▁of ▁his ▁prede cess or ▁General ▁William ▁R . ▁Pe ers ' ▁de br ief ing ▁report , ▁he ▁question ed ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁any ▁disc ern ible ▁progress ▁during ▁the ▁past ▁two ▁years . ▁" Fran k ly ," ▁Collins ▁observed , ▁" I ▁do ▁not ▁know ▁what ▁happened ▁between ▁ 1 9 6 8 - ▁ 1 9 7 0 ," ▁bel ieving ▁that ▁" if ▁the ▁AR V N ▁combat ▁units ▁had ▁improved ▁as ▁much ▁as ▁indicated ▁by ▁General ▁Pe ers , ▁somewhere ▁along ▁the ▁line ▁they ▁had ▁again ▁sli pped ▁back ▁a ▁long ▁way ." ▁Upon ▁his ▁arrival ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁Collins ▁jud ged ▁that ▁the ▁local ▁Vietnam ese ▁forces ▁were ▁" wo e fully ▁weak ▁because ▁of ▁lack ▁of ▁leadership ▁at ▁the ▁regiment al ▁and ▁batt alion ▁level ," ▁and ▁he ▁exhib ited ▁little ▁of ▁Pe ers ' ▁optim ism . ▁ ▁Post ▁Vietnam ▁He ▁served ▁as ▁acting ▁Command ing ▁General , ▁United ▁States ▁Army ▁Europe ▁from ▁ 2 0 ▁March ▁to ▁ 2 6 ▁May ▁ 1 9 7 1 . ▁ ▁He ▁retired ▁from ▁the ▁Army ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 7 4 . ▁ ▁He ▁died ▁on ▁ 7 ▁January ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁in ▁Washington ▁D . C . ▁and ▁was ▁buried ▁at ▁West ▁Point ▁C emetery . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Category : 1 9 1 5 ▁birth s ▁Category : 1 9 8 4 ▁death s ▁Category : American ▁army ▁personnel ▁of ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁War ▁Category :