Hometown: Arlington, Texas

Military Branch: Army

Years Served: 1965-1969

Rank: Captain

Honors: Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Parachutist Badge, Purple Heart, Silver Star Medal, UTA Distinguished Alumni Award, UTA Military Science Hall of Honor

Biography:

Rex H. Latham, a retired senior Central Intelligence Agency Officer, graduated from Arlington State College (now UT Arlington) in 1965 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. Active in the school’s Corps of Cadets, he served as Commander during his senior year and was also a member of the Sam Houston Rifles. A Distinguished Military Graduate, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, serving on active duty from 1965-1969.

Mr. Latham began his military career as a Platoon Leader and Company Commander with units in the Dominican Republic, Vietnam and Thailand. While serving as an Advisor to the South Vietnamese army, he was awarded the Silver Star for heroic actions and gallantry under fire. He also has received the Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Air Medal, Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman’s Badge and Parachutist Badge.

After leaving the Army, Mr. Latham earned a Master’s Degree in Government from the University of Texas at Austin in 1971. He joined the CIA later that year. His intelligence assignments included serving as Chief of Station, Chief of an interagency program, Executive Assistant to the Executive Director and Deputy Division Chief for Counterintelligence. He was soon promoted to the CIA senior ranks and received numerous awards, including the Intelligence Commendation Medal and several Exceptional Performance Awards and Meritorious Unit Citations. He retired from the CIA in1998 as a Senior Intelligence Officer, a position equivalent to the rank of Brigadier General in the military.

He is a charter member of the Sam Houston Rifles Alumni Association and in 1999 organized a Washington D.C. chapter. At UT Arlington, Mr. Latham is a member of the Cadet Corps Alumni Council and Military Science Department's Hall of Honor and was recognized in 2000 as a UT Arlington Distinguished Alumnus.

Interview Clips

Interview Date: February 24, 2013

Summary:

Active in the Arlington State College’s Corps of Cadets and serving as Corps Commander his senior year, Mr. Latham graduated with a BA in History. Mr. Latham was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Army. This interview includes recollections of Mr. Latham’s military career, from the start of his career as Platoon Lead and Company Commander with units in the Dominican Republic, Thailand and Vietnam. Mr. Latham also talks about joining the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) after graduating from UT Austin in 1971. While with the CIA, he rose through the ranks and at retirement in 1998 as Senior Intelligence Officer.