Silver Medal - 2020 Military Writers Society of America Books
Awards
Although he missed combat in World War II and Korea, Donn Starry became
one of the most influential commanders of the Vietnam War, and after
Vietnam was one of the "intellectual giants" who reshaped the US Army
and its doctrines. Throughout his career he worked to improve training,
leadership and conditions for the men who served under him.
Starry was a leading advocate for tank warfare in Vietnam and his
recommendations helped shape the contours for American armor in
Southeast Asia--and paved the way for his success as commander of 11th
Armored Cavalry during the invasion of Cambodia.
When commander of Fort Knox and the Armor Center and School in the
1970s, Starry redeveloped armor tactics and doctrine and improved
training. In his 16 months as commander of V Corps, he thoroughly tested
the doctrine of "Active Defense," then used his observations to create a
new doctrine "AirLand Battle," which paved the way for overwhelming
victory in the Gulf War. Like most battlefield commanders from the
Vietnam era, Starry's legacy is often overshadowed by the controversy of
the war itself and the turmoil of the immediate postwar Army. However,
with the invasion of Cambodia and the development of AirLand Battle, it
is hard to imagine anyone who has had a greater impact on modern
maneuver warfare.
In this new biography of General Donn Starry, armor officer Mike Guardia
examines the life and work of this pioneering, crusading officer using
extracts from interviews with veterans and family, and from Starry's
personal papers.
