Frank A. Henning

NO. 17759  •  4 May 1927 - 30 May 2000

Died in Atlanta, GA
Inurned in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA


Frank Andrew Henning III, or "Bud," as his family called him, was born at Jefferson Barracks, MO, where his mother’s parents were stationed. His maternal grandfather was an Army officer, as was his father, who had graduated from West Point in 1920. Bud grew up during the Depression on Army posts at Ft. Sill, OK, Ft. Leavenworth, KS; Ft. Bragg, NC; and Washington, DC. Bud had no doubts about what he wanted to do with his life. At an early age he knew that West Point and the Army were his destiny. The advent of WWII only reinforced that desire and, instead of accompanying his parents around the United States while his father's division prepared for combat overseas, Bud enrolled in the Gunnery School in Washington, CT and then at Sullivan’s Preparatory School in Washington, DC, to prepare for West Point.

As a cadet, Frank, as his classmates knew him, although quiet and serious in outlook, was popular and well liked by his company mates. More importantly, he was seen as a friend who could be counted on when anyone needed help. That was how those who knew him best as a cadet remembered him. Many years after graduation, a company mate recalled how, during Plebe year, Frank had humorously advised him to try out for the Plebe soccer squad. If successful, this would give his friend a chance to eat his meals at a training table, free from the harassment of upperclassmen. Frank specifically suggested soccer because soccer was not a very familiar sport in those days and a plebe stood a fairly decent chance of making the team. The cadet in question admitted that he did not take the advice offered. He also ruefully recalled that he never did get to sit at a training table.

The '50 Howitzer noted that Frank was conscientious in every assigned duty, frequently suggesting additions to or improvements in cadet administrative matters. He was active in the French club and served on the staff of the Howitzer. His selection as a cadet first lieutenant during his First Class year reflected the high esteem in which both his classmates and the Academy staff held him.

After graduation on 6 Jun 1950, Frank, as a new second lieutenant of Infantry, was assigned to the 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Division, stationed at Bamberg, Germany. In later years he would enjoy attending the many reunions of the division, his beloved "Blue Spaders." It was during this initial posting that Frank met his future wife, Ann Crane, in Heidelberg, Germany, in 1951. Ann was there on a European tour with her mother - a graduation gift following Ann's graduation from the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena, CA. Frank and Ann met at the Officers Club in Heidelberg, and they married three months later.

Some of Frank' s Army career highlights include service with the Ist Battle Group, 21st Infantry Regiment in Korea (1956); aide toGeneral Charles Palmer (1957-60) at the Presidio in California, and the Army Language School in Monterey, CA, where he became proficient in Portuguese with a follow-on assignment as an instructor in that language at West Point (1961-64). After graduating in 1968 from the Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, Frank went on to serve as a battalion commander in Viet Nam in the 173rd Airborne Brigade. During his tour he was awarded the Legion of Merit, a Bronze Star for Valor, three Bronze Stars, five Air Medals, and the Combat Infantryman Badge. In the early 1970s Frank's extensive experience with the Infantry was put to good use at the Land Warfare Laboratory at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. His performance in this command as operations officer and chief, Military Operations Division, resulted in his being awarded the Meritorious Service Medal when he left that assignment. His final service duty was with the Reserve Divisions Group at Ft. Gillem, GA. When he retired from this assignment in 1978 as a lieutenant colonel, he was awarded his second Legion of Merit.

While in retirement in Decatur, GA, Frank worked extensively on family genealogy, authoring Ayers and Heirs, a book that explored his mother's side of his family. His marriage to Ann ended in divorce in 1992. After a long battle with cancer, Frank passed away in hospice care eight years later. He is survived by his two daughters and sons-in-law: Kay Hopkins and James Hopkins, LCDR USN (retired), of Springfield, VA; Carol Snyder and Dr. Robert Snyder of Carrollton, GA, six grandchildren; and his brother, William L. Henning. The pride and deep interest that Frank had in his children and grandchildren were readily apparent in the descriptions he provided about them in his contributions to the class's reunion books.

Frank was a loyal son of West Point who served his country in peace and war with great distinction. He lived a life that reflected the Academy creed of "Duty, Honor, Country. His family, classmates, and friends continue to miss him.

- Daugters Kay Hopkins and Carol Snyder, and brother William Henning

Falkner Heard, Jr.

NO. 17903  •  31 October 1927 – 20 August 1999

Died in San Antonio, TX
Interred in Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio, TX


TO HAVE KNOWN FALKNER HEARD, JR., is to have been acquainted with a legend. Many people have been privileged to share with him the heritage of his forbearers, the contributions of his life, and the legacy of his posterity- Falkner spent a life in, with, and about, the Army.

