Honoring Veterans: U.S. Army Veteran James L. Dozier

James L. Dozier was born in April 1931 in Arcadia, Florida. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1956, where he was a classmate of General Norman Schwarzkopf. He later earned a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Arizona.

Dozier’s military career was marked by numerous deployments and commands. He served in the Army from 1950 to 1985, and deployed to Vietnam with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment from 1968-1969. He was also the Deputy Chief of Staff at NATO’s Southern European land forces. 

Major General Dozier is known for being kidnapped by the Red Brigades, a Marxist guerrilla group. He was held hostage for 42 days before being rescued by a special operations unit of the Italian police. This event had a profound impact on Dozier, who later worked with the U.S. Air Force, teaching a course on hostage avoidance and survival.

Dozier received many awards and decorations throughout his service, including a Army Distinguished Service Medal, a Silver Star, a Purple Heart (for actions during the Vietnam War), a Legion of Merit and a Bronze Star Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters (OLCs) and “V” Device.

Dozier is married to Judith Stimpson and they have two children. Their daughter, Cheryl, served as a second lieutenant in the Air Force, and their son, Scott, served in the Coast Guard. After retiring from active military service, Dozier continued to serve his community in various ways, including working with the Lee County Electric Cooperative and Disabled Veterans. He also wrote a memoir titled “Finding My Pole Star”.

We honor his service.

Nominate a Veteran for Honoring Veterans

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s Honoring Veterans social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. All it takes is an email to newmedia@va.gov with as much information as you can put together, along with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Prompt Engineer: Yaritna Matos-Ramos

Writer: Tayler Rairigh

Editor: Ethan Oleson

Researchers: Jacoryn Whatley, Raphael Romea

Graphic Designer: Kiki Kelley