Stan Roger Sheridan

West Point, 1951

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Jose Andres "Andy" Chacon on November 14, 2004:

Stan Roger Sheridan Born March 3, 1928 - Died November 25, 2001 Stan Roger Sheridan, born and raised in Holly-wood, CA graduated from Hollywood High School in January 1946, received a competitive appointment from California?s 15th District to the US Naval Academy at Annapolis; but he failed the Navy's eye test, probably the best test he ever failed. This was followed by an easier eye test and an appointment to West Point's Class of 1951. During plebe year, he won his numerals in Cross Country, and served as a Cadet Lieutenant his first class year. Graduation and commissioning in Armor began his lifelong love affair with Cavalry and Armor, starting with early assignments in the US and Germany in both tank and cavalry units. While serving in the 1st Battalion, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Bayreuth, Germany he met and married, in 1954, a War Department School teacher, the former Ruth Ann Perrill of Washington, OH, the best decision he says he ever made. Return to the US started a succession of troop, staff, and school assignments, along with the birth of two sons - Stan, III (Chip) and Jeffrey. Those assignments included tank testing at Aberdeen Proving Ground; grad school at USC and receipt of a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering; a utilization tour at the Army Ballistic Missile Agency working for Dr. Werner von Braun on EXPLORER, JUNO, SATURN I, and MERCURY with the first seven astronauts in the early days of the US space program; XO and CO of 2nd Battalion, 81st Armor at Ft. Hood, TX; a R&D tour in the Pentagon where he won the coveted 1967 Pace Award as the Army Staff's outstanding staff officer for the year; two combat tours in Vietnam (1962-63) as an advisor in Technical Intelligence and Explosive Ordnance Demolition; 1968-69: CO of the 1st Battalion, 69th Armor attached to the 173rd Airborne Brigade and DCO of the 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division); graduation from Armor Basic-1951 and Advanced-1956, C&GSC-1964 and ICAF-1970; the shortest JCS tour (7 mos); successively as the Army's Program Manager (PM) for the M60 Tank Family, CO of the 2nd Armored Division's Support Command, and the first PM for the Infantry/Cavalry (Bradley) Fighting Vehicle System; back to back assignments in the Army Material Command HQS as the Director, Battlefield Systems Integration and Director, Development and Engineering; and finally on the Army Staff as both the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Research Development and Acquisition. Stan retired in 1983 as a Major General after 32+ years with more than 30 moves and a menagerie of pets. During his Army career Stan received the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit with two OLC, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star with V, the Air Medal with 11 OLC, the Army Commendation Medal with OLC, the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantry Badge, the Vietnamese Combat Armor Badge, and the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm, Gold, and Silver Stars. Stan's Army life would not be complete without mentioning his wife Ruth ;and her enormous contribution to his career success; but more important, her selfless dedication to the betterment of the lives of our soldiers and their families for over 29 years. In recognition of her many achievements and contributions on behalf of the Army, and among many other awards, she was named The Army Wife of the Year in 1972. Stan's retirement years were spent as an international defense consultant, President of a British defense company in the US; advisor to the Presidents of two major US defense companies on combat vehicle and armaments R&D, production, and sales in the US and overseas; and membership on the NATO Industrial Advisory Group for Combat Vehicles. His love affair with Cavalry and Armor continued to this day, not only as a recognized author in the field of combat vehicles, but with participation as a Director of the US Cavalry Association; a Director of the US Army Armor Association; the President of the Board of Trustees of the Patton Museum Cavalry-Armor Foundation; the Honorary Colonel of the 69th Armor Regiment; and as a member of the 69th Armor Regiment Association, the US Constabulary Association, and the US 2nd Cavalry Association. In 1998 he was honored by receipt of the US Army Armor Association's highest award - the Gold Medallion of the Order of Saint George -- for lifetime achievement in service to Armor. In 1989, the Sheridans made Naples, Florida their permanent home and hopefully have made that last move into the house they built in 1992. Naples has greatly improved Stan's tennis game and Ruth is still deeply involved in community volunteer work. They are blessed in having their two sons and their families (4 wonderful grand daughters) also in Florida, as well as Stan's mother nearby in Naples. According to both Stan and Ruth, their 47 years of marriage and the 50 years since Stan's graduation have been both grand and quick, in which they would not change but a day or two of it. Stan died on November 25, 2001. Cut and Paste http://www.west-oint.org/publications/PattonMuseum.html to visit the Stan Sheridan Memorial Site.

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