Inventory of the Arthur L. West papers
Finding aid prepared by Alex Park
Hoover Institution Library and Archives
© 2016
434 Galvez Mall
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6003
hoover-library-archives@stanford.edu
Title: Arthur L. West papers
Date (bulk): 1964-1972
Collection Number: 84023
Contributing Institution: Hoover Institution Library and Archives
Language of Material: In English and Vietnamese
Physical Description:
8 manuscript boxes, 1 motion picture film reel
(3.3 Linear Feet)
Abstract: Reports, manuals, orders, correspondence, memoranda, printed matter, and photographs relating to American military operations,
especially in Vietnam, and to United States Army development of combat systems and tactics, especially the use of armor.
Creator:
West, Arthur L.
Physical Location: Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Access
The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual
or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.
Use
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Acquisition Information
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library & Archives in 1984.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Arthur L. West papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Biographical Note
| 1919 January 6 |
Born, Phoenix, Arizona |
| 1937 March 6 |
Married Trois Argel Meyer |
| 1940 |
Received B.S. in economics and business administration, Oklahoma A&M College |
| 1940 August 15 |
Commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant, U.S. Army |
| 1942 February 1 |
Promoted to 1st Lieutenant |
| 1942 October 5 |
Promoted to Captain |
| 1943 May 26 |
Promoted to Major |
| 1943-1944 |
Battalion Commander, 10th Armored Infantry Battalion, 4th Armored Division |
| 1944 September 9 |
Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel |
| 1950-1953 |
Officer, G-3, Plans Division, Department of the Army |
| 1953 |
Officer, G-3, X Corps |
| 1953-1954 |
Officer, G-3, Training Division, Eighth Army |
| 1955 |
Graduated, Armed Forces Staff College |
| 1955 March 31 |
Promoted to Colonel |
| 1955-1957 |
Department Director, Command and Staff Department of U.S. Army Armor School |
| 1958 |
Graduated, The National War College |
| 1958-1960 |
Staff Member, Office of Chief of Staff of Military Operations |
| 1960-1962 |
Strategic Planner, Joint Chiefs of Staff |
| 1962-1963 |
Commander, Combat Command A, 3rd Armored Division |
| 1963 July 17 |
Promoted to Brigadier General |
| 1963-1964 |
Assistant Division Commander, 3rd Armored Division |
| 1964-1966 |
Director, Organization, Unit Training, and Readiness Directorate |
| 1966 |
Promoted to Major General |
| 1966-1967 |
Chief, U.S. Army Mechanized and Armor Combat Operations Evaluation (MACOV) Team |
| 1985 January 3 |
Died |
| 1951 |
Received M.A., Georgetown University |
Scope and Content of Collection
Reports, manuals, orders, correspondence, memoranda, printed matter, and photographs relating to American military operations,
especially in Vietnam, and to United States Army development of combat systems and tactics, especially the use of armor. The
original order of the files has been maintained. Original folder titles are denoted with quotation marks.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Motion pictures
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
Officers
Armored vehicles, Military
United States. Army
box 1, folder 1
"General West's personal file, 1965, Vol I,"
1965
box 1, folder 2-3
"General West's personal file, 1965, Vol II,"
1965
box 1, folder 4
"Vehicles in the Infantry Division Infantry Doctrine and Concepts,"
1954, 1966
Scope and Contents note
Contains reports and memoranda pertaining to the use of armored vehicles in infantry maneuvers.
box 1, folder 5
"Congratulatory letters re second star,"
1965
box 1, folder 6
"ROAD [Reorganization Army Objectives Division] Evaluation & Mech Inf Guidelines, Future & POL [Petroleum, Oils, and Lubricants]
Resupply Problem,"
1962-1965
Scope and Contents note
Contains reports and correspondence.
box 1, folder 7
"Training of the Soldier,"
1963-1964
Scope and Contents note
Contains plans and correspondence relating to U.S. Army training.
box 1, folder 8
Miscellaneous papers related to Marshall lawsuit
1965-1967
Scope and Contents note
Contains correspondence, photographs, receipts, and other material relating to a 1967 civil lawsuit between Maj. Gen. West
and Robert C. Marshall Ltd. regarding payment for installation of a faulty air conditioning unit.
box 2, folder 1
Correspondence, reports, and other material
1963-1970
box 2, folder 2
"Confrontation with Gen LeMay," memoranda
1960, 1984
Scope and Contents note
Contains a study "of particular significance" prepared by then-Col. West for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The U.S. Air Force's
lack of cooperation with the study led to "a direct confrontation by a Col of the organization JCS [Col. West] with Chief
of Staff, Air Force (Gen Curtis LeMay)," as well as "ultimate change (within 2 years) in National Security policy from Strategy
of Massive Retaliation to a strategy that reorganized the requirement + desirability of having capability to fight conventional
war."
box 2, folder 3
"Personal,"
1967-1981
Scope and Contents note
Contains correspondence and other material.
box 2, folder 4
"The Battle at St. Vith, Belgium,"
1962, 1966
box 2, folder 5
"Evaluation of U.S. Army Mechanized and Armor Combat Operations in Vietnam, Volume Four: Methods and Procedures,"
1967 March 28
box 2, folder 6
"Mechanized and Armor Combat Operations in Vietnam"
1967 March 28
box 7, folder 1
"Mechanized and Armor Combat Operations in Vietnam"
1967 March 28
box 2, folder 7
Miscellaneous papers
1967
box 2, folder 8-9
"Industrial Forecasting," reports
1969
box 2, folder 10
Reports and correspondence
1965-1971
box 2, folder 11
"Clarke papers,"
1969-1971
Scope and Contents note
Contains writings by U.S. Army Gen. Bruce C. Clarke on leadership.
