LTC BARDON BLIZZARD, JR.
Commissioned in 1965 just days before his 19th birthday, Buzz became the youngest U.S. Army officer since WWII. By 19, he was serving in Vietnam as an Airborne Infantry Officer with the 1st Cavalry Division. At 22, during his second tour, he made history again as the youngest Infantry Captain to command a combat company. His third tour (1974–75) involved classified cross-border Special Forces operations based out of Thailand.
Wounded multiple times with numerous valor and service awards including 2 Silver Stars, Buzz lets his combat record - and the respect that he and his men shared speak for themselves. Vietnam, he says, shaped his character, leadership philosophy, sense of loyalty and accountability, and his "Send Me" dedication to service. His Vietnam experiences changed his life for the better and they rank second only to his family.
Now nearing 80, Buzz is preserving that history through nearly 500 photographs and a forthcoming book, Letters From NAM, honoring the humanity and lived "real life" experiences of those "grunts" who served at the tip of the spear.
(OCS Hall of Fame Induction Citation)
Lieutenant Colonel Bardon Blizzard, Jr. was commissioned an Infantry Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School, Class 8-65 on September 2, 1965.
His first duty assignment was Training Officer, Echo Company, 5th Training Battalion, 2nd Training Brigade (Basic Combat Training), United States Army School and Training Center, Fort Gordon, Georgia.
His subsequent duty assignments include:
Pathfinder Section Commander — 11th Aviation Group, 1st Cavalry Division, Republic of Vietnam
Instructor — Pathfinder Committee, Airborne Department, U.S. Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia
Company Commander — Alpha Company, 29th Infantry, 197th Infantry Brigade, Fort Benning, Georgia
Company Commander — Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 12th Infantry, 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Republic of Vietnam
Company Commander — Delta Company, 52nd Infantry, U.S. Army Vietnam, Republic of Vietnam
Executive Officer — Ground Committee, Airborne Department, U.S. Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia
Operations Officer — U.S. Army Special Forces Thailand, LopBuri, Thailand
Area Commander — U.S. Army Recruiting Command, Staunton, Virginia
Instructor — Armed Forces Staff College (AFSC), Norfolk, Virginia
Operations Officer — 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Camp Howze, Korea
Operations Officer — 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta (SFOD-D), Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Chief, Emergency Deployment Division — Headquarters, 18th Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Logistics Planner — Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Headquarters, Department of the Army, The Pentagon
Operations Officer — U.S. Army Intelligence Support Activity (USAISA), U.S. Army Intelligence Support Command, Arlington, Virginia
Branch Chief, Current Operations — Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters, Department of the Army, The Pentagon
Executive Officer — Director of Operations, Readiness and Mobilization, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters, Department of the Army, The Pentagon
Military Assistant — Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations and Logistics (ASA I&L), Headquarters, Department of the Army, The Pentagon
His military awards include:
Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster
Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster
Bronze Star Medal with Three Oak Leaf Clusters
Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with Four Oak Leaf Clusters
Air Medal
Army Commendation Medal with “V” Device and Oak Leaf Cluster
Good Conduct Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
Presidential Unit Citation
Valorous Unit Award
Meritorious Unit Citation
Vietnamese Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
Master Parachutist Badge
Pathfinder Badge
Special Forces Tab
Combat Infantryman’s Badge
Thai Airborne Master Airborne Wings
Thai Supreme Command Advisory Badge First Class
Army Staff Badge
He recently served as Senior Director and Deputy for Corporate Support and Integrated Team Management at Global Linguist Solutions, LLC (GLS), a $4.6 billion enterprise providing program management services to recruit, deploy, and sustain foreign language interpretation and translation services supporting U.S. and coalition forces, including Operation Iraqi Freedom and other U.S. and foreign government agencies.
The GLS team employs approximately 7,000 locally-hired translators and 2,500 U.S. citizens, facilitating communication with local populations, gathering information for force protection, and supporting interaction with foreign military units.
