Lt. John Bruce Blount

1928 - 2016

Lieutenant General John Bruce Blount, 88, passed away peacefully on August 23, 2016, surrounded by his loving family, and is in God's care now.
John Bruce Blount was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island on April 22, 1928, the son of Joseph Hagen Blount and Loretta Moody Blount. He played basketball in high school and set a school record that still stands, scoring 66 points in a single game.
During his collegiate years at the University of Rhode Island, Blount excelled in sports, coring more than 1,000 points in basketball and serving as captain of both the basketball and baseball teams. He was selected for the All Yanks Conference and the All East Team, and was named ROTC Cadet Colonel in his senior year.
In June 1950, he received a B.S. degree from the University of Rhode Island, and later earned an MBA in Management from the University of Miami, Florida, in 1961.
As a Distinguished Military Graduate, in June of 1950 Blount was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U. S. Army Infantry. On June 17, 1950, he married Joan Adele Garrett of Belmont, Mass.
General Blount's long career was distinguished by progressive promotions through the ranks of the U.S. Army, with distinguished tours in Korea and Vietnam during those conflicts. He earned his jump wings at Fort Benning in 1955. Among the many highlights of his career were his compelling testimony at the Army-McCarthy hearings, and his command of Fort Jackson, South Carolina, one of the U. S. Army's most important and strategic training centers.
Blount earned his first promotion to General Officer on September 1, 1974. His wife, Joan, called it the finest birthday present he could ever have given her. He was promoted to Major General in October of 1977. On June 30, 1983, Blount was promoted to Lieutenant General and became Chief of Staff of the Allied Forces South, a large NATO command consisting of units from five countries, including Greece, Italy, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the U.S.
Upon completion of this appointment, General Blount retired from active service in Columbia, South Carolina, near Fort Jackson, but did not discontinue his service to the Army that he loved.
From 1985 to 1988 he served as Director of Defense Study Programs at the University of South Carolina. From 1988 to 1994 he served as Chairman of the Army Retiree Council. For many years he served as National Vice President of the Association of the U. S. Army and as the retiree representative on the Board of Directors of the Army Morale, Welfare and Recreation Association.
He served as President of the South Carolina Korean Veterans War Memorial Committee and was instrumental in establishing the memorial in downtown Columbia.
In recognition of his integrity, exemplary leadership and outstanding service, the University of Rhode Island proudly conferred upon General Blount the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws in June 2000.
General Blount is a highly decorated soldier whose awards include the Army Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Silver Star and Purple Heart earned in Vietnam and Korea,
Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Korean Campaign Service Medal with Four Campaign Stars, Vietnam Service Medal with Four Campaign Stars, and others too numerous to mention. In a rare distinction, he was twice awarded the Order of the Palmetto, the highest civilian honor in South Carolina, first by Governor James Edwards and again by Governor Carroll Campbell.
Lieutenant General John Bruce Blount is survived by his wife and beloved partner of 66 years, Joan Adele Garrett Blount; by his children Gail Leslie Blount of South Florida, Carol Linell Blount of Columbia, John Bruce Blount Jr. of Washington D.C., and Garrett Christopher Blount and his wife Martha Ivey Blount of Chicago; and by his grandchildren John Bruce Blount III, Elizabeth Blount, Christopher Blount, Frances Blount and Caroline Blount.
Lieutenant General John Bruce Blount will be buried among his fellow soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia.