Major General
Oscar C. Decker Jr.

Oscar C. Decker, Jr. was born in Moorefield, Nebraska on October 10, 1924 and graduated from the University of Nebraska.

As director of Procurement and Production at the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Command, he was responsible for the production of the M60A1, M60A2, and M60A3, and the conversion of the M48 to the M48A5 configuration. His leadership was called on again as he took command of the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive Research and Development Command, where he oversaw the M901 improved TOW vehicles and the M871, 22 1/2-ton semitrailer pass through the development cycle and enter production.

He was responsible for the fielding of the M857-series, 5,000 gallon fuel tanker, and initiated the research and development phase for several other vehicles that are currently in today's inventory.

As Commander of the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive Materiel Readiness Command, he began the provisioning for the M1 Abrams tank and the Bradley fighting vehicle systems. He astutely managed the merger of the Tank-Automotive Research and Development Command and Tank-Automotive Readiness Command into the Tank-Automotive Command, where he then took command until his retirement in June 1983.