Creighton Williams Abrams, Jr. (September 15, 1914 – September 4, 1974) was a United States Army general who commanded military operations in the Vietnam War from 1968–72 (which saw U.S. troop strength in South Vietnam fall from a peak of 543,000 to 49,000). He served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1972 until shortly before his death in 1974. In 1980, the U.S. Army named its new main battle tank, the M1 Abrams, after General Abrams.