Willard Warren "Scotty" Scott, Jr.
Lieutenant General, U.S. Army

Willard Warren Scott, Jr. was born on 18 February 1926 in Fort Monroe, VA, the son of an Army Coastal Artillery officer, Willard Warren and Bernice Peck Scott. He spent the early part of his life in San Francisco and, in fact, crossed the Golden Gate Bridge on the day it opened in 1937, leading a contingent of student crossing guards. He had 2 brothers, Richard and Peter Scott.

Scott graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1948. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant upon his graduation from West Point and assigned to the Field Artillery. His first command was as Battery Commander, 5th Field Artillery Battalion, 1st Division in Europe, 1949-52 (commanding the Dog battery first commanded by Alexander Hamilton in the battle of Long Island in 1776). During the Vietnam War, Colonel Scott was the Deputy Commander of the 2nd Field Force V Artillery, and Commander 23rd Artillery Group. Upon promotion to Brigadier General, he took over as Commanding General, MAC V Special Troops, 1970-72.

As a Major General, he was Commanding General, 25th Infantry Division, 1976-78; and as a Lieutenant General, was Commanding General, V Corps in Germany, 1980-81.

In 1981, Scott was selected to be the 52nd Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy. He served as Superintendent until his retirement from the Army in 1986.

In Retirement

After retiring from the Army, Scott served as Executive Director of the Association of Military Colleges from 1988-97.

Always active in the Catholic Church, Scott served as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, lector, and religious education teacher through his career and retirement. While at West Point, both as a cadet and superintendent, he attended mass daily.

Medals, Awards and Badges

Army Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Bronze Star Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Air Medal with Award Numeral 2
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
American Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
Army of Occupation Medal
National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star
Vietnam Service Medal with 4 Bronze Stars
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Vietnam Civil Actions Medal
Office of Secretary of Defense Identification Badge
Army Staff Identification Badge

Honors

Scott continued to be an ardent supporter of Army football and had the honor of having one of the mascot Army mules (General Scott or Scotty) named in his honor by a vote of the Association of Graduates.

Personal

Before graduating from the U.S. Military Academy, he met Justine Dorney of New Rochelle, NY. They were married in June 1948 and had 7 children.

Only one of General Scott's 26 grandchildren followed him into the U.S. Army. His grandson, Scott Aladar Rosenshein, son of Lawrence and Katie (née Scott) Rosenshein, was a member of the Class of 2009 at the U.S. Military Academy. Like his grandfather, he is a member of the Army Lacrosse team and wears #48 in honor of his grandfather (who was Class of 1948). In addition, two of General Scott's daughters, Mary and Susan, married West Pointers, Steven Starner and David Shanahan, respectively. Another daughter, Margaret, is an expert on Indonesia after having made several trips there a number of years ago.

Point of Irony

Willard W. Scott was a cadet at West Point at the same time as Winfield W. Scott, Jr. [Honoree Record ID 307207], with Willard being two years senior to Winfield. While they share W. W. Scott as their abbreviated name, the two are not related. But both attained the rank of Lieutenant General and both became service academy superintendents, with Willard being the Superintendent at West Point through several of the same years that Winfield was Superintendent at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Death and Burial

Lieutenant General Willard Warren Scott, Jr. died on 1 January 2009 at his home in Alexandria, VA, from a form of Parkinson's disease. He is buried at the U.S. Military Academy Post Cemetery in West Point, NY.