Clifton, Chester Victor Jr., 1913-1991

Variant names

Dates:

Birth 1913-09-24

Death 1991-12-23

Birth 1913

Gender:

Male

Nationality: Americans,

Language: English

Biographical notes:

Chester Victor Clifton Jr. (September 24, 1913 – December 23, 1991) was a Major General in the United States Army and an aide to Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.

Clifton was born in Edmonton, Alberta before moving to the United States and settling in Puyallup, Washington. He attended the University of Washington and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a master's degree in Journalism. As a civilian he worked as a reporter for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and the New York Herald Tribune and later worked in public relations and management. He co-authored the book The Memories: J.F.K., 1961-1963 with Cecil W. Stoughton and was a public relations consultant in the development of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Clifton graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1936. During World War II Clifton served in the Field Artillery. Following the war he was assigned to Army Headquarters to work on public relations and later became an assistant to Omar Bradley. In 1956, he became Chief of Information of the Army. Clifton joined the Kennedy administration in 1961 as Senior Military Aide. In this position Clifton was responsible for Kennedy's daily intelligence briefings on world events. He was in the motorcade in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963 when Kennedy was shot. Following the assassination, Clifton was in charge of dealing with military and national security affairs from the aftermath. He retained this position in the Johnson administration until his retirement from the Army in 1965.

Clifton died of pneumonia after an intestinal operation at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. on December 23, 1991 and was survived by his widow, Anne Bodine. He was interred at Arlington National Cemetery.