Former CGSC Commandant Lt. Gen. John H. Cushman died Nov. 8 at 96 in a retirement facility in Washington, D.C. According to reports, his son, John H. Cushman Jr., said the cause was a stroke.
Cushman’s father was an Army brigadier general and he followed in his father’s footsteps, graduating from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
He first served in the Corps of Engineers and transferred to the infantry in 1951. He graduated CGSC in 1955 and then spent three years on the faculty – until 1958. He served three tours of duty in Vietnam, the first in 1963 as a member of the Army Concept Team in Vietnam (ACTIV), then later that year he became an advisor in Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) to the South Vietnamese 21st Infantry Division. After returning from Vietnam he attended the War College after which he served in leadership positions with the 101st Airborne Division, ultimately assuming command of the 2nd Brigade in 1967 and deploying them to Vietnam. As a brigadier general in 1970 he returned to Vietnam for a third tour, this time as an advisor again. Cushman earned several commendations for his actions during his tours in Vietnam, including the Bronze Star, Distinguished Flying Cross and the Silver Star (two awards).
Maj. Gen. Cushman commanded the 101st Airborne Division from 1972-73. In August 1973, he assumed command of the Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth, a job which also made him the commandant of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.
As commandant, Lt. Gen. Cushman oversaw the development for student use of “First Battle,” a two-sided wargame. Adapting it as “Korea First Battle,” with commanders from corps to regiment directing their own forces against attackers organized and thinking like their North Korean adversary, and with participation by USAF and ROK air forces, he exercised the defending commanders and their staffs in real time air/land wargames of their actual war plans, the first of their kind. These exercises gave commanders an experience of war without fighting, providing them lessons learned. At a time when political leaders were considering the removal of U.S. ground forces from Korea, these wargames showed how essential those forces were.
In 1976 Cushman was promoted to lieutenant general and assumed command of I Corps (ROK/US) Group, the Korean-American field-army-size formation defending the Western Sector of Korea’s DMZ.
Retiring from the Army in 1978, Lt. Gen. Cushman became a writer and consultant on command and control and the operations of theater forces. Among his many publications is Thoughts for Joint Commanders, self-published in 1994. After retirement he lived with his wife in Washington, D.C., who preceded him in death in 2015. He is survived by seven children, a brother, 19 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
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Francis Joseph Hale the third says
My father Francis Joseph Hale was a classmate of John Ross Cushman. I had met him on a number of occasions and he was the most cordial gentleman that I can remember. We had a parachute club at the University of North Carolina and Chapel Hill that I had started with two friends of mine. And 1981 General Cushman and his wife guests of my father Francis J Hale, Joe hail, invited him to Southport North Carolina. This was a Fourth of July ceremony and several friends of mine and I had arranged Parachute and as part of the celebration. The police had forgotten to clear an area on the shoreline in Southport, so I was left with an extremely small area to land my parachute. I managed to circle with my boots 10 feet over the heads of the spectators and drop into an area about 12 feet across, my parachute falling on some of the spectators. They were thoroughly entertained. But the greatest honor I ever received was that of Jurnl Cushman who made his way to me and shook my hand and said that was the best parachute jump he had ever seen. He and my father are sharing stories in heaven the righteous place for a man of character good cheer and humility.
Craig Adams says
I thank God for such men and I love the military history. My father served in the Army’s 7th division in Korea from 1950 through 53. Later this would inspire me to serve in Lebanon and Grenada 1981 through 1987.
Jerry Deon Owens says
I was serving in Vietnam in 1970 to 1972 and during an amnesty program being done in the Mekong Delta Bien Tuy town was off limits due to drugs. A band was brought in to play for the soldiers to calm them down at home base. I worked in graves registration and had to go to the village, but my captain said no to me. I saw Gen Cushman standing there amount all the lower officers, Lt, captions, Majors, etc. so I got the never to walk up to Gen Cushman and salute saying sir I request permission to speak with the General sir and may commanding officers started in on me yelling orders and General Cushman held his hand up and told them one minute. He put in arm around my shoulder and said let’s take a walk then what do you need to soldier? I told him my situation, and he told my Captain to write a note for me to go to the village for one hour and he did. I had an admiration and respect for that man my whole life and I am now 76 years old. I was 20 when this happened. Rip in peace sir, you’re a bright star in heaven and the best. What a wonderful kind man he was and I have thought about him my whole life. He was such a great man. Respectfully, Jerry D. Owens