Ten former Army Chiefs of Staff whose continuous Army service spanned 65 consecutive years have rallied in support of the National Museum of the United States Army.
From the most senior of the living former Chiefs—General Edward C. “Shy” Meyer, whose active career began in 1951—to General Raymond T. Odierno, who retired in August 2015—all have made generous contributions toward construction of the Army History Museum.
Those who served consecutively as Chiefs between Meyer and Odierno include Generals John A. Wickham, Jr., Carl E. Vuono, Gordon R. Sullivan, Dennis J. Riemer, Eric K. Shinseki, Peter J. Schoomaker, George W. Casey, Jr., and Martin E. Dempsey. Dempsey subsequently served as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 2011 until September 2015.
Meyer’s name was the first of the former Chiefs’ names to appear among the Capital Campaign’s Circles of Distinction, reserved for contributors of $50,000 and more. Others have followed suit, with Odierno being the last.
“It seems only proper that those of us who led in the Army should also take the lead in ensuring that this great Museum is successfully completed,” said General Gordon Sullivan (USA-Ret.), Army Historical Foundation Chairman who is now spearheading the Capital Campaign.
“As former Army Chiefs of Staff, we have made our commitments, and now that we have broken ground and site preparation for the Museum is underway, we are hoping others will join us in helping to complete this long-overdue tribute to our Army and its Soldiers,” Sullivan added.
