Leon E. Salomon

Leon E. Salomon
Leon E. Salomon
	General Leon E. Salomon
Born	April 27, 1936; Chicago, Illinois
Died	July 14, 2023 (aged 87)
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	United States Army
Years of service	1958–1996
Rank	General
Commands	United States Army Materiel Command; United States Army Combined Arms Support Command; Chief of Ordnance; 21st Support Command; 19th Maintenance Battalion
Battles / wars	Vietnam War
Awards	Army Distinguished Service Medal (2); Legion of Merit; Bronze Star Medal; Air Medal (3)
Other work	Board of directors, GRC International; Vice president, Rubbermaid; Board of directors, ATC Materials, Inc.

General Leon Edward Salomon^[1] (April 27, 1936 – July 14, 2023) was a United States Army general who served as Chief of Ordnance of the United States Army from 1986 to 1988.

Early life and education

Salomon was born in Chicago, Illinois, on 27 April 1936 and was drafted into the Army on 18 June 1958. On completion of Infantry Officer Candidate School, he was commissioned a second lieutenant on 24 June 1959. Salomon has Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and biology from the University of Florida in 1958^[1] and a Master of Science degree in logistics management from the United States Air Force Institute of Technology in 1971. His military education includes the Chemical Officer Advanced Course, the United States Army Command and General Staff College, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

Military career

Following three years as an infantry officer, Salomon transferred to the Chemical Corps in 1962. Following assignments as a Chemical School instructor and responsibility for an inventory control point in Orléans, France, he became involved in his first assignment with leveraging technology as Chief of the Automated Logistics Tests for the Division Logistics Systems at Fort Hood, Texas. After graduation from the Command and General Staff College (1969), a tour in Vietnam (1969–70), and graduate studies in logistics management at the Air Force Institute of Technology, he was again put to work developing automation systems to support logistics.

In 1974, Salomon transferred to the Ordnance Corps and became Commander of the 19th Maintenance Battalion, 3rd Support Command, in Giessen, Germany. He later became Assistant Chief of Staff for Logistics for the 3d Armored Division, in Frankfurt.

Following graduation from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1978, Salomon was assigned to the Office of the Army Chief of Staff as the Chief of the Commercial Industrial Type Activity Team. In 1980, he became the Director of Combat Services Support Systems. He became involved in the drafting of the new proponency regulation that resulted in the recreation of the branch chief concept for Combat Service Support Branches. The end result was the re-establishment of the position of Chief of Ordnance and the rebirth of the Ordnance Corps under the Army Regimental Concept.

Salomon next went on to command the Division Support Command for the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas. Following his tour there, he became the Deputy Commanding General, 21st Support Command, United States Army Europe and Seventh Army in Kaiserslautern, Germany.

Following his promotion to brigadier general in 1986, Salomon was named the 23rd Chief of Ordnance and Commandant of the United States Army Ordnance Center and School at Aberdeen Proving Ground. During his two-year tenure, he worked to improve the training, doctrine and evaluation programs at the Ordnance School. He encouraged faculty and staff to take a teacher-mentor-counselor approach in the training process, to stress proficiency at all levels, and to place more emphasis on "hands-on" activity in the training process. He stressed improvements in competence for all officers, warrant officers and enlisted personnel, and improved the quality and extent of career development guidance.^[2]

Salomon's next key assignments included Deputy Chief of Staff, United States Army Materiel Command (1988–89), Deputy Commanding General for Logistics U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, Fort Monroe, Virginia, Deputy Commanding General for Combined Arms Support, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command and Commanding General, United States Army Combined Arms Support Command and Fort Lee, Fort Lee, Virginia, and Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Department of the Army. His career culminated as Commanding General, United States Army Materiel Command, from 11 February 1994 to 27 March 1996. He died on July 14, 2023, at the age of 87.^[3]

Awards and decorations

	Expert Infantryman Badge
	Basic Army Aviation Badge
	Army Staff Identification Badge
	Army Ordnance Corps Distinctive Unit Insignia
	? Overseas Service Bars

	Army Distinguished Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
	Legion of Merit
	Bronze Star Medal
	Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
	Air Medal with bronze award numeral 3
	Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
	Army Meritorious Unit Commendation
	Army Good Conduct Medal
	National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
	Vietnam Service Medal with four service stars
	Army Service Ribbon
	Army Overseas Service Ribbon with award numeral 3
	Vietnam Hazardous Service Medal
	Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal, 1st class
	Badge of Honour of the Bundeswehr in gold (Germany)
	Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
	Vietnam Campaign Medal

Salomon is the 1ST recipient of the United States Army Ordnance Order of Samuel Sharpe.^[4] Salomon retired from the army in 1996.

