Ronald Houston Griffith
General, U.S. Army

Ronald Houston Griffith was born on 16 March 1936. He comes from Northern Georgia and graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1960. As a member of the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) at UGA he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army after graduation.

He holds a Master's degree in Public Administration from Shippensburg University. His military education includes the Armor Officer Advanced Course; the Command and General Staff College; and the Army War College.

He is a Vietnam War veteran, having served as an Infantry Unit Advisor with the Army of the Republic of Vietnam from 1964-65, and later as Executive Officer of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division from 1969-70.

Griffith's commands include 1st Battalion, 32nd Armor in Germany; 1st Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division; and 1st Armored Division, which he led in the Gulf War. His staff positions at the Department of the Army level include Executive Officer to the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army for Operations and Plans; Chief of the War Plans Division; Deputy Director of Operations; and the Army Inspector General. He also served as the Chief of Staff, and later as the Assistant Division Commander of the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, TX. He served as Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army (VCSA) from 1995-97.

General Griffith retired from the Army on 1 November 1997. He passed away on July 18, 2018.

Medals, Awards and Badges

Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Army Distinguished Service Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster
Legion of Merit with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Bronze Star Medal with "Valor" Device and Silver & Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Purple Heart
Meritorious Service Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Air Medal with Numeral 2
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Vietnam Service Medal with 4 Bronze Stars
Southwest Asia Service Medal with 2 Bronze Stars
Army Service Ribbon
Army Overseas Service Ribbon with Numeral 2
Vietnam Cross of Gallantry Medal with Gold Star
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
Vietnam Civil Actions Medal
Combat Infantryman Badge
Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
Army Staff Identification Badge

In Retirement

After retiring from the military, Griffith became Executive Vice President of Military Professional Resources and Executive Vice President of the L-3 Communications Government Services Group. He also sits on the board of directors of The Allied Defense Group and Geonex-Martel Incorporated and on the Board of Visitors of the Virginia Military Institute.

Personal

Griffith's wife, Dr. Hurdis M. Griffith, is Dean Emeritus of the College of Nursing at Rutgers University, and they have two adult daughters and five grandchildren.