Born on October 11, 1928
Roscoe Robinson Jr., the first African American 4-star Army General, rose from humble beginnings in St. Louis to graduate from the prestigious West Point Military Academy in 1951. He led units in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, earning a Bronze Star, two Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit and the Distinguished Flying Cross. With a University of Pittsburgh master’s degree and a reputation for executing his tours of duty with gravitas, he ascended the elite officer ranks. He transformed the perception of Black leaders in the Army and in 1976 he commanded the legendary 82nd Airborne. In 1982 Roscoe Robinson Jr. was named 4-star General and represented the US on the military committee of NATO.
