ARLINGTON, Va. – Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Herbert R. Temple Jr., former chief of the National Guard Bureau, died Dec. 29. He was 96.
Temple served as the CNGB from 1986 to 1990, capping 43 years of military service. During his time as chief, he was instrumental in shaping the National Guard of today.
“One of the first calls I received when I became chief was from Lt. Gen. Temple and it meant the world to me,” said U.S. Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, the 30th CNGB. “Lt. Gen. Temple was a general among generals and a leader among leaders. He leaves behind an exceptional, extraordinary legacy, and I am so grateful for his support of the National Guard and his service to our nation.”
Temple oversaw the Guard’s growth to more than 550,000 Soldiers and Airmen and expanded the engagement of Guard units in operations worldwide. He also oversaw Army National Guard brigades undergo regular large-scale training rotations at the National Training Center and was the driving force behind the construction of the Army National Guard headquarters building in Arlington, Virginia.
In 2017, the building was renamed in his honor.
“I had the opportunity to do everything I, perhaps, wanted to do to improve the National Guard," Temple said during the renaming ceremony. "I didn't get it all done, but you guys did. You've made a tremendous contribution, and thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for what you've done to make the National Guard what it is today."
Temple was born in Los Angeles Feb. 28, 1928. He graduated from Polytechnic High School in 1947 before enlisting in the 160th Infantry Regiment, 40th Infantry Division, California Army National Guard.
In September 1950, he deployed to Korea, serving as a sergeant in Company B, 5th Regimental Combat Team, 24th Infantry Division. During the war, Temple earned the Combat Infantryman Badge. In 1952, he returned to California and received a direct commission as a second lieutenant in the 160th Infantry Regiment.
"With a few strokes of a pen on an Army form, Herb became an officer," retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Joseph Lengyel, the 28th CNGB, said in 2017. "That was lucky for us because the National Guard gained a tremendous officer who would monumentally impact the National Guard."
Lengyel said Temple’s commitment and leadership set the standard and provided the pathway to transitioning the National Guard to the operational reserve of the Army and the Air Force.
"Herb made a commitment to never let Guard members suffer the same experiences from lack of training, readiness and equipment that he and his fellow Soldiers endured in Korea," he said.
On Dec. 19, current and former Guard leaders dedicated a display in honor of Temple in the Army National Guard headquarters building that bears his name.
"He was a trailblazer, a real force of nature,” said U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Jonathan Stubbs, the 23rd director of the Army National Guard. “He set this great organization on a path to future success for which his successors are certainly grateful. I know I am.
"When we walk into this building, especially our younger Soldiers, we will get to see who this man, who this great Soldier, this great officer, this great leader, this exceptional general, who he was, who he is, what he represented and what legacy he left," Stubbs said.
Retired U.S. Army Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, the 29th chief of the National Guard Bureau, spoke of his personal experiences interacting with Temple.
"During my time as director of the Army National Guard and then as chief, he provided valuable insights and historical perspectives that were in many ways timeless,” Hokanson said. “He is the kind of man that from the minute you see him, hear his voice, you automatically smile, because you are with both a friend and a mentor at the same time.”
That had a tremendous impact.
"In his presence, you wanted to stand tall, sit straighter, fully appreciate the honor of serving our nation and endeavor to do our absolute best,” he said. “Because with him, you were with a true patriot, someone we could all learn from, and we are blessed to become better Soldiers and people.”
Temple served in a range of command and staff positions in the California Army Guard before being assigned to the NGB in 1975 as the chief of the Office of Mobilization and Readiness. In 1978, he was named the deputy director of the Army Guard and then director in 1982. Following his tenure as the 21st CNGB, Temple retired from the U.S. Army on Feb. 1, 1990, after over 43 years of service.
"It must be obvious that standing before you today is an old man, a very old man," Temple said in 2017 when the Army Guard building was dedicated to him. "If in my last time on Earth, I'm still cognizant and I can still picture things, I believe that I will think of many of you. I'll hear your voices. I'll remember our times together and in the final moments, it will be the Guard, the Guard, the Guard."