Thomas Weldon Dunn
Lieutenant General, U.S. Army

Thomas Weldon Dunn was born in Fort Worth, TX, on 12 September 1908. He graduated from high school and entered the U.S. Military Academy in 1926. Upon graduation in 1930, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant of Field Artillery and assigned to the 12th Field Artillery at Fort Sam Houston, TX.

Dunn left Fort Sam Houston in August 1933 to attend the Battery Officer's Course at the Field Artillery School, Fort Sill, OK. He completed the course in 1934 and joined the 11th Field Artillery Regiment at Schofield Barracks, HI. He returned to the mainland in December 1936 and was assigned to the 17th Field Artillery at Fort Bragg, NC. Three years later he became a gunnery instructor at the Field Artillery School and, in July 1941, was made a Gunnery Instructor in the Officer Candidate School there.

He was transferred to Brisbane, Australia in 1942 as Chief Branch Instructor in the Officer Candidate School for U.S. Forces, Southwest Pacific Area. He became Assistant Director of Training at the school in June 1943 and Director of Training in November 1943. In April 1944, he was designated Assistant Artillery Officer, Headquarter, Sixth U. S. Army and served in that position, in combat, in New Guinea, Leyte, and Luzon. He was also with the initial occupation forces in Japan.

Dunn returned to the Field Artillery School in February 1946 as Assistant Director of Gunnery. In July 1947, he was transferred to the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, KS, where he became an Instructor in the Department of Analysis and Research. In 1949 he attended the National War College in Washington, DC, graduating in 1950. He then became a member of the Policy, Training, and Organization Section of the Joint Strategic Plans Group, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In July 1951, he was appointed Assistant to the Director of the Joint Staff.

In February 1953, Dunn was named Division Artillery Commander of the 40th Infantry Division in Korea and later as Commanding General of I Corps Artillery.

Upon his return from Korea in February 1954, he became Chief of the Organization and Training Division in the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3, Department of the Army. He was appointed Deputy Commandant, Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, PA, in August 1954 and served as Acting Commandant for a brief time. In July 1956, Dunn became Commanding General, US Army Training Center (Field Artillery), Fort Chaffee, AR.

Dunn was named Assistant Chief of Staff, Programs, Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), Paris, France, in January 1958. Upon his return to the U.S. in August 1960, he served as Commandant of the Army War College. Following that assignment, in March 1962 he was designated Commanding General, III Corps (STRAC) and took command of the Corps and Fort Hood, TX. At Dunn's recommendation, the two headquarters were integrated in April 1962 as Headquarters III Corps and Fort Hood.

In December 1963, Dunn assumed command of I Corps (Group) in Korea. In March 1965, he was assigned as Commanding General, First U.S. Army and as the Senior U. S. Army Representative to the United Nations Military Staff Committee. Dunn was the last commanding general of U.S. First Army while it was headquartered at Fort Jay, Governors Island, NY.

With the consolidation of U.S. Second Army into First Army at Fort Meade, MD, in January 1966, Dunn was assigned the post of Commanding General, Fourth Army at Fort Sam Houston, TX. While there, in May 1967 one of his aides, Major Richard H. Pearce defected with his 5-year old son to Cuba. Pearce flew from Key West, FL, on what was a short pleasure flight and landed in Cuba, requesting asylum, publicly stating he could no longer live in the United States. Pearce was on leave at the time and had concluded a divorce and was experiencing custody problems. Pearce returned to the U.S. on his own accord in November 1979. He plead guilty at a court-martial in 1980 and was sentenced to one year. The sentence was dismissed, but he forfeited $200,000 in pay and allowances and was dismissed from the Army.

LTG Dunn retired from the Army in 1967.

Medals and Awards

Army Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star Medal
Legion of Merit with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Bronze Star Medal
Army Commendation Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
American Defense Service Medal
American Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 4 Bronze Stars
World War II Victory Medal
Army of Occupation Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Korean Service Medal with 2 Bronze Stars
Philippine Liberation Ribbon with 3 Bronze Stars
Republic of Korea War Service Medal
United Nations Service Medal
Presidential Unit Citation (Philippines)
Presidential Unit Citation (Korea)
Army Staff Identification Badge

Death and Burial

Lieutenant General Thomas Weldon Dunn died on 19 January 1983 in San Antonio, TX. He is buried at the United States Military Academy Post Cemetery in West Point, Orange County, NY.