Major General Warren Bud Glenn Lawson

The visitation for Gen. Lawson will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 3-7 p.m. at the Camp Dodge Pool Pavilion, 7105 NW 70th Ave., Johnston, Iowa. The Lawson family will be present during this time.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 15, at the Camp Dodge Pool Pavilion, followed by inurnment at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Van Meter at 2 p.m. The Iowa National Guard will provide full military honors. In case of inclement weather, the funeral service will be held at the Camp Dodge Freedom Center drill hall. As part of the celebration of his life, the family encourages a tailgating atmosphere to honor Gen. Lawson’s love for the University of Iowa and his Hawkeye football career. Participants are encouraged to wear black and gold, or the colors of their favorite team.

Lawson retired as the Adjutant General of the Iowa National Guard on June 19, 1999, following more than 44 years of military service in the U.S. Army and Iowa National Guard, including 14 years as the Adjutant General of Iowa. As Iowa’s Adjutant General, he was responsible for the administration, training, and operations of more than 9,500 Iowa National Guard Soldiers and Airmen.

He effectively guided the Iowa National Guard through the Iowa Farm Crisis in the 1980s, the response for the crash of United Airlines Flight 232 at the Sioux City Airport (1989), Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm (1990-91), reactivation of the 34th Infantry Division (1991), floods of 1993, and the Port Neal complex chemical plant explosion near Sioux City (1994). He was succeeded by Maj. Gen. Ron Dardis in 1999.

Maj. Gen. Timothy Orr, the current Adjutant General of Iowa, shared his thoughts.

“Gen. Lawson was a truly outstanding Soldier and mentor to thousands of men and women during his distinguished career in the U.S. Army and the Iowa National Guard. He left an indelible mark on the Iowa National Guard and state of Iowa through his remarkable vision, intellect, integrity and commitment to excellence. We are a better state and nation in so many ways for his dedication and selfless service.

Our prayers are with his wife, Bobbie, daughter, Laurie, and his extended family at this difficult time.”

Lawson was born on Aug. 2, 1933, in Fairfield, Iowa. He graduated from Fairfield High School in 1951, receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in commerce from the University of Iowa (1955) and earned a Master of Arts degree in industrial management from the University of Nebraska (1966). While at Iowa, Lawson played center for the Hawkeyes football team (1952-54), and was named Iowa’s Most Valuable Player in 1954.

His military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic Course (1955); Ranger Course (1956); Infantry Officer Career Course (1962); School of Naval Command and Staff (Distinguished Graduate) (1967); and U.S. Army War College (1973).

Lawson was commissioned an infantry second lieutenant in the Regular Army following graduation from the University of Iowa Reserve Officers Training Corps on June 10, 1955. His early assignments included platoon leader and liaison officer in the 746th Armored Infantry Battalion and 3rd Armored Rifle Battalion, 51st Infantry in Germany; assistant operations officer, 1st Battle Group, 13th Infantry at Fort Riley, Kansas; company commander and logistics officer, 1st Battle Group, 5th Cavalry in Korea; and assistant professor of military science at the University of Nebraska.

In 1967, he deployed to the Republic of Vietnam, where he served with the 196th Light Infantry Brigade as assistant operations officer and personnel officer. Upon his return from Vietnam in 1968, he was assigned to the Officer Personnel Directorate (Infantry Branch), Office of Personnel Operations, Headquarters, Department of the Army.

In August 1970, he assumed command of the 4th Battalion, 54th Infantry at Fort Knox, Ky., where he remained until 1972 when he was selected for the U.S. Army War College. Following his graduation from War College in 1973, he was assigned to the Combat Arms Training Board at Fort Benning, Ga., as Chief of Individual Training. In 1976 he was transferred to the Training Support Center at Fort Eustis, Va., as Director of the Training Program Directorate and then as Deputy Commander for Extension Training.

On June 30, 1979, he retired from active service and the very next day he was appointed deputy adjutant general of the Iowa National Guard, receiving federal recognition as a brigadier general on July 16, 1979. He was appointed as the Adjutant General of the Iowa National Guard on May 1, 1985 and received federal recognition as a major general on July 16, 1985.

Among his military awards and decorations are the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit (with two oak leaf clusters), Meritorious Service Medal (two OLC), Air Medal (one OLC), Army Commendation Medal (two OLC), National Defense Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Ranger Tab, Iowa National Guard Medal of Valor, Iowa National Guard Medal of Merit, Iowa Commendation Medal, and the Iowa National Guard State Service Ribbon.

Lawson was a charter member and past president of the Des Moines Freedom Chapter of the Association of the U.S. Army and appointed as a Senior Fellow of the Institute of Land Warfare, Association of the U.S. Army in July 1999. He served as the President of the Adjutants General Association of the U.S. from 1995-1997, and was a member of the National Guard Association of the U.S., 34th Infantry Division Association, Retired Officers Association, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Rotary International, University of Iowa “I” Letterman’s Club, the Alumni Association of the University of Iowa, and the Alumni Association of the University of Nebraska.

Lawson is survived by his wife, Bobbie and their daughter, Laurie. He was preceded in death by his son, Lance. The family is deeply grateful for prayers and well wishes, but respectfully request no flowers, food or gifts, please. Memorials may be directed to the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Iowa at http://www.alz.org/greateriowa/ .