Senior Officer Oral History Program Interview of Lieutenant General (Retired)Julius W. Becton, Jr. Executive Summary

摘要

This executive summary of the Senior Officer Oral History Program interviews ofLieutenant General Julius Wesley Becton, Jr. (Retired) in December 1995 and January 1996 highlights his life and career. The summary provides an abbreviated version of the 440 page interview transcript. Additionally, interviewer commentaries and observations are provided in an effort to capture the human dimension of General Becton's legacy before, during, and after his 38 years of military service. Only the sixth black American to be promoted to the rank of brigadier general in the history of the U.S. Army, he was the first black Army officer to attain the rank of lieutenant general and to command a corps.