Lieutenant Colonel Stanley Rogers Resor, A Soldier's Story
Lieutenant Colonel Stanley Rogers Resor, A Soldier's Story
Lieutenant Colonel Stanley Rogers Resor was born on December 5, 1917, in New York. He was educated at Groton School before graduating from Yale University in 1939. He initially entered Yale Law School, but his studies were interrupted by the outbreak of World War II and the United States’ deepening involvement in the conflict.
Resor left law school to join the U.S. Army and deployed to Europe, where he served in combat during World War II. He participated in some of the war’s most critical engagements, including the Battle of the Bulge and the Siege of Bastogne. These experiences shaped his understanding of military leadership and the human costs of war. Following the conflict, he returned to Yale and completed his law degree in 1946.
After the war, Lieutenant Colonel Resor built a distinguished civilian career in financial and international law. He became a partner at Debevoise & Plimpton, where he developed a reputation for legal rigor and public service-minded leadership.
In 1965, amid the escalation of the Vietnam War, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Resor as Secretary of the Army. In this role, he oversaw the Army during one of the most turbulent periods in its history. Notably, Resor initiated the internal investigation into the My Lai massacre, a decision that underscored his insistence on accountability and adherence to military law, even under intense political pressure.
Resor resigned as Secretary of the Army in 1971. He continued to serve the United States in senior diplomatic and defense roles, including as ambassador to the Mutual and Balanced Force Reduction talks in Vienna and as an undersecretary in the Department of Defense. He remained in government service until 1979, after which he returned to private legal practice.
In later years, Resor served as chairman of the Arms Control Association, where he became an outspoken advocate for arms reduction and a critic of NATO's expansion under President Bill Clinton’s administration, reflecting his long-standing concerns about global military escalation.
Lieutenant Colonel Stanley Rogers Resor died on April 17, 2012. He is laid to rest at Spring Grove Cemetery. His legacy spans frontline combat service, high-level civilian leadership, and a lifelong engagement with questions of military responsibility, law, and international security.
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