The President today announced his intention to nominate Maj. Gen. Thomas K. Turnage to be Administrator of Veterans Affairs. He would succeed Harry N. Walters.
Since 1981 General Turnage has been serving as Director of the Selective Service System. In 1979 he served as Special Assistant for Training and Readiness to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Reserve Affairs). Previously he served on active duty in the United States Army and the National Guard. His career with the Armed Forces spans a period of time from 1941 to 1981. His decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Korean Presidential Unit Citation, and the California Medal of Merit with three Oak Leaf Clusters.
He graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles (B.S.) and George Washington University (M.S.). He is married, has two children, and resides in Washington, DC. He was born June 27, 1923, in Conroe, TX.
Ronald Reagan, Nomination of Major General Thomas K. Turnage To Be Administrator of Veterans Affairs Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/258797