Falkner was born in San Antonio, TX, to COL and Mrs. Falkner Heard, pillars of Army and San Antonio life. His uncles, MG Jack Heard and BG Townsend Heard, were legendary Army officers. His family contributed much of the Army's history of the past century in the southwest. Falkner would regale listeners with the story of his grandfather reporting for duty and being informed by the adjutant that he was joining a hard drinking, hard playing outfit where most of the officers had been court-martialed. Queried as to whether he had ever been court-martialed, Falkner's grandfather replied, "Yes, and for murder!" Falkner told the story even better over the years.

There was little doubt Falkner would attend USMA. After a try with the Class of '49, he graduated with the Class of '50. Falkner lived on the edge. He was disciplined and smart enough to have graduated with ease, but his challenges of the system were his fun, and he lived them to the hilt. Who could ever forget the ball of yarn unrolled from under his arm by the frantic efforts of an upperclassman to remove this affront to discipline, and ending up with a small ball of yarn at his feet on the pavement.

It would be an exaggeration to call Falkner academically distinguished, but he applied his creative talents to cheerleading. He distinguished himself on the cadet skeet team and, later, on the U.S. Constabulatory skeet team.

It was a source of wonder just how Falkner, who always wore glasses, was such a crack shot. He must have had some form of built-in human radar, because he seldom missed a living, or artificial, bird on the skeet range or the ranch at Boerne.

After graduation, Falkner spent two years with the 70th Armored Field Artillery Battalion in Fussen and Nuremberg, Germany. After serving as an aide-de-camp to MG Raleigh B. Hendrix, he attended the Artillery Battery Course at Ft. Sill. He left the Army in December 1954 for one year and returned in December 1955 as a member of the staff and faculty at Ft. Bliss. During 1959-60, he served as a battery commander in the 19th Field Artillery Battalion in Korea and, during 1960-63, served on the staff of Headquarters, U.S. Forces Japan. Following CGSC in 1964, he served as a staff officer in the 35th Artillery and on the Army Staff in the Pentagon during 1965-67. Service as an operations officer with G-3, Army, in Viet Nam was followed by command of the 2d Battalion, 77th Field Artillery in Viet Nam. During 1968-70, he was an instructor in the Department and Tactics and Combined Arms at the Field Artillery School. During 1970-73, he was on the NATO staff and, during 1973-77, he served at Ft. Sam Houston as an inspector in the office of the Fifth Army Inspector General.

Returning to active duty following his one-year civilian sojourn, he married Jean Wheeler, joining another distinguished Army family with that of the Heards. He claimed his marriage to Jean was the smartest thing he ever did. Their union was blessed with three children - Falkner III, Victoria, and Richard - and all three graduated from Texas A&M. Falkner and Jean were blessed with eight grandchildren. Falkner III, nicknamed "Tres," currently commands the 76th MP Battalion and is the Provost Marshal at Ft. Bliss, TX. Falkner's sister Amy and two nephews also survive him.

Falkner's service was marked by dedicated professional competence, as he always applied himself to the task at hand. He constantly sought any way or means to make life better for those he served and led. Originality and wit always accompanied his accomplishments.

His best friend and neighbor, Charlie Cheever, stated, "to know Falkner was to be acquainted with mischief." Life was never a dull moment in Falkner's company, but there is an important caveat in that, although he was the personification of mischief, he was never mean, cruel nor tawdry. No one ever was embarrassed by his plots and schemes, and all were amused by his deviltry.

Falkner was epicurean in his tastes. He was a connoisseur of food, art, music, antiques, travel, and architecture. There were few museums he had not visited, and the many treasures he and Jean collected were the envy of many.

Following his retirement for physical disability, he never complained, no matter how discomforting his ailments. His therapy was to travel, and the peregrinations of Falkner and Jean Heard were legendary - Europe, Egypt, Australia, New Zealand, Eastern Europe, Belize, and several cruises, to include rounding Cape Horn.

Falkner Heard had one particularly significant and admirable trait - his loyalty to his legion of friends. Years would pass between meetings with him, but when reunions occurred, it was as if the absence had been only a matter of days, or even hours. He never missed a chance to originate a new plot to raise hell about something, or somewhere, involving everyone in sight.

