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373:. Koster took part in four campaigns, and advanced through the positions of platoon leader, company commander, regimental staff officer, battalion executive officer, battalion commander, and regimental executive officer. During the war he also completed his Infantry Officer Advanced Course and graduated from the
31:
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slaughtered hundreds of civilians in a South
Vietnamese hamlet known as My Lai (referred to as "Pinkville" by the troops). While no official count was made, soldiers and investigators later estimated that 350 to 500 women, children and old men were killed with grenades, rifles, bayonets, and machine
546:
Koster was not on the ground at My Lai, but he did fly over the village in a helicopter while the soldiers moved in, and afterward. He later testified that he believed only about 20 civilians had died, although he also said that he was told about "wild shooting" and about a confrontation between
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at West Point at the time, was due to be promoted to the rank of lieutenant general (three stars), but his involvement in the My Lai cover up caused him to be denied this promotion, and further inquiries led the way to his demotion. He was subsequently censured in writing, stripped of a
551:) who tried to stop the killing of civilians. Koster later ordered subordinates to file reports on the incident, but they were incomplete, and one was even lost. To make matters worse, these reports were never sent to headquarters, as military protocol required, until an
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Early in 1970, Koster and 13 other officers were charged with trying to cover up the massacre. Charges were dropped, however, after the Army determined that he "did not show any intentional abrogation of responsibilities". Koster, who was the
Superintendent of the
652:
In 1943, Koster married Cherie
Kadgihn (1922β2018), who was originally from Iowa City, Iowa. They were the parents of five childrenβsons Samuel Jr., Robert, and Jack, all of whom became army officers, and daughters Susanne Henley-Ross and Nancy Sroka.
619:
After his retirement, Koster worked for 12 years as an executive vice president for the power transmission division of
Koppers and Hanson Industries in Baltimore. In this role, Koster was responsible for the oversight of electricity plants in the
486:
in 1964, serving as deputy assistant G-3 and assistant G-3. In April 1966, he was assigned as director of the Plans and
Programs Division in the Office of the Army's Assistant Chief of Staff for Force Development.
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456:, where he served as deputy secretary and then secretary of the staff. In 1959 he returned to the United States and began attendance at the
401:, including assignments as a battalion commander and division staff officer. He then served in the Intelligence staff section (G-2) at the
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triggered a secret high-level investigation by sending a three-page letter detailing the evidence he had uncovered about the massacre to
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445:. He was subsequently posted to the Office of the U.S. Army G-3, where he served for three years in the Operations Directorate.
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Koster returned to Asia, serving with both
Operations and Training (G-3) and G-2 staff sections of the Far East Command and the
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Koster circa 1970. His uniform includes the ribbon for the Army
Distinguished Service Medal, which was subsequently rescinded.
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After completing his
Infantry Officer Basic Course, Koster was assigned to the 413th Infantry Regiment, a unit of the
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Hearings Before a
Subcommittee, Department of Defense Appropriations for 1968, Part 5: Operations and Maintenance
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479:'s Command and Staff Department, followed by assignment as chief of staff of the Infantry Center and School.
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were ever discovered in the village and no shots were fired in opposition. To many
Americans at home, the
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guns; some were burned to death in their huts. Corpses were piled in ditches that became mass graves. No
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409:. After returning to the United States in 1949, he was assigned as a tactical officer at West Point.
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Plans and Programs Division, Office of the U.S. Army Assistant Chief of Staff for Force Development
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on December 29, 1919, and graduated from West Liberty High School in 1937. He graduated from the
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marked the moral nadir of the war in Southeast Asia and became a pivotal event in the conflict.
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Samuel W. Koster v. The United States: A Forgotten Legal Episode from the Massacre My Lai
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for failing to conduct an adequate investigation. Koster's appeal was turned down.
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801:. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 309β310 – via
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United States House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations (1967).
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and retiring as a result of his efforts to minimize the details of the
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737:. Vol. II (H-P). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. pp. 608β609.
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Following his demotion, Koster was reassigned as deputy commander of
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865:"Read the Letter That Changed the Way Americans Saw the Vietnam War"
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289:(December 29, 1919 β January 23, 2006) was a career officer in the
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In retirement Koster continued to reside in Maryland. He died in
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United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni
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School for Soldiers: West Point and the Profession of Arms
712:"Gen. S.W. Koster, 86, Who Was Demoted After My Lai, Dies"
547:
ground troops and a helicopter pilot (later identified as
502:. The task force was later reorganized as the reactivated
1576:
Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)
982:. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University. pp. 270β271.
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Barranco Severna Park Funeral Home & Cremation Care
280:
Executive vice president, Koppers and Hanson Industries
910:. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 166.
