Hammond McKie Salley

US Army, Infantry, (Ret)

DATE OF SERVICE: Active Duty May 1963 – May 1984  (21 Years)

UNIT OF SERVICE:

  • 2nd, Bn 51st Infantry (Mech), 4th Armored Division, Ulm, Germany
  • A Co, 1st Bn, 1st Training Bde, 4th Army, Ft. Polk LA
  • 6th PSYOP Bn, USARV, Vietnam
  • 4th PSYOP Group, USARV, Vietnam
  • 5th Special Forces Group with duty at Forward Operating Base-3, Command and Control North, MACVSOG, Khe Sanh Combat Base, Vietnam
  • 5th Special Forces Group with duty at Forward Operating Base-2, Command and Control North, MACVSOG, Phu Bai, Vietnam
  • Department Chairman, JROTC, Culver Military Academy, Culver, IN (Hqs 5th Army)
  • Hqs. 24th Corps, Da Nang, Vietnam
  • 1st BN, 508th Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division, Ft. Bragg, NC
  • Hqs, 82nd Airborne Division, Ft. Bragg, NC
  • Omaha District Recruiting Command, Omaha, NE
  • 1st Bn, 15th Infantry (Mech), Kitzingen, Germany
  • Readiness Group Los Angeles, Los Alamitos, CA  – Hqs 6th Army

MILITARY SCHOOLS ATTENDED:

  • Infantry Officer Basic Course, Ft. Benning, GA
  • Airborne School, Ft. Benning, GA
  • Army Ranger School, Ft. Benning, GA
  • Chemical, Biological, Nuclear  Warfare School, 7th Army, Germany
  • Psychological Operations Officers Course, Ft. Bragg, NC
  • Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Ft. Benning, GA
  • Riot Control Course, Ft. Gordon, GA
  • Command and General Staff College, Ft. Leavenworth, KS

HIGHEST RANK OBTAINED: Major – 15 MOS’s

CIVILIAN CAREER: 20 Years with McDonnell Douglas / Boeing Aerospace Companies

  • Systems Analyst and Project Manager: Defense related projects
  • C-17 Design / Marketing Teams
  • Numerous classified USAF Airlift / Tanker & defense related proposals / projects
  • Army’s Future Combat System – Interface Team with Army
  • Project Manager to replace C-130 with Advanced Theater Transport (ATT)
  • Study to examine mitigation of Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

EDUCATION: Bachelors Degree – University of Florida 1962; Advanced Studies

MILITARY SERVICE REMEMBRANCES:

There were many memorable events over 21 years of active duty service in Armored, Infantry and Airborne Divisions  as well as Special Operations units with two Cold War tours in Germany and two tours in Vietnam. Some Highlights:

My most memorial ones were in 1968 while assigned to 5th Special Forces Group with duty at Forward Operating Base-3 (FOB-3), Command and Control North, MACVSOG, Khe Sanh Combat Base, Vietnam during the Siege of Khe Sanh. The base was surrounded by 20,000 North Vietnamese Regulars and shelled every day and night for extended periods. I am proud to be one of the very few Army officers privileged to wear a Navy Presidential Unit Citation ribbon for combat association with the 26th Marine Regiment.

My two Cold War tours in Germany in Mechanized Infantry Battalions were most interesting. Our mission was to protect the West German border with two hours notice to assemble all personnel and equipment and head for the Czechoslovakian border to defend against possible invasion.

Probably my most enjoyable Army assignment was as a Department Chairman at Culver Military Academy in Indiana. Culver is a prestigious college preparatory High School with 800 Cadets organized into Band, Infantry, Artillery and Cavalry units. Each Spring and Fall, there were full dress parades every Sunday after church – including 18 Army vehicles, 6 howitzers and 150 horses. My Department instructed the Cadets in JROTC training for all four years of school.

In 1971, I was sent TDY to Ft. Benning, GA as a Ranger School Tactical / Evaluation Officer for a nine-week pilot program to train ROTC college juniors as Rangers rather than sending them through the regular six-week ROTC summer camp. I essentially went through Ranger School for a second time while accompanying and evaluating the students.

In 1972, I commanded a compound on the periphery of Da Nang, Vietnam, responsible for its operation, defense and eventual stand down as troops were withdrawn from Vietnam.

My last assignment before retiring was as the Chief of the Infantry Branch Advisory Team for Readiness Group Los Angeles (RGLA). RGLA was comprised of active duty personnel from all branches of the Army and stationed at Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base. The unit’s mission was to advise and assist in the training of the 40th Infantry Division, CA National Guard as well various local Reserve units. I was also privileged to be an advisor to Special Forces Company A for a short period.

Hammond Salley