1/4 inch tape sound reels
undated
box 3, item 1
"Bayonet Chorus, Soldier Choir out of 3/36 Inf. CCA, 3d AD," 1 reel, 48 minutes
1962-1963
box 3, folder 2-3
10th Armored Infantry Battalion diary
1944-1945, 1984
box 3, folder 4
Armor magazines
1963-1972
box 3, folder 5
Robert T. Goodrow memoranda and paintings
1967
box 3, folder 6
"Efficiency report file,"
1965-1967
box 3, folder 7
"Biographical sketch,"
1964
box 3, folder 8
Untitled article written by Maj. Gen. West for
Armor magazine
1976
box 3, folder 9
"Official photographs,"
1964-1966
box 4, folder 1
"General West's personal file, 1966, Vol II," correspondence
1966
box 4, folder 2-3
"General West's personal file, 1967, Vol I," correspondence
1967
box 4, folder 4
"News clippings 3rd AD,"
1962-1963
box 4, folder 5
Photographs of 3rd Armored Division garrison by Col. Dennis V. Crumley
1983
Scope and Contents note
Contains 18 photographs of the U.S. Army 3rd Armored Division's garrison, Ayers Kasserne in Kirch-Göns, Germany, taken by
a former subordinate of Maj. Gen. West, Col. Dennis Crumley. Photographs are accompanied by notes by Col. Crumley written
on the reverse.
box 4, folder 6
Manuals and other material
1959-1962
box 4, folder 7
Presentation and field manual
1957, 1984
Scope and Contents note
Contains a presentation transcript from The Armored School entitled "Defense by Armor," a Department of the Army field manual
entitled
Armor Operations Small Units, and a short explanatory note by Maj. Gen. West. The note explains that the mobile defense section in the presentation, authored
by Maj. Gen. West, Lt. Cols Russ Richmond, James Spurrier, and Major Bill Lynch, was a revolutionary concept at the time,
and was first officially adopted by the Department of Army in the field manual present.
box 4, folder 8
"MACOV speech,"
after 1966
box 5, folder 2
"The Political Theories of Rousseau, Bentham, Hegel, and Wilson," term paper
1949 December
box 5, folder 3
"Great Britain and the Anglo-French Military Conversations During the Period of the First Moroccan Crisis," term paper
1949 September
box 5, folder 4
"The Bosnian Crisis," term paper
1949 December
box 5, folder 5
"T. H. Green's Concept of Freedom," term paper
1950 April
box 5, folder 6
"A Foreign Policy for the United States," term paper
1950 March
box 5, folder 7
"The Political Implications of the Military and Naval Provisions of the Armistice," term paper
1950 April
box 5, folder 8
"Background of the Polish Revolution of 1830," term paper
1949 September
box 5, folder 9
"A Foreign Policy for the United States," outline for term paper
1949 November
box 5, folder 10
"A Study of Coalitions - France, 1918-1919," dissertation
1951 February
box 5, folder 11-12
"General West's personal file, 1966, Vol I," correspondence
1966
box 6, folder 1
"Climatic Charts of Southeast Asia,"
undated
box 6, folder 2
"Concept of Operations Briefing - CDC [Combat Developments Command],"
after 1962
box 6, folder 5
"Comparison, New Mech Inf Bn [Mechanized Infantry Battalion] with all other Inf Bns,"
1966
box 6, folder 6
"General West's personal file, 1964,"
1964
box 6, folder 7
"General West's personal file - Civ [Civilian] firms,"
1966-1967
box 6, folder 8
Miscellaneous reports
1971
box 6, folder 9
Miscellaneous papers
1967-1971
box 6, folder 10
"Leaders Guide for Operations in Southeast Asia," manual
1965 August
box 7, folder 2
"Training Text 17-37-1 Air Cavalry Squadron,"
1967 August
box 7, folder 3
Correspondence, plans, and memoranda
1967-1969
box 7, folder 4
"MACOV backup," correspondence and other material
1965-1967
box 7, folder 5
"SCI [Systems Consultants, Incorporated] Consulting Agreement,"
1971-1972
box 7, folder 6
"Retirement info, citations etc.,"
1967-1970
box 7, folder 7
"Trip reports,"
1964-1966
box 7, folder 8
"MacArthur's Address to Congress,"
1951
box 8, folder 1
Miscellaneous papers
1964-1968
box 8, folder 2
"Systems Consultants Employment,"
1969-1973
reel 1
"Combat Footage - Vietnam 1966-1967," 16mm film,
1966-1967