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Superintendents of the United States Military Academy
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United States Army personnel who were court-martialed
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Superintendents of the United States Military Academy
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Superintendents of the United States Military Academy
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The Undying Flame: Ballads and Songs of the Holocaust
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Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939β1945 (France)
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Koster was assigned to Eighth United States Army in
375:
United States Army Command and General Staff College
303:
Superintendent of the United States Military Academy
661:Koster is mentioned by name in the first stanza of
1522:
665:Vietnam protest song "Last Train to Nuremberg".
361:. After completing organization and training at
1556:United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War
425:. He was then assigned to direct Eighth Army's
1616:Deaths from kidney cancer in the United States
1551:United States Army personnel of the Korean War
369:, the 413th served in Europe until the end of
158:Superintendent, United States Military Academy
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677:? Do I see Gen'ral Koster and all his crew?"
1546:United States Army personnel of World War II
526:of Americal Division troops led by Captain
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463:In the early 1960s Koster was assigned to
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450:Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
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321:before receiving a reduction in rank to
961:. Bowie, MD. March 6, 2019 – via
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795:"Biographical Sketch, Samuel W. Koster"
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935:"Obituary, Gen. Samuel William Koster"
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640:on January 23, 2006. He is buried at
1596:United States Military Academy alumni
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941:. Severna Park, MD. January 23, 2006.
904:Ellis, Joseph; Moore, Robert (1976).
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448:In July, 1956 Koster was assigned to
385:After the war Koster served with the
317:, Koster was slated for promotion to
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490:By 1967 he had attained the rank of
475:. He then served as director of the
380:
850:The Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War
734:The Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War
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460:, from which he graduated in 1960.
441:After the war Koster completed the
13:
1631:People from Muscatine County, Iowa
710:Stout, David (February 11, 2006).
509:
436:
352:
345:in 1942 and was commissioned as a
177:United States Army Infantry School
14:
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1606:Joint Forces Staff College alumni
1586:Recipients of the Legion of Merit
518:Gen. Samuel W. Koster, circa 1968
504:23rd Infantry (Americal) Division
1626:American people of Dutch descent
863:Rothman, Lily (March 16, 2015).
215:Army Distinguished Service Medal
129:
119:
94:
1641:20th-century American academics
969:
258:
1621:Burials at West Point Cemetery
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644:, Sec. 18, Row G, Grave 084B.
577:United States Military Academy
343:United States Military Academy
175:Command and Staff Department,
1:
1581:Recipients of the Silver Star
681:
591:
412:
332:
1636:Military personnel from Iowa
7:
1611:National War College alumni
1541:United States Army generals
731:Tucker, Spencer C. (2011).
582:Distinguished Service Medal
494:, and at the height of the
10:
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477:Infantry Center and School
443:Armed Forces Staff College
293:. He attained the rank of
186:29th Infantry Battle Group
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976:Silverman, Jerry (2002).
953:"Obituary, Cherie Koster"
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423:Eighth United States Army
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146:U.S. Army Infantry Branch
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894:, November 2015, pp. 1-5
498:was assigned to command
82:United States of America
602:Aberdeen Proving Ground
359:104th Infantry Division
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522:On March 16, 1968, a
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287:Samuel William Koster
108:Years of service
23:Samuel William Koster
473:1st Infantry Brigade
458:National War College
391:2d Armored Divisions
182:1st Infantry Brigade
137:(rank at retirement)
1028:William A. Knowlton
853:, pp. 608β609.
657:Cultural references
642:West Point Cemetery
429:operations against
337:Koster was born in
127:(highest rank held)
71:Annapolis, Maryland
717:The New York Times
520:
339:West Liberty, Iowa
319:lieutenant general
291:United States Army
102:United States Army
54:West Liberty, Iowa
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1034:
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1025:Succeeded by
1011:Donald V. Bennett
1003:Military offices
989:978-0-8156-0708-3
917:978-0-19-502022-9
744:978-1-85109-960-3
671:Lieutenant Calley
610:Bronze Star Medal
586:brigadier general
567:, and members of
500:Task Force Oregon
427:guerrilla warfare
381:Post-World War II
347:second lieutenant
323:brigadier general
299:Americal Division
284:
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230:Bronze Star Medal
217:(later rescinded)
168:Task Force Oregon
163:Americal Division
135:Brigadier general
51:December 29, 1919
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873:. New York, NY:
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720:. New York, NY.
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614:Legion of Merit
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584:and demoted to
571:in March 1969.
530:and Lieutenant
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510:My Lai Massacre
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437:Post-Korean War
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353:Start of career
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305:. A veteran of
277:Other work
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