Editing Creighton Abrams (section)

===Early career===
Abrams graduated from the [[United States Military Academy]] at West Point in the Class of 1936, ranking 185th of 276 in the class.<ref>''[[Harper Encyclopedia of Military Biography]]''; [[Trevor N. Dupuy]], Curt Johnson, David L. Bongard; [[HarperCollins]] 1992</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/18/us/bruce-palmer-jr-87-led-forces-in-vietnam.html|last=Stout|first=David|authorlink=David Stout|title=Bruce Palmer Jr., 87; Led Forces in Vietnam|date=2000-10-18|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|page=23}}</ref> His classmates included [[Benjamin O. Davis Jr.]] and [[William Westmoreland]]. He served with the [[1st Cavalry Division (United States)|1st Cavalry Division]] from 1936 to 1940, being promoted to [[first lieutenant#United States|first lieutenant]] in 1939 and temporary captain in 1940.

Abrams became an armor officer early in the development of that branch and served as a tank company commander in the [[1st Armored Division (United States)|1st Armored Division]] in 1940.