This is the type of man we need to be in charge of this country and to figure out what to do with the mess in Iraq. Clark graduated from West Point as the valedictorian in June 1966, Rhodes Scholar at Magdalen College at the University of Oxford. There he studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE), earning a Master's Degree in August 1968 Clark was shot four times (in the right shoulder, right hand, right hip and right leg) before he could find cover. He managed to shout commands to troops, who launched a counterattack and defeated the enemy force. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Silver Star: It would take him another year of rehabilitation to recover from his injuries, which doctors had warned him would leave him with a permanent limp due to the large amount of muscle lost to his right calf. Clark refused this prognosis, teaching himself to walk again and to use his injured hand by teaching himself to play the piano. He would go on to occasionally receive perfect scores on his physical fitness tests throughout his career. After this, he graduated from the National War College and Command and General Staff College, as well as completing Armor Officer Advanced and Basic Courses and Army Ranger and Airborne schools. From 1975 to 1976, Clark was a White House Fellow and served as a Special Assistant to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Later, he was an instructor and Assistant Professor of Social Science at West Point. During the Persian Gulf War, Clark became Commander of the Army National Training Center, in charge of arranging the 1st Cavalry Division's three emergency deployments to Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm. In 1994, Clark was again promoted, and started working with the Joint Chiefs of Staff as 'Director for Strategic Plans and Policy' From 1996 to 1997, General Clark served as the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Southern Command, responsible for all U.S. troops, their families, domestic infrastructure such as healthcare, education, social services, family counselling, commissaries (grocery stores) in Latin America and the Caribbean From 1997 to 2000, he served as Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. European Command (CINCEUR). As stipulated by international treaty, Clark also held the simultaneous position of Supreme Allied Commander(SACEUR), which is a NATO position that is independent of the U.S. chain of command, but always held by an American The U. S. Army once tested a thousand of its officers to see how well they extrapolated future trends from current patterns, and Clark, long before he became a General, finished in first place. He also once beat Colin Powell in a shoot-out with pistols at Fort Carson As SACEUR, he confronted Yugoslavia over Kosovo. NATO's 78-day bombing campaign ended with the Kumanovo truce, a withdrawal of Yugoslav military and police force from Kosovo, and the entry of NATO and other Kosovo Force soldiers. Awards U.S. Military decorations Each "Oak Leaf Cluster" or "Service Star" denotes an additional bestowal of the same award. Defense Distinguished Service Medal (with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters) For Bosnia service Joint Staff, end of tour For service at U.S. Southern Command For service as Commander of the Kosovo conflict For service as Supreme Allied Commander, Europe Distinguished Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster) 1st Cavalry Division 1994 Upon retirement 2000 Legion of Merit (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters) Shape 1979 D.A. Staff 1983 MJC 1986 MJC 1991 Silver Star Medal 1970 Bronze Star Medal (with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster) 1969 1970 Purple Heart 1970 Meritorious Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster) 1977 1985 Army Commendation Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster) 1969 1974 Joint Meritorious Unit Citation 2000 National Defense Service Medal (with service star) Vietnam Service Medal (with 3 service stars) Army Service Ribbon Vietnam Campaign Medal Combat Infantryman Badge Parachutist Badge Ranger Tab Army Staff Identification Badge Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge U.S. Civilian awards Presidential Medal of Freedom, 2000 White House Fellowship, 1975 Legacy of Leadership Award, 1999 Lady Liberty Award for National Security and World Peace, 2000 Balkan Peace Award, 2001 Secretary of State's Open Forum Distinguished Public Service Award, 2001 Knighthoods The United States Constitution prohibits government officials from accepting titles of nobility from foreign governments, but no such prohibition exists on private citizens. Thus, Wes Clark was eligible for Knighthood following his retirement from the military, but any Knighthoods granted prior to his retirement were granted as "honorary" Knighthoods. The following are inductions into Orders that are categorized as Orders of Knighthood/Chivalry, or Orders in which Knight is the lowest rank: Honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire Commander of the Legion of Honor (France)[36] Knight Grand Cross in the Order of Orange-Nassau, with Swords (Netherlands) Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg The Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold (Belgium) Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy International honors Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Grand Cross of the Medal of Military Merit (Portugal) The Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Merit of Republic of Poland (Polish: Order Zaslugi Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej) Grand Military Service Cross (White Badge) (Spain) [44] Cross of Merit of the Minister of Defense First Class (Czech Republic) Order of Merit of the Hungarian Republic Commander's Cross, The Silver Order of Freedom of the Republic of Slovenia; Madarski Konnik Medal (Bulgaria) Commemorative Medal of the Minister of Defence of the Slovak Republic First Class (Slovakia) First Class Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas (Lithuania); First Class Order of the Cross of the Eagle (Estonia); The Skanderbeg Medal (Albania) Grand Cordon of the Ouissam Alaoui (Morocco) Order of May of Military Merit (Argentina) The Grade of Prince Trpimir with Ribbon and Star (Croatia) Meritorious Service Decoration (Military Division) of Canada Grand Commander of the Order of Vesthardes Rex (Latvia)