General Franco.
 
He also worked in Paris at Marshall Plan headquarters and helped set up the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers in Europe. In the 1960s, Walters served as a U.S. He arranged to smuggle National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger into France for secret meetings with a senior North Vietnamese official, and then smuggle him out again.
 
He accomplished this by borrowing a private airplane from an old friend, French President Georges Pompidou. At the critical moment he ... Refused to involve the Agency and bluntly informed the highest levels of the executive [branch] that further insistence from that quarter would result in his immediate resignation.
 
When people asked me what it was, I told them [this] was what was waiting [for me] if anyone squeezed me too hard. During the presidency of Jimmy Carter, Walters worked as a business consultant. He served as ambassador-at-large, visiting 108 countries.
 
Two weeks later Bavadra was overthrown by Rabuka. Walters was a Ritchie Boy. His first assignment was with.
 
Subsequently, he was given additional duty of Regimental S-2. For his part in this action, he was awarded the Legion of Merit and promoted to 1st Lt. While serving there, he attended the.
 
Upon the arrival of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force in Italy, Captain Walters was assigned. As Combat Liaison Officer with the 1st Brazilian Infantry Division remaining with them until the end of the war. He was then assigned as Assistant Army Attache in Brazil.
 
Truman, General Marshall and General Eisenhower, he served as aide to interpret for them. During this conference a revolt occurred in which Fidel Castro was involved. At this time, he accompanied Governor Harriman to Korea and to the meeting between President Truman and General MacArthur at Wake Island.
 
He served there as Assistant Executive for National Military representatives, and subsequently as Assistant to the Deputy Chief.
 
He passed away February 10, 2002 at the age of 85.


== Research notes ==
== Research notes ==
* Military Intellig Hall of Fame
* Military Intellig Hall of Fame
* Career intelligence officer; Ambassador to the UN and Germany
* Career intelligence officer; Ambassador to the UN and Germany
* Prior live biography was a garbled multi-source dump; regenerated chronologically. Middle name Anthony from public biographical use.
== Gallery ==
<div class="soldier-gallery">
<gallery mode="packed" heights="140px">
Walters_Vernon_A_01284614_portrait.jpg|Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters in Army uniform (RB Archive)
Walters_Vernon_A_01284614_MI_Corps_induction.jpg|Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters inducted as a Distinguished Member of the Military Intelligence Corps (RB Archive)
</gallery>
</div>


== Technical record ==
== Technical record ==
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline">
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline">
<div class="soldier-timeline-body">
<div class="soldier-timeline-body">
* Born 3 January 1917 in New York City.
* 3 January 1917 — Born in New York City.
* 6 March 1943 — Graduated Class 4 (French).
* 2 May 1941 — Entered the U.S. Army as an enlisted man.
* 1972 — 1976 Deputy Director of CIA.
* 29 May 1942 — Commissioned second lieutenant, Fort Benning OCS.
* 1985 — 1989 Ambassador to the United Nations.
* Late 1942 — Assigned to Camp Ritchie (Class 2).
* Assigned as Aide to General Mark Clark during Italian campaign.
* 8 November 1942 — Assault landing at Safi, Morocco, with 9th Infantry Division; Legion of Merit.
* Assigned as Infantry Officer at Camp Shelby.
* 1943–1945 — Camp Ritchie instructor; Brazilian Expeditionary Force liaison in Italy.
* Graduated OCS at Fort Benning as 2nd Lt (ASN: 01284614).
* 1972–1976 — Deputy Director of Central Intelligence.
* Inducted into Military Intelligence Hall of Fame.
* 1985–1989 — U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
* Moved to Rabat (promoted to First Lt.), then Tunisia.
* 1989–1991 — U.S. Ambassador to Germany.
* 10 February 2002 — Died in West Palm Beach, Florida.
</div>
</div>
</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>
</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>


== Sources ==
== Sources ==
* [[:File:Walters_Vernon_A_01284614_MI_Corps_induction.jpg|Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters inducted as a Distinguished Member of the Military Intelligence Corps (RB Archive)]]
* [[:File:Walters_Vernon_A_01284614_portrait.jpg|Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters in Army uniform (RB Archive)]]
* [https://www.amazon.com/Silent-Missions-Vernon-A-Walters/dp/0385135006 Vernon A. Walters, ''Silent Missions'' (memoir)]
* RB Archive CIA FOIA packet (CIA-RDP80R01731R002000110005-7)
* RB Archive, Department of Defense biographic sketch of Major General Vernon A. Walters (CIA FOIA release)
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernon_A._Walters Wikipedia: Vernon A. Walters]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernon_A._Walters Wikipedia: Vernon A. Walters]
* Camp Ritchie Museum, Inc. (The Ritchie History Museum), Classes 1–31 roster data
* Camp Ritchie Museum, Inc. (The Ritchie History Museum), Classes 1–31 roster data

