Southern Cross information
for XXIV CORPS
For date 700626
XXIV CORPS was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
Quang Tin Province, I Corps, South Vietnam
Location, Chu Lai
Description: The following is an edited version of an article titled "General Zais leaves I Corps" by SP4 William Hayes AMERICAL IO.
CHU LAI - During a brief ceremony at Division headquarters, Lieutenant General Melvin Zais, Commanding General of XXIV Corps, delivered a farewell address to the officers and men of the largest division within his command. After receiving thanks and best wishes from Major General A.E. Milloy, Commanding General of the Division, the departing XXIV Corps commander remarked on the characteristics of the soldiers of the Division. "I admire the appearance of the young soldiers who are standing out there, often not really understanding why, but doing what they are asked to," he said. General Zais, who began his Army career under the Thompson Act in 1937, was called to active duty in 1940. During WWII, he led the 3rd Battalion of the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment from cadre training to combat in Italy, southern France, Belgium and Germany, including one night combat parachute drop into northern France. In September, 1952 he was assigned to the U.S. Army Advisory Group, Turkey, where he trained a Turkish brigade as an infantry unit advisor. He accompanied that unit when it moved to the Korean conflict. After several staff assignments for the Joint Chiefs of Staff and USAEUR, General Zais was promoted to Brigadier General in June of 1964 and was appointed Director of Enlisted Personnel, office of Personnel Operations. He was assigned as the Deputy CG, First Field Force, Vietnam in February 1966. Later, he served as Deputy CG, 1st Infantry Division. Upon his return to CONUS in July of 1966, he served as the Director of Individual Training Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff of Personnel, Department of the Army. He was promoted to Major General in May, 1967, and commanded the 101st Airborne Division from July, 1968 to May, 1969, when the unit was undergoing conversion to the airmobile structure. He became qualified as an Army aviator, and in June of 1969 he became Lieutenant General and assumed command of XXIV Corps, Hue-Phu Bai. General Zais commanded XXIV Corps when it moved from Phu Bai to Danang during March, 1970 to relieve the III Marine Amphibious Force as the organization in charge of all American forces operating in I Corps tactical zone. General Zais' next assignment is as Director of Operations, J-3, Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Comments: LTC Zais, Melvin; XXIV CORPS CG; ;
The source for this information was 7006_323_scr supplied by Les Hines 12/19/2000
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Last updated
12/24/2000
Date posted on this site:
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