LOUIS T DECHERT, SR
163 Deerbrook Trail
Pineville, Louisiana 71360
Tel: 318.641.8033
Fax: 318.640.3884
dechert@bellsouth.net
louis.dechert@us.army.mil
www.kwva.org
www.dechertsitreps.com
THUMBNAIL Born at Junction, Texas, USA, 18 January 1931, married at Chanute, Kansas,
USA, 21 August 1949 to Marietta Ruth Jones. Two children: Deborah Suzanne Dechert
Jackson, born 7 January 1951, presently an attorney in Honolulu, Hawaii; Louis T Dechert,
Jr. born 9 May 1952, presently a club professional and golf course owner and operator,
Pineville, Louisiana. Attended undergraduate and graduate schools. Military career twentythree years. Post military career in State Legislatures, business and agricultural consulting.
Memberships
and offices in five veterans/military-related organizations.
Field
Representative of the US Census Bureau covering half of the parishes of Louisiana. Special
Operations Deployment Operations, Fort Polk, Louisiana, 2001-2002. Resided since 1997 in
Alexandria, Louisiana, membership in local civic and business organizations.
EDUCATION
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Secondary Graduation: Wyandotte High School, Kansas City, KS, 1948.
Undergraduate Graduation: Park College, Parkville, MO, 1967, BA, Business.
Graduate: 1) The US Army Command and General Staff College, 1964. 2) The
US Army Special Warfare School (Special Forces Q Course), 1965. 3) The Defense
Language Institute, 1967. 4) The Armed Forces Staff College, 1972. 5) University of
Texas Institute of Latin American Studies, accepted for PhD completion, 1973. . Also a
graduate of thirteen Military Schools and Colleges.
Bilingual English-Spanish
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RECENT STATUS
President, Korean War Veterans Association In November 2003, a group of
veterans from Florida, Delaware, and Illinois asked me to run on a reform ticket
against the corrupt leadership of the Korean War Veterans Association. I had
commanded a local unit of the organization for over three years. I agreed to run with
great reluctance—I did not want the job, but duty called. It was a rough campaign, the
ballot casting extending from March through July 10, 2004. Even after winning, the
losers attempted to block my installation. The office is actually more of an unpaid
Executive Director of a national veterans 501 (c)(19) corporation. The KWVA is
affiliated with the International Federation of Korean War Veterans Associations.
There are over 600 chapters, 17,044 members. The term of office is two years.
US Army. Employed as a Special Operations Team Leader, Operations
Group, Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, Louisiana, December 2001August 2002. Assisted in the field training and certification for all US Army Special
Forces deploying in the War on Terror. This entailed operation of the Joint Special
Operations Task Force command and control center, 24/7, for periods of up to twenty
days per month. During this time 1/3 of all the US Army Special Forces Battalions in
the Active Army and National Guard were deployed through the Center. Continued
consultant relationship after leaving employment.
US Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Dallas Regional Office,
Field Representative, December 1999-August 2002. Assigned as a wide area troubleshooter and special projects. Covered all of Southwest, Central and Northwest
Louisiana, plus Baton Rouge, Louisiana and certain penal institutions, as well as all
counties in Northeast Texas. The work was independent with daily uploading of day’s
actions onto the National Social Security Data Base. Extensive travel throughout area,
120,000 miles in sixteen months. Forced Reduction in Force (RIF) by in-coming Bush
Administration resulted in loss of positions in the Region, including mine.
US Army, Retired, 1973-date.
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US Army Non-Commissioned Officer, 1950-1951
US Army Commissioned Officer (Summer), 1952-1973. Served in Korea,
NATO, Vietnam, South and Central America. Retired as LTC, Regular Army, Special
Forces Branch, October 1973. Subsequently appointed Colonel, Military Aide, New
Mexico Army National Guard, and served as Military Aide to the Honorable Bruce
King, Governor of New Mexico, 1980-1981. High level civilian/military assignments in
Southeast Asia and South America. Member of US Country Team for Bolivia. Bilingual, Spanish language. Attended more than thirteen service schools/colleges.
Prepared Annex J (then), Unconventional Warfare to Joint Strategic Operations Plan
(JSOP), JCS. Possessed Special Intelligence and Top Secret security clearances.
Authored numerous articles in military and secular journals and publications.
Plant Superintendent, Juniper Products Corporation, Junction, TX, 19851986. Directed the construction and startup production of a high technology
manufacturing plant in a relatively remote area of Central Texas. Major raw materials
were procured as far distant as Montreal, Canada; repair and maintenance support for
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PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT AND RESPONSIBILITIES
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much of the machinery was as far distant as New Jersey. Additionally, recruited labor
force, trained them, developed Quality Control procedures, and managed first six
months of production.
Defense Advisory Committee, Ambassador David B Funderburk, Buies
Creek, NC, 1985. Served on committee consisting of the Honorable Richard V Allen,
Colonel Charles Beckwith,* the Honorable William P Clark, MGEN James L Dozier,*
General Andrew Gats, General Daniel Graham, Ambassador Charles Lichenstein,
Admiral James W Nance, Admiral Edward C Outlaw, MGEN George S Patton III,* the
Honorable Richard Pipes, MGEN John K Singlaub, and General Gordon Sumner, Jr.
*Indicates members whom I personally recruited for the committee.
Rancher, Menard County Texas. Returned home to settle affairs upon the
death of my father. Small livestock operation in Central Texas (1983-1985).
Concurrently, aide to an uncle, second ranking member of the House Armed Services
Committee (The Honorable O C Fisher of Texas).
