Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, Creighton Williams Abrams, Jr. was the U.S. commander in the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1972. A graduate of West Point,
class of 1936, he served in World War II and in 1964 became a general and vice chief of staff of the army. Succeeding William Westmoreland as commander in Vietnam,
Abrams implemented the program known as Vietnamization. This was supposed to bring a gradual end to U.S. involvement in Vietnam and to enable the South Vietnamese to
become increasingly responsible for running the war. After returning to the United States, Abrams served as army chief of staff from 1972 to 1974.