Latest revision as of 01:54, 17 September 2026

Record status: unconfirmed. Class-roster match confidence is medium. Correct the infobox if you have a source, and note it on talk.
Vernon Anthony Walters
Vernon Anthony Walters
Personal details
Born3 January 1917
New York City, New York
Died10 February 2002
West Palm Beach, Florida
NativityUnited States
ReligionCatholic
Known forUnited States Ambassador to Germany
AwardsLegion of Merit
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch United States Army
ASN01284614
RankLieutenant General
Rank at RitchieSecond Lieutenant
Camp RitchieClass 2 (24 August – 17 October 1942)
Battles / warsWorld War II
Awards and honors
Legion of Merit
Research notes on this page are compiled from the source file and later edits. They may be unverified, incomplete, or incorrect, and should not be treated as established fact. Please correct the article or add sources on the talk page. For class-roster terms, see About the data.
Sources & confidence: Treat Research notes as leads, not settled fact. Prefer NARA, the class roster, newspapers, Find a Grave, or published histories for contested claims. Mark unsourced claims with {{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.


Vernon Anthony Walters (3 January 1917 – 10 February 2002) was a United States Army officer and diplomat who trained and taught at Camp Ritchie, Maryland, in Class 2, later serving as Deputy Director of Central Intelligence and as ambassador to the United Nations and Germany.

Biography[edit | edit source]

Vernon Anthony Walters was born on 3 January 1917 in New York City. He lived abroad with his parents and attended St. Louis Gonzaga School in Paris and Stonyhurst College in England. He entered the Army as an enlisted man on 2 May 1941, graduated Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning as a second lieutenant of infantry on 29 May 1942, and late in 1942 was assigned to Camp Ritchie (Class 2).

Walters went overseas with the 9th Infantry Division and took part in the assault landing at Safi, Morocco, on 8 November 1942, receiving the Legion of Merit and promotion to first lieutenant. After service in Algeria and Tunisia he returned to the United States as a section chief at the Camp Ritchie intelligence school and attended a special course for Brazilian officers at Fort Leavenworth. He later served in Italy as an aide to General Mark W. Clark and as combat liaison officer with the Brazilian Expeditionary Force.

After the war Walters built a long career as interpreter, military attaché, and intelligence officer for successive presidents, culminating as Deputy Director of Central Intelligence (1972–1976), United States Ambassador to the United Nations (1985–1989), and Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany (1989–1991) during German reunification. His memoir Silent Missions appeared in 1978. He died on 10 February 2002 in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Research notes[edit | edit source]

  • Military Intellig Hall of Fame
  • Career intelligence officer; Ambassador to the UN and Germany
  • Prior live biography was a garbled multi-source dump; regenerated chronologically. Middle name Anthony from public biographical use.

Gallery[edit | edit source]

  • Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters in Army uniform (RB Archive)
    Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters in Army uniform (RB Archive)
  • Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters inducted as a Distinguished Member of the Military Intelligence Corps (RB Archive)
    Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters inducted as a Distinguished Member of the Military Intelligence Corps (RB Archive)

Technical record[edit | edit source]

Field Imported value
Approx Age at Death 85
Class_Name Walters, Vernon A.
match_method unique_name_no_asn
row_source both

Timeline[edit | edit source]

  • 3 January 1917 — Born in New York City.
  • 2 May 1941 — Entered the U.S. Army as an enlisted man.
  • 29 May 1942 — Commissioned second lieutenant, Fort Benning OCS.
  • Late 1942 — Assigned to Camp Ritchie (Class 2).
  • 8 November 1942 — Assault landing at Safi, Morocco, with 9th Infantry Division; Legion of Merit.
  • 1943–1945 — Camp Ritchie instructor; Brazilian Expeditionary Force liaison in Italy.
  • 1972–1976 — Deputy Director of Central Intelligence.
  • 1985–1989 — U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
  • 1989–1991 — U.S. Ambassador to Germany.
  • 10 February 2002 — Died in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Sources[edit | edit source]

Retrieved from "https://ritchieboys.org/index.php?title=Walters,_Vernon_A._(01284614)&oldid=124430"