Abrams, Creighton W(illiams), Jr (1914-1974)

US soldier. One of the boldest junior armoured commanders of World War II, he heldd a distinguished military record. Abrams was appointed US commander in Vietnam in June 1968, presiding over the gradual disengagement and eventual withdrawal of US forces there.

The son of a railroad repairman, Abrams graduated in the bottom third of his class at West Point Military Academy in 1936. His tank unit played an important role in the relief of Bastogne, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. In 1962, during racial unrest when James Meredith became the first black to enter the University of Mississippi, Abrams served as chief of staff of the federal troops posted in Memphis, Tennessee.