national vice-president of the organization. In 1948 he met Carol Shearing of Marilla, New York, and they were married in 1949. Recalled to active duty with the Army in 1950, General Olmsted assumed command of the Army's military assistance operations. Once again, it was a case of finding the equipment and resources that Allied Governments requested and getting it to them. So successful were his activities that he was promoted to major general in 1951 and assigned to the Office of the Secretary of Defense to assume command of all US government military assistance be it Army, Navy, or Air Force. Released from active service in 1953, Olmsted returned to Des Moines to resume his business career. He continued, however, to serve in the Army Reserve and was the Commanding General of the 103rd Infantry Division USAR from 1953 to 1959. Business interests Shortly after his separation from active duty in 1953, Olmsted bought control of United Services Life Insurance Company, which wrote life insurance for officers of the military services. In 1955, he purchased control of International Bank of Washington. In 1959, he purchased Financial General Bankshares, the 7th largest bank holding company in the country, from his partners at the Equity Corporation. The final form for Olmsted's business ventures had come into being. All of the companies were grouped under International Bank or Financial General, both of which were headquartered in Washington, D.C. International Bank (IB) was headquartered in a building at 1701 Pennsylvania Avenue (diagonally across from the Old Executive Office Building and the White House) in Washington and controlled the activities of several companies which were separated into five operating groups: The Life Insurance Group – United Services Life Insurance Company/Bankers Security Life Insurance Society. The Property and Casualty Insurance Group – Hawkeye-Security Insurance Company and the other insurance companies in Des Moines. The International Maritime Group – The International Trust Company of Liberia which administered the registration of vessels under the Liberian flag. The International Banking Group – Ownership interests with local partners in commercial banks in 10 foreign countries. The Industrial Group – Globe Industries, Kliklok Corporation, Avis Industrial Corporation, and a 16% ownership of Foster Wheeler Corporation. In December 1972, International Bank (IB) bought a two thirds stake in the Mercantile Bank & Trust Company which had a bank in Freeport, Bahamas, the Mercantile Bank of Freeport, and another bank in the Cayman