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LTC (Ret) Lee B. Wilson
Lee B. Wilson graduated from Killeen High School in 1954. He entered Arlington State College in the fall of 1955 and became a member of the Sam Houston Rifles (SHR). He completed one semester before signing a professional baseball contract with the Baltimore Orioles in February 1956. He was assigned to Thompson, GA, of the Georgia Florida League and attended spring training at Thomasville, GA. After six weeks of grueling competition with ball players from all over the U.S., he was preparing to leave for Thompson, GA, to start the long season when the team was informed that the league had folded. He re-entered Arlington State College in 1958, tried out for the Sam Houston Rifles again in 1958, and again made the team. He served as a Rifleman, Squad Leader, First Sergeant, and Team Executive Officer of the SHR. In the Cadet Corps he advanced from Rifleman to Deputy Corps Commander. He was President of the Cadet Officers Club for two years and graduated in February 1962 with a BBA degree and as a Distinguished Military Graduate. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Infantry in the Regular Army.
Lee began his military career in Infantry Officers Basic course and Jump School at Fort Benning, Ga. He was subsequently assigned to the 82d Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC., where he served as a Platoon Leader in Troop “A” 17th Cavalry and in other positions in the 82d ABN before being transferred to the 10th Special Forces Group in Bad Toelz, Germany. He served as the Executive Officer of Detachment A-3 of “A” Company, 10th SFGA for four months, before assuming command of the detachment for the next 18 months. In 1966 he volunteered for combat duty in the Republic of Vietnam and served three tours with the 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam. Following his tours of duty in the RVN he attended the Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, KS. Upon graduation from CGSC he was reassigned to the Infantry School in Fort Benning, GA, where he served as a Platoon Tactics Instructor Supervisor in the Company Operations Department and then as Operations Officer of The School Brigade at Fort Benning. He was assigned to the Recruiting Command in 1975 as the Commander of the Armed Forces Entrance and Examination Station, St. Louis, MO. From the Recruiting Command he was assigned to Eighth Army Hqs in Seoul, Korea, where he served as the Executive Officer to the J-3 and J-5. He then returned to Fort Benning as a Weapons Instructor Team Chief with the Infantry School and as Division Chief of the System Development Division, Combat Development Directorate of the Infantry School. He retired from the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1984.
LTC Wilson’s awards and decorations include the Silver Star Medal, Bronze Star Medal with V device (2 OLC), Purple Heart (2 OLC), Meritorious Service Medal (2 OLC), Air Medal (2 OLC), Army Commendation Medal (1 OLC), Vietnamese Honor Medal with Gold Star, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Presidential Unit Citation, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Vietnam Service Medal with 1 Silver Service Star and 2 Bronze Service Stars, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Expert Infantryman’s Badge, Combat Infantryman Badge, Master Parachutist Badge with two Gold Stars signifying two combat parachute jumps, Special Forces Tab, and Ranger Tab. He is authorized to wear the Master Jump Wings of the countries of Germany and South Vietnam.
Lee is married to the former Suzanne Donaldson and they reside in Killeen, TX. They have two children: son Michael Lee, a CW-4 (Ret) Army Aviator, Deputy Safety Director for Forces Command in Fort McPherson, G; and daughter, LTC Deborah Ann Wilson, recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq and is currently Professor of Military Science at the University of Rhode Island. Lee and Suzanne have one granddaughter, Amanda Nichole Wilson.