Eric Ken Shinseki is a retired United States Army general who served as the seventh United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs. His final United States Army post was as the 34th Chief of Staff of the Army. Shinseki is a veteran of two tours of combat in the Vietnam War, in which he was awarded three Bronze Star Medals for valor and two Purple Hearts. He was the first Asian-American four-star general, and the first Asian-American Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
| Born: | November 28, 1942, Lihue, Hawaii, U.S. |
| Spouse(s): | Patricia Shinseki |
| Children: | 2 |
| Education: | United States Military Academy (BS), Duke University (MA) |
| President: | Barack Obama |
| Deputy: | W. Scott Gould, Sloan D. Gibson |
| Preceded by: | James Peake |
| Succeeded by: | Bob McDonald |
About Eric Shinseki
Four-star U.S. Army General who was appointed by President Barack Obama to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Before Fame
He graduated from West Point and went to Vietnam, where he served as a base commander and a forward artillery observer.
Achievement
He served as Commander of the Operation Enduring Freedom, which was the post-9/11 invasion of Iraq.
Family Life
He grew up in Hawaii as the son of Japanese immigrants. In 1965, he married Patricia Shinseki.
Associations
He was promoted to Army Vice Chief of Staff by President Bill Clinton in 1999.
Information related to Eric Shinseki
- http://cdm16635.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16635coll16/id/1150 Eric K. Shinseki Collection (while CSA) US Army Heritage and Education Center, Carlisle, Pennsylvania
- http://www.hiarmymuseumsoc.org/ Eric K. Shinseki Gallery Fort DeRussy Army Museum of Hawaii
