(Citation Needed) – SYNOPSIS: Lieutenant General Clarence Edward McKnight, Jr., United States Army, was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service in a position of great responsibility to the Government of the United States as Commanding General, Army Communications Command, from 1982 to 1984.

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Lieutenant General Clarence Edward McKnight, Jr., United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service in a position of great responsibility to the Government of the United States as Director of Command, Control and Communications Systems, Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during the period July 1984 to June 1987. Throughout his 35 years of continuous and outstanding service, General McKnight demonstrated dynamic leadership and outstanding technical and managerial ability in a wide range of important command and staff positions. He served with distinction while in command of two Signal battalions in Vietnam on back-to-back assignments, followed by another outstanding performance in a third consecutive command, this one in Europe. In a succession of other assignments, each more challenging than before, he took charge and displayed a superb knowledge of the intricacies of planning, programming and budgeting which resulted in the vast savings of resources. As a group commander and later as Commanding General, 5th Signal Command, in Europe, he was responsible for the great strides in improvements to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization communications systems and the interoperability and integration of United States automation and communications. Later in his career as Commandant of the Signal School, he drew on his vast tactical experience to spearhead an initiative which improved the level of performance of instructors and resulted in an improved performance of the school’s graduates in the field. This wide variety of important positions culminates with his final assignment as Director of Command, Control, and Communications Systems, Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Lieutenant General McKnight’s lasting contributions and singularly distinctive accomplishments reflect great credit on him and the United States Army.