Robert Charles Kingston
General, U.S. Army

Robert Charles Kingston was born on 16 July 1928 in Brookline, MA. He graduated from Brookline High School in 1947. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in November 1948. The following year he attended Officer Candidate School at Fort Riley, KS, and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Infantry on 20 December 1949.

As a Second Lieutenant, he commanded Task Force Kingston in the early phase of the Korean War, driving his unit all the way to the Yalu River. He was awarded 2 Silver Star Medals during that drive. After the Korean War, he was a Ranger instructor and commanded troops at each level from platoon to brigade.

During the period 22-24 November 1966, then-Lieutenant Colonel Kingston was commanding elements of the 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division on a search and destroy mission. When 2 of his companies made contact with the forward positions of a Viet Cong battalion, LTC Kingston landed by helicopter and assumed control of ground operations. In the evening of 22 November, when the lead company was pinned down by intense automatic weapons fire, LTC Kingston charged a wounded Viet Cong and took his weapon from him. While firing the captured weapon, he then led an assault on the hostile positions and forced the insurgents to flee. Throughout the 3-day period, LTC Kingston repeatedly exposed himself to hostile fire in order to encourage his troops and direct air strikes and artillery against the Viet Cong emplacements. His leadership and personal courage inspired his men to fight with renewed vigor and defeat the numerically-superior hostile force. LTC Kingston's extraordinary heroism earned him the U.S. Army's second highest award for valor, the Distinguished Service Cross.

In 1966, as Colonel in Command of the 3rd Special Forces, he performed classified missions across the Vietnamese borders during the Vietnam War.

In 1970 he was assigned as the Deputy Secretary of the General Staff, Office of the Chief of Staff, U.S. Army. In June 1972, Kingston returned to Vietnam where he was promoted to Brigadier General in December and served as Deputy Commanding General, Second Regional Assistance Command and as Deputy Senior Advisor, II Corps and Military Region 2.

In January 1973, General Kingston assumed command of the Joint Casualty Resolution Center in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. Upon his return to the U.S. in 1974, he assumed duties as Assistant Division Commander of the First Infantry Division and was promoted to Major General in September 1975. He assumed command of the U. S. Army John F. Kennedy Center for Military Assistance and the U.S. Army Institute for Military Assistance at Fort Bragg, NC, in 1975. Leaving Fort Bragg, Kingston assumed command of the Army's 2nd Infantry Division in Tongduchon, Korea and served as Commanding General from June 1979 - June 1981. Following his promotion to Lieutenant General in 1981 he assumed command of the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force at MacDill Air Force Base, FL.

On 6 November 1984 he was promoted to four-star General and he retired from active duty in 1985.

Medals, Awards, Badges & Tabs

Distinguished Service Cross
Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Army Distinguished Service Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Silver Star Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Legion of Merit with 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Distinguished Flying Cross
Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device and Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Air Medal with Award Numeral 36
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Army Good Conduct Medal
Army of Occupation Medal
National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Service Star
Korean Service Medal with Silver and 4 Bronze Service Stars
Vietnam Service Medal with Silver and 2 Bronze Service Stars
Korean Defense Service Medal
Army Service Ribbon
Army Overseas Service Ribbon with Award Numeral 2
National Order of Vietnam, 4th & 5th Classes
Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with 6 Palms
United Nations Service Medal
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Presidential Unit Citation with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Army Valorous Unit Award
Army Meritorious Unit Commendation
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation Medal
Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation Medal
Vietnam Civil Actions Medal
Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal
Combat Infantryman Badge with 1 Star (2nd Award)
Master Parachutist Badge
Special Forces Tab

Distinguished Service Cross Citation

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Lieutenant Colonel (Infantry) Robert Charles Kingston (ASN: 0-71534), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Headquarters, 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry, 3d Brigade, 25th Infantry Division. Lieutenant Colonel Kingston distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions during the period 22 November 1966 to 24 November 1966 while commanding elements of the 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry Division on a search and destroy mission. When two of his companies made contact with the forward positions of a Viet Cong battalion, Colonel Kingston landed by helicopter and assumed control of ground operations. In the evening of 22 November 1966 when the lead company was pinned down by intense automatic weapons fire, Colonel Kingston, with complete disregard for his safety, charged a wounded Viet Cong and wrestled a weapon from him. While firing the captured weapon, he then led an assault on the hostile positions and forced the insurgents to flee. Throughout the three day period, Colonel Kingston repeatedly exposed himself to hostile fire, to encourage his troops and direct air strikes and artillery against the Viet Cong emplacements. His aggressive leadership and personal courage inspired his men to fight with renewed vigor and defeat the numerically superior hostile force. Colonel Kingston's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

General Orders: Headquarters, U.S. Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 7024 (December 25, 1966)

Honors

• Inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame
• Inducted into the Command and General Staff College Hall of Fame

Death and Burial

General Robert Charles Kingston died on 28 February 2007, at age 78, due to complications from a fall. He was preceded in death by his wife, Josephine R. Kingston, on 11 July 1992.

They are buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, in Section 7-A, Site 63.