About Host Lt. Col. Dennis Gillem, US Army (Ret)
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Denny graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point in June 1964 and was commissioned in the infantry. After military schooling he was assigned to Fort Carson, Colorado Springs, CO, where he served with the 5th Infantry Division, met and proposed to his wife, Marilyn, and volunteered for duty in Vietnam.
He served in combat with the First Infantry Division for a year and returned to marry Marilyn; he then assumed command of an airborne rifle company of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, KY. He paid his first visit to Michigan when he deployed his company to assist in controlling the Detroit Riots in 1967. Shortly thereafter his division was deployed to Vietnam in time for the fighting during Tet 1968. As a consequence of these two combat tours Denny received the Combat Infantryman’s Badge and 7 US awards for valor.
He was selected for early promotion to major and sent to earn his masters degree in political science at the University of Texas at El Paso. He subsequently served with the ROTC unit at Stanford University where he helped close down that unit. After serving with a mechanized infantry battalion in Germany, Denny returned to the US to be the war planner for Europe and the Middle East at US Readiness Command in Florida. He served as the head of the Army ROTC unit at the University of Tampa and then was transferred to serve as an Army Advisor to the Michigan National Guard. Denny and Marilyn fell in love with western Michigan and decided to retire from the Army (in 1986) and stay in the area.
Since leaving the Army, Denny has worked in sales, leadership, consulting, and academic positions in the community. He currently teaches American Government at GRCC and political science and management for the University of Phoenix. He was the founding chair of the 1776 Society of Veterans, a political action committee that endorsed candidates for office. Denny is also a business-networking fanatic, serving as a local director for Business Network International and as the chair of the Grand Rapids Area Chamber’s Business Networking Committee.
Denny enjoys reading, spending time with his family, and refereeing youth soccer. He is active in his church, Grand Rapids First Assembly.
Denny’s vision for Frontlines of Freedom is to be a light focusing on the brave men and women who have and are defending our freedom. Freedom isn’t free and the price for it is paid by the soldiers who serve and their families and loved ones. We want to look at the groups that support our veterans and their families, the employers who sometimes have to see their best employees leave for a while, and the organizations who care for veterans who can’t care for themselves.
Military Highlights
Colonel Denny Gillem graduated from West Point in 1964 and served in the infantry for 22 years. Highlights of his career include:
1965–66: First Infantry Division in Vietnam; Rifle Platoon Leader and aide-de-campe
1967–68: 101st Airborne Division in US and Vietnam. Rifle company commander and assistant G3 operations officer.
1974–77: First Infantry Division in Germany; Mechanized Infantry Battalion XO.
1977–81: US Readiness Command – Mideast War Planner
1981–84: University of Tampa – Professor of Military Science
1984–86: Army Advisor, Michigan Army National Guard
Awards Received include:
• Silver Star (Valor)
• Distinguished Flying Cross (Valor)
• Soldiers Medal (Heroism not involving contact with the enemy)
• Bronze Star (3 awards for Heroism; 2 awards for Meritorious Service)
• Purple Heart (2 awards)
• Army Commendation Medal (1 award for heroism; one award for meritorious service)
• Combat Infantryman’s Badge
• Expert Infantryman’s Badge
• Parachutist Wings
• Ranger Tab
Academic Achievements:
• US Military Academy, BS (Engineering)
• U of Texas at El Paso, MA (Political Science)
• Stanford University, MA in Education (Administration)
• Cornerstone University (Coursework towards Master of Divinity)
• Western Michigan University (Coursework towards PhD in higher education leadership)