Executive Assistant to the Chairman of the Hopi Indian Tribe of Arizona
Developed policies and procedures as well as directed on-going social, economic, and
political activities for the Hopi Chairman within the Tribal Government as well as
communicated to the larger Arizonian culture and the state government. Represented
the Hopi Chairman on Anglo-Native American ad hoc working groups chaired by the
Honorable Bruce Babbitt, Governor of Arizona.
Military Aide to the Honorable Bruce King, Governor of New Mexico, 19801981. This was a position at that time in the New Mexico Army National Guard. This
was unusual for me, and helped prove my ability to work in a bipartisan manner.
Governor King was a “Carter democrat,” and I was a “Reagan Republican.”
President, Consulting Services Company . Agribusiness and rural
development company in Farmington, NM (1978-1981). Developed and managed five
irrigated alfalfa farms in the Four Corners Region (New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and
Arizona). Also represented the New Mexico Farm Bureau, the New Mexico Cattle
Growers Association, and the New Mexico Association of Conservation Districts in the
New Mexico State Legislature. Small Business Instructor, New Mexico State
University, Farmington.
Operations Director, The Hopi Indian Tribe (1978). Organized the tribal
departments of health, education, labor, law enforcement, and private enterprise
development; recruited personnel; directed training and operations. Responsible to
Tribal Council for reporting and funding.
President, PROJECT ABIDE, international refugee, relief and religious
freedom organization. (Contracted with Christian Solidarity, International, Zurich, April
1977). Extensive travel in (then) Yugoslavia, Romania, and Bulgaria. Began contacts
in Vietnam.
International Consultant, Relief and Refugee Agencies (1977-date).
Demographic analysis, projections, studies. Rural Development operations.
Special Studies, Office of the President, C&MA , 1977
International Director, OPERATION HEARTBEAT, of the C&MA and NAE
(1975-1977). Personally recruited, trained and directed staffs at five refugee
sponsoring offices in the United States, one office in Canada, an office in Korea, and
an office on Guam. Processed and located sponsors for over 11,000 refugees from
the former sates of Indochina during the crisis of the subjugation of that region by
North Vietnamese forces. Predated development of the VOLAG (Voluntary Agencies,
now termed NGO) by the US State Department and INS for same purposes.
Developed and pioneered many procedures and techniques now utilized by US and
UN refugee and rural development agencies.
MEMBERSHIPS AND RECOGNITIONS
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Military Awards And Decorations
Combat Infantryman’s Badge
Parachutist Badge 48 jumps plus 6 classified jumps
Awards from Korean, Vietnamese and Bolivian Governments
US Presidential Unit Citation (Three awards)
Bronze Star for Valor
Bronze Star for Merit (4 OLC)
Meritorious Achievement Medal
Air Medal
Army Commendation Medal (1 OLC)
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The Military Order of the Purple Heart Life Member L35444. Member and
Commander, West Central Louisiana Chapter 727, Leesville, LA; Chief of Staff,
Department of Louisiana, 2000-2001; Junior Vice Commander, Department of
Louisiana, 2001-2002; Commander, Department of Louisiana, 2003-2004
The Korean War Veterans Association Life Member LR27194. Charter member
and three year (current) Commander, Central Louisiana Chapter 180, Leesville, LA.
Elected President of National KWVA, July 11, 2004. Reelected June 2008. Term ends
June 25, 2008. Western Hemisphere Member, Executive Council, International
Federation of Korean War Veterans Associations, IFKWVA
The United States Federation of Korea Veteran Organizations, founder,
incorporator, and co-chairman, December 2004
National Chairman, US-KOREA ALLIES COUNCIL (UKAC), 2007The Special Forces Association Life Member D-3302. Twenty-eight year member.
Association of the US Army Life Member 107374. Member since 1956.
The Retired Officers Association Life Member# 01224180.
The 101st Airborne Association Life Member #87.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Life Member 9132302
The American Legion Annual Member
Military Order of the Carabao 2007The Naval Aviation Museum Foundation Pensacola, FL
The American Association of Agricultural Consultants (Charter Member)
The Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation Member since 1997.
Member and Chairman, Louisiana National Guard and Camp Beauregard
Committee, Military Affairs Division, Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce (19992001)
Republican National Committee Life Member
Who’s Who, 17th Edition
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Purple Heart
Eight Combat Service Bars (with appropriate
campaign/service medals)
Significant Military Duties
Recon Platoon Leader, Korean War-40th Inf Div
Tank Platoon Leader, Korean War-40th Inf Div
Tank Company Executive Officer, Korean War-40th Inf Div
Tank Company Commander, Fort Hood, Texas-4th Armd Division (3 yrs)
Tank Company Commander, Border Patrol, West Germany-2d Armd Cav
Recon Battalion War Plans Officer-2d Armd Cav Regt, West Germany
Armor Tactics Instructor, Fort Sill, Oklahoma
Vietnam- Military Sector Commander
Special Forces Project Officer-Fort Huachuca, Arizona, Fort Bragg, NC
Bolivia- Special Forces Operations
15th Training Battalion Commander, Fort Knox, Kentucky
4th Training Brigade Commander, Fort Knox, Kentucky
Vietnam -Special Forces Special Operations Augmentation, MACSOG
Vietnam- Deputy Group Commander, 5th Special Forces Group (Abn)
Vietnam- Assistant C/S G-3, I Field Force
Vietnam- G3, US Army Forces, MR 1
DOD Special Project-Federal Republic of Germany
Military Aide-de- Camp, New Mexico National Guard
Field work, Socialist Republic of Romania, 1985
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