View source for Donn R. Pepke

{{Short description|American officer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox military person
|name=Donn Royce Pepke
|birth_date= {{birth date|df=yes|1916|9|17}}
|death_date= {{death date and age|df=yes|1995|1|15|1916|9|17}}
|birth_place= [[Minot, North Dakota]]
|death_place= Williamsburg Community Hospital
|placeofburial= [[Arlington National Cemetery]]
|placeofburial_label=
|image= Donn R. Pepke, Carl Eric Almgren and Sten Geijer at Ft McPherson in 1975 MILIF.003962.jpg
|caption=Pepke (left) with Lieutenant General [[Carl Eric Almgren]] (middle) and Colonel Sten Geijer in 1975.
|nickname=
|allegiance= [[United States]]
|branch=[[File:United States Department of the Army Seal.svg|25px]] [[United States Army]]
|serviceyears=1939–1975
|rank= [[File:US-O9 insignia.svg|40px]] [[Lieutenant general (United States)|Lieutenant general]]
|commands=[[4th Infantry Division (United States)|4th Infantry Division]]<br>[[20th Infantry Regiment (United States)|20th Infantry Regiment]]<br>[[63rd Infantry Regiment (United States)|63rd Infantry Regiment]]
|unit=
|battles= [[World War II]]<br>[[Vietnam War]]
|awards= [[Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army)|Distinguished Service Medal]] (2)<br>[[Silver Star]]<br>[[Legion of Merit]] (2)<br>[[Purple Heart]]<br>[[Bronze Star]]<br>[[Air Medal]] (11)
|relations=
|laterwork=
}}
[[Lieutenant general (United States)|Lieutenant General]] '''Donn R. Pepke''' (7 September 1916{{spnd}}15 January 1995) was a [[United States Army]] officer who served in [[World War II]] and the [[Vietnam War]].
==Early life==
He was born in [[Minot, North Dakota]] on 7 September 1916.<ref name=Obit>{{cite news|newspaper=Daily Press|title=Donn R. Pepke|date=20 January 1995|page=23|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40033085/obituary-for-donn-r-pepke/?form=MY01SV&OCID=MY01SV}}</ref>
==Military career==
He was commissioned as a [[Second lieutenant]] in 1939.<ref name=Daily>{{cite news|newspaper=Daily Press|title=Gen. Pepke, 36-year GI|author=Erika Reif|date=19 January 1995|url=http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-xpm-19950119-1995-01-19-9501190073-story.html}}</ref>
He commanded the 2nd Battalion, [[63rd Infantry Regiment (United States)|63rd Infantry Regiment]] in the [[Pacific War|Pacific Theater]]. In January 1944, at the age of 27, he assumed command of the Regiment becoming one of the youngest U.S. regimental commanders of [[World War II]].<ref name=Obit/><ref name=Daily/>
After the war he commanded the [[20th Infantry Regiment (United States)|20th Infantry Regiment]] in [[South Korea]] before returning to the U.S. to teach at [[Fort Belvoir]].<ref name=Daily/>
In 1950 he was assigned to [[West Germany]] and then served at the [[United States Army Infantry School]] at [[Fort Benning]].<ref name=Daily/>
He later served as senior adviser to the 20th and [[8th Mechanized Infantry Division (South Korea)|8th Division]]s of the [[Republic of Korea Army]] (ROKA) and then as senior adviser for logistics to the ROKA. He served as Chief of Staff, [[1st Armored Division (United States)|1st Armored Division]] from 1962 to 1963. In 1964 he was appointed Deputy Commanding General, Infantry Training Center, [[Fort Gordon]].<ref name=Review>{{cite journal|journal=Military Review|volume=50|issue=11|date=November 1970|title=Economy of Force in the Central Highlands|page=33}}{{PD-notice}}</ref> From late 1965 he served as Deputy Director of Strategic Plans & Policy and then as Director of Plans at [[The Pentagon]].<ref name=Obit/><ref name=Review/>
On 30 November 1968 he became Commanding General, [[4th Infantry Division (United States)|4th Infantry Division]] in the [[Central Highlands (Vietnam)|Central Highlands]] of [[South Vietnam]].<ref name=Obit/> On 6 October 1969 he directed the consolidation of all of the Division’s [[Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol]] platoons into Company K, (Ranger), [[75th Infantry Regiment (Ranger)|75th Infantry Regiment]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Gebhardt|first=James|title= Eyes Behind the Lines: US Army Long-Range Reconnaissance and Surveillance Units|publisher=DIANE Publishing|year=2005|isbn= 9781428916333|page=53}}</ref> On 14 November 1969 he was succeeded in command by Major-general [[Glenn D. Walker]]. Writing in November 1970 in the [[Military Review]] he characterized the Division’s operations as a successful economy of force mission.<ref name=Review/>
Following his return from South Vietnam he served as Deputy Chief of Staff (Training), [[Continental Army Command]] from 1969 to 1971.<ref name=Obit/> He then served as Chief of Staff, Continental Army Command from 1971 to 1973. His final command was as Deputy Commanding General, Army Forces Command from 1973 to 1975. He retired from the U.S. Army in June 1975.<ref name=Obit/>
==Later life==
He died on 15 January 1995 at Williamsburg Community Hospital and was buried at [[Arlington National Cemetery]].<ref name=Obit/>
==Decorations==
His decorations include [[Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army)|Distinguished Service Medal]], [[Silver Star]], [[Legion of Merit]] (2), [[Purple Heart]], [[Bronze Star]] and [[Air Medal]] (11).
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pepke, Donn R.}}
[[Category:United States Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War]]
[[Category:1916 births]]
[[Category:1995 deaths]]