Charles John Timmes – Major General, United States Army

From a contemporary press report:

“An Army general who served in World War II, Korea and South Vietnam, and an expert in counterinsurgency tactics, he died on October 20, 1990 at the Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, Virginia. He was 83 and had lived in Falls Church. His son, Colonel Thomas Timmes of Alexandria, Virginia, said he died of a heart attack.

“General Timmes (TimEASE) was chief of the U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group in South Vietnam during the early phases of U.S. involvement there and later served in that country with the Central Intelligence Agency.

“He was a highly decorated veteran of World War II. He was a battalion commander with the 82nd Airborne Division and led his men in a combat jump behind Utah Beach in Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944. After the battalion was transferred to the XVII Airborne Division, he led a combat jump across the Rhine. He also participated in the Battle of the Bulge.

“After World War II, he was military adviser in South Korea and in Washington, D.C. and served as Assistant Commander of the 101st Airborne Division. He served in South Vietnam from 1961 to 1964 and then in staff position before retiring from active duty in 1967. He was with the CIA in South Vietnam from 1967 to 1975 and later worked as a lawyer in Washington, D.C.

“He was a 1932 graduate of Fordham University Law School, and had practiced law before being called to active duty in 1941. In his career, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, two Distinguished Service Medals, the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts. He is survived by his wife the former Marie Kuntz; another son, Dr. John Timmes of Phoenix, a daughter, brother, two sisters and 15 grandchildren.

He was buried in Section 59 of Arlington National Cemetery.

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard