Robert E. Pursley

Lieutenant General Robert E. Pursley USAF (Retired) 

Lieutenant General Robert E. Pursley, who served as Senior Military Assistant to three successive Secretaries of Defense, died on July 24th in Stamford, Connecticut. He was 97. A pivotal figure during the Vietnam era, he was directly involved in shaping the Nixon Administration’s Vietnamization policy, played a central role in the Laird–Kissinger power struggle, and was the only military officer known to have been wiretapped by President Nixon. He also originated and supervised the McNamara Vietnam study, a portion of which become the Pentagon Papers. In 1972, he became the youngest three-star general in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Pursley served as Senior Military Assistant to Secretaries of Defense Robert McNamara, Clark Clifford, and Melvin Laird, over three different presidencies from both parties, denoting an unusual bi-partisan recognition of his integrity, character, and excellence. That he was trusted and depended upon by three such different personalities as McNamara, Clifford, and Laird was described as “an enormous testament to his intellect, his honesty, and his profound devotion to Duty, Honor, and Country, regardless of who was in charge.” All three Secretaries depended heavily on Pursley’s knowledge, judgment and contributions. Former Sec. of Navy Paul Ignatius said, “His keen judgment, unbiased advice, and unquestioned integrity were recognized by the highest civilian and military leaders.”

Under Sec. Def. Clark Clifford, Pursley was part of the six-person strategy group known as “the 8:30 Group”, a group of five who joined Clifford in a daily strategy session that considered the top national security issues. As the only military officer in the group, Pursley played a unique role and in his memoirs Clifford stated that Pursley was “one of the most intelligent and broad-gauged military officers I have ever known, who proved to be an invaluable bridge to the military services and the rest of the Defense Department.”.

As one of Sec. Def. Robert McNamara’s “Whiz Kids” while serving as a staff analyst in the Systems Analysis office in the OSD, Pursley was one of just two military officers specifically named by McNamara in his memoirs as being a part of “the ablest group of individuals to serve together in a single government department in the history of our republic.” During this time Pursley provided the Defense analysis for the Super Sonic Transport project for the United States, a national issue at the time and helping to determine whether the United States should implement the program.

Lt. General Pursley retired in 1974 as the Commander of U.S. Forces Japan and Fifth Air Force (Republic of Korea, Japan, and Taiwan), at the time making him the youngest 3-star officer in all of U.S. Military forces. Pursley’s military career began as a 1949 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he was a top scholar and varsity basketball player. Pursley flew 51 combat missions in Korea as part of the famous “Night Intruder Squadron” where he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and received a commendatory “spot promotion” in the field.

Pursley’s early military career focused on applying his intellect and analytical skills. After attending the Harvard Business School, including the post graduate doctoral program, and receiving an MBA, Pursley played a pioneering role as associate professor in establishing the Dept. of Economics at the newly formed U.S. Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, CO. Applying intellect and analytic rigor to national military policy became a hallmark of Pursley’s career. In 1966, Pursley served as both student and instructor at the U.S. Air Force’s Air War College, but halfway through the school year he was summoned back to the Pentagon to become Military Assistant to Secretary McNamara and was simultaneously presented with a diploma as a graduate and awarded the Major General Orval Anderson Award for excellence in military-political strategy.

After retiring, General Pursley served on a number of national commissions and investigative bodies, including the 1987 Moscow Assessment Review Panel, evaluating the security of the US Embassy there, and in 1995-96 was a member of the Presidential Commission on Roles and Responsibilities of the U.S. Intelligence Community.

Robert Edwin Pursley was born on November 23, 1927 in Muncie, Indiana. The son of a carpenter/farmer and a school teacher, Pursley’s early life in nearby Farmland, Indiana instilled in him a Midwest work ethic and a love of family, country, and neighbor. On May 9th, 1953, Mr. Pursley married Phyllis Roberts in San Antonio, Texas. The couple had five children. Upon transitioning into work in the private sector, Pursley moved to Cheshire, CT in 1974 and then Stamford, CT in 1977 where he remained until his death.

Pursley was predeceased by his wife, Phyllis, and daughter, Anne Pitts of Tallahassee, Florida. He is survived by his children Mark Pursley (Ann) of Sharpsburg, GA, Elizabeth Rock of Cheshire, CT, Kristin Bowman (Paul) of Cheshire, CT, and Carol McGuire of Greenwich, CT, his 18 grandchildren, and 33 great-grandchildren.

Pursley’s awards and decorations include: Distinguished Service Medal (OSD), Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster (Air Force), Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with Clusters (4), National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Japanese Order of the Sacred Treasure, Order of National Security Merit (South Korea), UN Service Medal, Presidential Unit Citation (Air Force), Major General Orval Anderson Award for Political-Military Strategy (Air War College, 1966), The State of Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award, and Distinguished Graduate of the United States Military Academy

Arrangements - Services will be held on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, at 10:00 am at the Cadet Chapel at the United States Military Academy in West Point, NY. A reception will be held afterwards at the AOG Great Hall. Interment will be private.