Lieutenant General Oren E. Hurlbut was born December 4, 1911 in Brookfield, Missouri. He was a 1929 graduate of Brookfield High School and a 1933 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He passed away January 2, 2000 at his home in Arlington, Virginia.

During the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, he was an aviation ordnance officer at Hickam Field in Hawaii. After a brief stint as assistant commandant of the Army Ordnance School at Aberdeen, he served in the Pacific for the remainder of the war.

He later held various commands before serving as chief for unit training and readiness for the Continental Army Command during the Cuban Missile Crisis. During the Vietnam War, he served as chief of logistics for the U.S. Army Pacific Command, supporting all Army forces in Vietnam. Lieutenant General Oren E. Hurlbut distinguished himself while assigned as Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Headquarters, USCONARC. Lieutenant General Hurlbut made major contributions in the coordination and execution of the plans for employment of the U.S. Army Atlantic Forces in the Cuban crisis in making marked improvements in logistics operations through more efficient use of automatic data processing equipment and in the development of many programs which resulted in substantial savings to the U.S. Government.

As Assistant Chief of Staff, G4, Headquarters, U.S. Army, Pacific, he identified a number of areas where changes offered improved support of U.S. Army Forces deployed in the Pacific as well as more timely response to the force requirements in active operations in Southeast Asia. He effected far-reaching changes to the logistical support system, which greatly enhanced the effectiveness of our fighting forces. His brilliant planning and direction effected the installation of computers and the standard supply system in Vietnam, the establishment of teams of highly qualified technicians, and other major innovations which were incorporated in an efficient and orderly manner while maintaining the operation of the huge U.S. Army, Pacific, logistical system. As a member of the Joint LogisticsReview Board, Lieutenant General Hurlbut contributed to a broad and exhaustive board evaluation of the worldwide logistics support to combat forces during the Vietnam era. Additionally, he reviewed, in depth, the comprehensive area of transporting the vast resources of the implements of war and personal necessities to Armed Forces overseas to determine the impact on the readiness posture of these forces. Lieutenant General Hurlbut’s long experience in logistics, extensive knowledge of supply systems of Military Services, foreign and domestic, and deft managerial skill materially enhanced the combat readiness of the U.S. Armed Forces.

His military decorations included the Bronze Star and three Distinguished Service Medals. In retirement he served as chairman of the Board of the National Association for the Uniformed Services and as a board trustee of the West Point Association of Graduates. He was a member of Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church in Washington.

During the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, he was an aviation ordnance officer at Hickam Field in Hawaii. After a brief stint as assistant commandant of the Army Ordnance School at Aberdeen, he served in the Pacific for the remainder of the war.

He later held various commands before serving as chief for unit training and readiness for the Continental Army Command during the Cuban Missile Crisis. During the Vietnam War, he served as chief of logistics for the U.S. Army Pacific Command, supporting all Army forces in Vietnam.

Lieutenant General Oren E. Hurlbut distinguished himself while assigned as Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Headquarters, USCONARC. Lieutenant General Hurlbut made major contributions in the coordination and execution of the plans for employment of the U.S. Army Atlantic Forces in the Cuban crisis in making marked improvements in logistics operations through more efficient use of automatic data processing equipment and in the development of many programs which resulted in substantial savings to the U.S. Government.

As Assistant Chief of Staff, G4, Headquarters, U.S. Army, Pacific, he identified a number of areas where changes offered improved support of U.S. Army Forces deployed in the Pacific as well as more timely response to the force requirements in active operations in Southeast Asia. He effected far-reaching changes to the logistical support system, which greatly enhanced the effectiveness of our fighting forces. His brilliant planning and direction effected the installation of computers and the standard supply system in Vietnam, the establishment of teams of highly qualified technicians, and other major innovations which were incorporated in an efficient and orderly manner while maintaining the operation of the huge U.S. Army, Pacific, logistical system. As a member of the Joint LogisticsReview Board, Lieutenant General Hurlbut contributed to a broad and exhaustive board evaluation of the worldwide logistics support to combat forces during the Vietnam era. Additionally, he reviewed, in depth, the comprehensive area of transporting the vast resources of the implements of war and personal necessities to Armed Forces overseas to determine the impact on the readiness posture of these forces. Lieutenant General Hurlbut’s long experience in logistics, extensive knowledge of supply systems of Military Services, foreign and domestic, and deft managerial skill materially enhanced the combat readiness of the U.S. Armed Forces.

His military decorations included the Bronze Star and three Distinguished Service Medals.

In retirement he served as chairman of the Board of the National Association for the Uniformed Services and as a board trustee of the West Point Association of Graduates. He was a member of Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church in Washington.