Former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman seriously injured in fall at home

<br>WASHINGTON (AP) _ Retired Army Gen. Henry H. Shelton, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, suffered a spinal injury in a weekend fall at his home, military officials said. <br><br>Shelton

Tuesday, March 26th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Retired Army Gen. Henry H. Shelton, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, suffered a spinal injury in a weekend fall at his home, military officials said.

Shelton was listed in stable condition Tuesday in Walter Reed Army Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Towanna Parker said.

Pentagon officials said Shelton fell off a ladder at his home Saturday and was taken to a suburban Virginia hospital before being transferred to Walter Reed.

Shelton stepped down as Joint Chiefs chairman Oct. 1, just before the United States went to war in Afghanistan in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He had served 38 years in the Army, the last four as the top military adviser to the president.

Shelton, 62, served two tours of duty in Vietnam and was a member of the Army's elite special forces. He was assistant division commander of operations for the 101st Airborne Division during the 1991 Persian Gulf War.