Gen. Wesley Clark

Jan. 16, 2004 2:29 PM PT

Personal
Born: Dec. 23, 1944, in Chicago

Hometown: Little Rock, Ark.

Family: Married Gert Kingston in 1967. One child, son Wes Clark II, born in 1969

Education: United States Military Academy at West Point, 1966. Oxford University, 1968

Career: Retired four-star general. NATO supreme allied commander, from 1997 to 2000.

By the numbers
38
Years Gen. Wesley K. Clark spent in the Army.
4
Number of times Clark was shot on a jungle patrol in Vietnam.
19
Number of nations under Clark’s command as supreme allied commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization from 1997 to 2000.
2
Number of nonfiction books written by Clark that have war themes.
More than 20
Number of awards Clark received from foreign nations, including honorary knighthood in Britain.
$1.9 million
Amount Clark’s campaign spent on TV ads in the last six months of 2003.
20%
Share of New Hampshire voters who support Clark, according to an American Research Group poll this week.

A closer look
“Possesses the highest standards of professional competence and ethics of any officer I know. Tempering brilliant intellect with pragmatic know-how, and strong leadership qualities, LTC Clark is the most gifted officer of his rank in the Army today. He undoubtedly will wear three or four stars some day. Promote and send to the war college immediately; select for Brigade Command as quickly as regulations permit.” -- Evaluation given by Gen. Edwin Burba Jr. in March 1980, when Clark was a lieutenant colonel.

The lowdown
After a stumbling start, Clark turned in a solid fourth-quarter fundraising performance, finishing second in the Democratic money chase. His military background lends him strong national security credentials. But his strategy, counting on victory after the first round of voting in Iowa and New Hampshire, is a risky one that has failed others.

Analysis by Times staff writer Mark Barabak

Sources: New Yorker, Boston Globe, National Journal, Campaign Media Analysis Group and https://www.Clark04.com