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==Early life and education== Westmoreland was born in [[Spartanburg, South Carolina]], on 26 March 1914 to Eugenia Talley Childs and James Ripley Westmoreland. His [[upper middle class]] family was involved in the local banking and textile industries. Eugenia's aunt, Bessie Springs Childs, lived with other influential family members in [[Columbia, South Carolina]], owning property that would become the [[Visanska Starks House]]. The family operated Springs Industries (now [[Springs Global]]) railroads and utilities.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Boulware |first=Rick D. |date=August 25, 2022 |title=Springs, Leroy |url=https://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/springs-leroy/ |access-date=December 3, 2023 |website=South Carolina Encyclopedia}}</ref> At the age of 15, William became an [[Eagle Scout]] in his [[Boy Scouts of America]] (BSA) local council's Troop 1, and was recipient of the [[Distinguished Eagle Scout Award]] and [[Silver Buffalo]] from the BSA as a young adult. After spending a year at [[The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina|The Citadel]] in 1932,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.biography.com/people/william-westmoreland-9528510|title=William Westmoreland|website=Biography.com|language=en-us|access-date=2017-10-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171008075846/https://www.biography.com/people/william-westmoreland-9528510|archive-date=2017-10-08|url-status=dead}}</ref> he was appointed to attend the [[United States Military Academy]] on the nomination of Senator [[James F. Byrnes]], a family friend.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Whitney|first1=Craig R.|last2=Pace|first2=Eric|title=William C. Westmoreland Is Dead at 91; General Led U.S. Troops in Vietnam|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/20/world/asia/william-c-westmoreland-is-dead-at-91-general-led-us-troops-in.html|access-date=14 May 2017|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=20 July 2005}}</ref> Westmoreland said his motive for entering West Point was "to see the world". He was a member of a distinguished West Point class that also included [[Creighton Abrams]] and [[Benjamin O. Davis Jr.]] Westmoreland graduated as [[List of United States Military Academy first captains|First Captain]], the highest cadet rank, and received the Pershing Sword, which is "presented to the cadet with highest level of military proficiency".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://library.sc.edu/socar/mnscrpts/WCWcontentslist.pdf|title=Finding Aid for Papers (ca. 1900β2005) of General William Childs Westmoreland|publisher=[[University of South Carolina]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sc.edu/library/socar/uscs/99autm/westmor.html|title=Papers of Gen. William Westmoreland (USCS Autumn 1999)|access-date=2008-02-01|publisher=[[University of South Carolina]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724032029/http://www.sc.edu/library/socar/uscs/99autm/westmor.html|archive-date=2008-07-24|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20050720/ai_n14777626 |title=Obituary: General William Westmoreland|work=[[The Independent]]|access-date=2008-02-01}} {{Dead link|date=August 2010|bot=RjwilmsiBot}}</ref> Westmoreland also served as the superintendent of the Protestant Sunday School Teachers.<ref>1936 Howitzer Yearbook.</ref>
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