Retired Sgt. Maj. Leon L. Van Autreve of San Antonio died March 14, 2002. He was 82.

Van Autreve, the fourth sergeant major of the Army, was sworn in July 1, 1973, and served until June 1975.

He was born in Eeklo, Belgium, on Jan. 29, 1920.

He attended George Washington University, the University of Toledo, the University of Maryland and Alaska Methodist University. He was a member of Phi Alpha Theta.

Van Autreve was a veteran of World War II and the Vietnam War. He entered the Army in August 1941 at Delphos, Ohio.

After basic training at Fort Belvoir, Va., he served overseas with the 9th Infantry Division and participated in the invasion of Port Lyautey, Africa.

He was discharged in August 1945 and enlisted again in March 1948. After a tour in Germany from 1950 to 1954, he served as an ROTC instructor at the University of Toledo until 1958. He then was assigned to CONRAC Armor Board at Fort Knox, Ky., remaining there until reassignment to South Korea in 1960. He returned to Fort Belvoir and was promoted to sergeant major in 1962. He served as sergeant major of the 91st Engineer Battalion from 1962 to 1963. From 1963 to 1964, he was stationed in Indonesia; from 1964 to 1967, in Germany as sergeant major of the 317th Engineer Battalion; and from 1967 to 1969, in Vietnam as sergeant major of the 20th Engineer Brigade. In July 1969, he was selected for assignment as command sergeant major in Alaska, where he remained until he was selected as the sergeant major of the Army.

He retired after 32 years of service.

Van Autreve’s awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, the Soldiers Medal, the Bronze Star Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal; the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal and Parachute Badge.

Van Autreve is survived by his wife of 50 years, Rita; two daughters, Robin Shipkey and Jodi Bearden; a brother, Edgar; and a sister, Mary Keipper; and two grandchildren.

Burial with full military honors was in Fort Sam Houston Cemetery