Later life

Since retiring, Salomon was elected to the GRC International Board of Directors.^[5] He also worked as a logistics consultant and is affiliated with Gary A. Dunbar, Inc.^[6] From 1996 to 1998, he was vice president for procurement and logistics for Rubbermaid and senior vice president for procurement at Rubbermaid from 1998 to 1999. He was on the board of directors for Global Security Management,^[7] ATC Materials, Inc. and Eagle Systems and Services, Inc,^[8] a wholly owned subsidiary of The Columbia Group.^[9]

Salomon lived in Gulfport, Florida, with his wife Shirley, two sons Greg and Jeff Salomon, and daughter Kristen Salomon.

Reprimand and Exoneration

In 2019, Salomon received a formal letter of reprimand from the Army that was later found to be unsubstantiated and removed from his file with complete exoneration for a charge of alleged indecent assault, in which he allegedly groped the spouse of the late BG William R. Holmes, GEN Salomon's direct subordinate. GEN Salomon, at the same cocktail party then allegedly further sought out a stranger, Ms. Vance's identical twin sister, Grace R. Vance, introduced himself and then allegedly made indecent sexual comments about her and her sister. This allegedly occurred at a pre-AUSA annual convention social at the General’s home at Ft Belvoir, VA October 1994. The Army determined that they would not seek any further disciplinary action.

On February 10, 2024, three members of an Army board charged with correcting military records unanimously approved the request to remove the reprimand in part because "there was insufficient probable cause that supported the allegations."^[10]

Notes

^ ^a ^b U.S. Army Register: Active and Retired List. Vol. I. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1 January 1962. p. 475. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
^ Sterling, Keir (1992). Serving the Line with Excellence 1775–1992. U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command Historical Studies. pp. 74–75.
^ "Obituary of General Leon E Salomon | David C. Gross Funeral Homes & Cremation Centers - St. Petersburg". davidcgross.com. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
^ http://usaoca.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Samuel-Sharpe-Recipients_2018-MARCH.pdf Archived 2018-03-24 at the Wayback Machine ^{[bare URL PDF]}
^ "Gen. Leon E. Salomon U.S. Army, Ret., Elected To GRC International Board of Directors". Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
^ General Leon Salomon, Logistics Consultant – Affiliate of Gary A. Dunbar, Inc.
^ "Global Security Management Global Security Management bio". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2007-07-03.
^ "Board of Advisors | Eagle Systems and Services, Inc". Archived from the original on 16 January 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
^ "Home". esascorp.com.
^ Brook, Tom Vanden (17 February 2024). "Army exonerates deceased four-star general in decades-old groping case". USA Today.

References

This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Army

Military offices
Preceded by William Estel Potts	Chief of Ordnance of the United States Army 1986–1988	Succeeded by James W. Ball

[register-1] U.S. Army Register: Active and Retired List. Vol. I. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1 January 1962. p. 475. Retrieved 12 September 2021.

[2] Sterling, Keir (1992). Serving the Line with Excellence 1775–1992. U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command Historical Studies. pp. 74–75.

[3] "Obituary of General Leon E Salomon | David C. Gross Funeral Homes & Cremation Centers - St. Petersburg". davidcgross.com. Retrieved 2024-02-19.

[4] ttp://usaoca.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Samuel-Sharpe-Recipients_2018-MARCH.pdf Archived 2018-03-24 at the Wayback Machine ^{[bare URL PDF]}

[5] "Gen. Leon E. Salomon U.S. Army, Ret., Elected To GRC International Board of Directors". Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2020-02-26.

[6] General Leon Salomon, Logistics Consultant – Affiliate of Gary A. Dunbar, Inc.

[7] "Global Security Management Global Security Management bio". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2007-07-03.

[8] "Board of Advisors | Eagle Systems and Services, Inc". Archived from the original on 16 January 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2011.

[9] "Home". esascorp.com.

[10] Brook, Tom Vanden (17 February 2024). "Army exonerates deceased four-star general in decades-old groping case". USA Today.

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