Henry Doctor, Jr. – Lieutenant General, United States Army

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The highest-ranking South Carolina State University military alumnus, Lieutenant General Henry Doctor Jr., ’54, has died. His interment will be held on Monday, December 17, 2007, at Arlington National Cemetery.

A three-star general, Doctor achieved the highest rank of 13 General Officers who were commissioned via South Carolina State’s Bulldog Battalion.

Doctor was born on August 23, 1932, in Oakley, South Carolina, to the late Henry Doctor and Annie Aikens Doctor and died on December 7, 2007.

After graduation from Berkeley Training High School in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, Doctor attended South Carolina State, and in 1954 received his bachelor’s degree and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He completed 35 years of service in the U.S. Army and served with distinction in leadership positions.

His last three assignments before retirement were:

* Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Material Development and Readiness Command, Alexandria, Virginia
* Commanding General, 2nd Infantry Division, Eighth U.S. Army, Republic of Korea.
* Inspector General of the U.S. Army, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

In 1954, he graduated from South Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. He earned his Master of Arts from Georgia State University. He is a graduate of United States Army War College and U. S. Army Command and General Staff College.

Lieutenant General Henry Doctor Jr. was the Commanding General, 2nd Infantry Division, Eighth United States Army, Republic of South Korea.

Lieutenant General (Ret.) Henry Doctor died December 7, 2007.

During his military career he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Air Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge.  He was also awarded the Republic of Korea Order of National Security Merit Cheonsu Medal in 1985.

From The General’s Resume:

1994-present
Consultant: Business Development, Information Technology, Strategic Planning and Human Resource Management

1989-1994
President, Arrow Services, Inc. Alexandria, Virginia

1985-1989
Inspector General of the Army; Department of the Army, Washington, D.C.

1983-1985
Commanding General, 2d Infantry Division, Eighth U. S. Army, Republic of South Korea

1980-1983
Chief of Staff; and Director, Personnel, Training, and Force Development; U. S. Army Material Development and Readiness Command, Alexandria, Virginia

1979-1980
Assistant Division Commander, 24th Infantry Division, Fort Steward, Georgia

1977-1979
Director of Enlisted Personnel Management, U. S. Army Military Personnel Center (MILPERCEN), Alexandria, Virginia

1977-prior
U. S. Army Officer, Served in assignments of increased responsibility at every level as an infantry officer in stateside and overseas posts including Vietnam, France, Korea, and Hawaii. Completed service with distinction as a Lieutenant General of the Army.

EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science, South Carolina State University
Masters of Arts, Georgia State University
Honorary Degree of Doctorate of Laws, South Carolina State University
Honorary Degree of Doctor of Military Science, The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina
Graduate, US Army War College
US Army Commander & General Staff College

ACHIEVEMENTS & AWARDS

Who’s Who in America, 1988
Nominated as 1 of 14 Officers to be the Army Aide to the President of the United States
Recipient of the following Department of Defense Awards for Outstanding Achievement:
Distinguished Service Medal (2 Awards)
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal
Combat Infantryman Badge
Awarded the Republic of Korea Order of National Security Merit-Cheonsu Medal, 1985

Lieuenant General Henry Doctor Jr. once said that his philosophy on life was based on three principles: faith, commitment and education.

This native son of the tiny Oakley community near Moncks Corner stood firm on those principles as he scaled the heights of the U.S. Army.

Undaunted by the tense racial climate of the 1960s, Doctor steadily climbed ranks to become the Army’s inspector general. He reported to the secretary of the Army and other senior military officials, giving evaluations in troop readiness and morale. He also had a hand in investigating expenditures and corruption within the Army’s entire staff.

But despite his impressive resume, Doctor never forgot where he came from.

He would look back and laugh at the fact that he was delivered by a midwife in Oakley. “We didn’t have hospitals around Oakley back then,” Doctor told a Post and Courier reporter in 1989, laughing.

Even then, the reporter noticed that every time he smiled, his eyes crinkled at the corners, creasing into well-worn laugh lines.

That’s how family members remembered him Saturday. They said he had a genuine spirit and love for people.

Doctor died December 7, 2007, of kidney failure at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. He was 74. He will be buried Monday at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, with full honors.

His daughter, Lori Williams, said many current and former military dignitaries were present at her father’s funeral Friday, including former U.S. Secretary of State and retired Army General Colin Powell. Williams said Powell called her father a mentor who was passionate about helping others.

Williams said she has heard countless stories since he died about how he aided in the success of so many in the military and in the community.

She said she will remember her father as an attentive man who loved God. “The love he gave to me is same love he gave to so many other people,” Williams said.

While Doctor spent the better part of his career in Washington and lived in Centreville, Virginia, he still made frequent trips home and was instrumental in developing the plans for Military Magnet Academy in North Charleston, where he was member of the Military Advisory Panel.

Doctor’s involvement was fitting for a man who received his early education in the Lowcountry.

In 1950, he graduated from Berkeley Training High School — a black school that closed in the early 1970s — and went on to graduate from South Carolina State College. The three-star general was the highest-ranking S.C. State alumnus, according to the school’s Web site.

Doctor later would finish the Reserve Officer Training Corps program and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He held a master’s degree in counseling and psychological services from Georgia State University.

Doctor received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from S.C. State University and an honorary Doctor of Military Science degree from The Citadel. He was a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

Elijah McCants, of St. Stephen, a cousin by marriage, attributed Doctor’s success to his intelligence and commitment to work diligently to reach his goals.

McCants also said his cousin had a heart for people.

“When you spoke to him, he listened intently with a special smile,” he said.

Doctor is survived by his wife, Janie M. Doctor; three daughters, Constanza Smith, Lori Williams, and Cheryl Mack; five grandchildren; a great-grandchild; two brothers; and a sister. Doctor was predeceased by a son, Kenneth Doctor.

henry-doctor-jr-photo-01

LTG HENRY DOCTOR, JR., USA (Retired) Died on December 7, 2007 of Centreville, Virginia; beloved husband of Janie M. Doctor; devoted father of Constanza (Merlin) Smith, Lori (Richard) Williams, Cheryl (Terry) Mack and the late Kenneth Doctor. Also survived by five grandchildren; one great-grandchild; two brothers; one sister; other relatives and friends.

Friends will be received for viewing at 10 a.m. Friday, December 14, 2007 at the First Baptist Church of Alexandria, 2932 King St., Alexandria, Virginia 22302, where funeral service will be conducted at 11 a.m.

Interment Arlington National Cemetery, 9 a.m., Monday, December 17, 2007. Friends will assemble at the Administration Building at 8:30 a.m

DOCTOR, HENRY JR

  • LTG   US ARMY
  • KOREA, VIETNAM
  • DATE OF BIRTH: 08/23/1932
  • DATE OF DEATH: 12/07/2007
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 34  SITE 1168
    ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

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