Retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. William M. “Bill” Matz Jr. ’61, a frequent participant in Gettysburg College alumni and academic forums sponsored by the Eisenhower Institute and Gettysburg College, died on Feb. 23 at age 87.
Matz served on the Eisenhower Institute’s (EI) National Advisory Council for more than a decade. His dedication to EI and Gettysburg was evident in his generous time given to support activities and programs hosted by EI and the College.
Matz contributed to EI’s Inside Politics Seminar with Casey Pipes and Susan Eisenhower’s Strategy and Leadership in Transformational Times (SALTT) program. He was also part of the 1998 public policy task force of the Commission on the Future, an initiative that made several recommendations for Gettysburg’s future, which included laying the foundation for what would become EI.
Born in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, Matz navigated the challenges of polio throughout his childhood, demonstrating courage, conviction, determination, and fortitude. He overcame these physical limitations and ultimately became an Airborne Ranger in the U.S. Army.
Matz received his undergraduate degree from Gettysburg College, where he was a member of the College’s 1832 Society, and completed his master’s degree at the University of San Diego.
“We are deeply grateful to Gen. Matz for his life of service, his love of country, and his remarkable dedication to ensuring the Eisenhower Institute remains true to its mission of honoring the legacy of President Dwight D. Eisenhower,” said Gettysburg College President Bob Iuliano. “His commitment to the Eisenhower Institute National Advisory has been invaluable in elevating the work of Gettysburg College on the national stage. Gen. Matz truly lived a consequential life.”
Matz’s military career spans five decades, from service appointments that took him from Korea to Panama. During the Vietnam War, he commanded a rifle company with the 9th Infantry Division and was wounded in action during the 1968 Tet Offensive. Over the course of his military service, Matz received several commendations, including the Distinguished Service Cross, the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star for Valor, the Purple Heart, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
After retiring from the Army with the rank of major general in 1995 following a 33-year career of active-duty service, Matz went on to work in the defense industry with Raytheon Co. in Brazil and Washington, D.C. He also led Vinnell/Northrop Grumman’s Saudi Arabian National Guard Modernization Program in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
In 2005, President George W. Bush appointed Matz to the Veterans Disability Benefits Commission, where he championed advocacy for service members, veterans, and their families. In 2018, President Donald Trump appointed him Secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission. Matz served in this role from 2018 to 2021 and led U.S. commemoration efforts in Europe to mark the centennial of the end of World War I and the 75th anniversaries of D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge.
Reflecting on his distinguished career of military service, Matz wrote “My Toughest Battle: A Soldier’s Lifelong Struggle with Polio,” which he published in January 2025. Matz visited campus in April 2025 for a book talk that included a presentation with History Prof. Michael Birkner ’72, P’10 to an audience that included some of Matz’s Gettysburg classmates and ROTC students from Gettysburg and Dickinson College.
Matz is survived by his wife, Linda Heal Matz; his son, William Matz III, and his wife, Helen Matz; and his daughters, Heather Matz Jorris and her husband, Peter Jorris, and Rebecca Matz Wall and her fiancé, Peter Cashion. He is also survived by seven grandsons—William, Benjamin and his wife Alyssa, Joshua, Max, Luke, Alexander, and Ian—and his sister, Rebecca Pearce.
Interment will take place at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.