Years of service 1957–1985 Name Bernhard Mittemeyer | Rank Lieutenant general | |
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Born October 30, 1930 (age 93)
Paramaribo, Surinam (The Netherlands) ( 1930-10-30 ) Allegiance United States of America Commands held Surgeon General of the United States Army Awards Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Distinguished Flying Cross
Bronze Star with V Device (with Oak Leaf Cluster)
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal
Army Commendation Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Combat Medical Badge
Senior Parachutist Badge
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Vietnam Service Medal with Three Campaign Stars
Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star (Vietnamese)
Civil Actions Honor Medal, First Class (Vietnamese)
Medical Meritorious Award, First Class (Vietnamese) | ||
Battles/wars Cold War
Vietnam War Service/branch United States Army Battles and wars Cold War, Vietnam War | ||
Bernhard Theodore Mittemeyer (born October 30, 1930) is a retired lieutenant general, who served as Surgeon General of the United States Army between 1981 and 1985.
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Early life, education, and career
At age 14, Mittemeyer emigrated to the United States during World War II.
While attending college at Moravian College and medical school at Temple University School of Medicine, he was deferred from the draft. However, after graduation, he was drafted into the Army in 1957. Following initial accession training, he volunteered for the airborne forces since the 101st and 82nd had liberated his home country of the Netherlands during the war. He was assigned to the 101st. After six months, he became the division surgeon for General Westmoreland.
Soon thereafter, however, Mittemeyer announced his resignation to Gen. Westmoreland. When Gen. Westmorland inquired why he was leaving, Mittemeyer pointed out that he was not in the regular army since he was not a citizen. Westmoreland arranged his citizenship so that he could become part of the regular army. Mittemeyer then accepted an Army urological residency. In 1968, he deployed to Vietnam.
During his tenure as Surgeon General of the Army and working in Military District of Washington (MDW), he instituted Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT), later adopted by MDW-wide and now simply called Physical Fitness Test (PFT), a set of fitness tests including push-ups, sit-ups, and a timed two-mile run that now applies to all 85,000 military employees of MDW.
After serving as Surgeon General of the Army, he retired on February 28, 1985, and is now the chief of urological surgery at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.