Falkner will remain in the eyes of his family and friends as the personification of the following excerpt from Wordsworth's description of The Happy Warrior, 

"Who is the happy Warrior? Who is he 
That every Man in Arms should wish to be? 
It is the generous Spirit who, when brought 
Among the tasks of real life, hath wrought 
Upon the plan that pleased his boyish thought: 
Whose high endeavors are an inward light 
That makes the path before him always bright: 
Who, with a natural instinct to discern 
What knowledge can perform, is diligent to learn 
Abides by this resolve, and stops not there 
But makes his moral being his prime care 
Who doomed to go in company with Pain, 
And Fear and Bloodshed, miserable train 
Turns his necessity to glorious gain... 
... And while the mortal mist is gathering 
Draws his breath in confidence of Heaven's Applause 
This is the Happy Warrior, this is He 
That every man in arms should wish to be."

Rest in peace, blithe spirit. You live in the love of family and friends, secure in pleasant memories, and are the legacy of accomplishment in all that you attempted and concluded in life.

John S. Harrold

NO. 17999  •  30 Jun 1926 - 9 May 1990

Died in Wayne, MI
Interred: West Point Cemetery, West Point, NY


John Sherman Harrold was born into the Army at Ft. Bliss, TX. He was known affectionately as "Sherman" to his family and "Pop" to his classmates. The latter name he took from his father, the oldest mem­ber of the Class of '23. Typically, Sherman bounced around from sta­tion to station with his parents and younger brothers.

During his formative teenage years, Sherman organized a Boy Scout troop from top to bottom. He enlisted an NCO as a scoutmaster, rallied the kids on the base and, soon, the Boy Scouts of America sanc­tioned the troop. He achieved the coveted rank of eagle, serving as a role model for those following him and, later, organized teenage basketball and baseball teams that competed with surrounding community teams.

Sherman graduated from Polytechnic Preparatory School in Brooklyn, NY, while his father was stationed at Ft. Jay on Governors Island. He went on to attend Sullivan’s Preparatory School in Washington, DC, and then enlisted in the Army. In September 1945, he went to the Academy Preparatory School at Amherst Col­lege, followed by 11 weeks at Ft. Benning for USMA preparatory training.

Sherman’s father was his role model and, like his father, Sherman took the tough and highly competi­tive presidential examination for West Point. He passed it and joined his classmates on the Plain in July 1946. During his four years at the Academy, Sherman kept a low profile. Academics never were a problem. However, he made himself conspicuous on the Army cross­country and track teams because he loved to run the distance events and always gave the full measure of his ability. He was most proud of the gold medals he won at the Army-Navy meets and Penn Relays at Madison Square Garden during his First Class year.

Within weeks after Graduation Day, Sherman was an Artillery forward observer with the 49th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division, Korea. Like so many in his class, Sherman went straight into combat without the benefit of branch training. His unit made it to the Yalu River in North Korea but when overwhelmed by Chinese Communist forces, his unit was forced to withdraw through the Hamhung beachhead.

Upon his return to the states, Sherman attended the Army Missile School at Ft. Bliss, where he met and courted the lovely Joan Schock. In June 1954, they married at the Cadet Chapel at West Point, a wel-l­known sacred ground to Sherman, since he had been a choir member for four years.

Sherman then was assigned to the 504th Missile Battalion stationed around the Detroit-Dearborn, MI areas and took over a battery that had just been rated the lowest in the battalion by a recent Inspector Gen­eral investigation. Within three months, he turned the battery around and it was rated the most outstanding in the entire Detroit defense area. His leadership skills and courage to fight for "the harder right instead of the easier wrong" and prevail when the going got tough were bedrock to Sherman’s character. However, hav­ing to work with units spread out over large metropoli­tan areas discouraged and frustrated a young, impres­sionable first lieutenant. That was not the Army he had known and loved. He resigned in 1958.

After receiving a fellowship at the University of Michigan in 1959, Sherman taught physics and math at middle and high school levels. He was very civic-­minded and volunteered time and effort to commu­nity affairs, such as the Penrickton School for the Blind, and the Leader Dog School, and served as president of the local Lions Club and as scoutmaster in the Boy Scouts. He also was active in the Masonic Order and was a 32d degree Mason.

He worked with retarded youths and spent count­less hours seeking to redeem members of youth gangs and other troubled youth through scouting. During his last year of teaching, 1,000 previous students signed a petition to have Sherman transfer from a middle school in Garden City, MI, across town to their high school. The administration would not support it. That incident reflects the chemistry Sherman had with kids of all ages and his intense and unselfish desire for them to achieve their potential.

Sherman’s life on earth was taken all too soon, but those who knew him can be assured that he had a greater calling. We shall remember him for his love for his fellow man, his quiet unobtrusive values, and his adherence to principles of loyalty, unshakable in­tegrity, his steadfast religious faith, and his determina­tion to give his best.

Sherman was a loving husband and father, a faith­ful friend, and an outstanding soldier. He was buried with full military honors at West Point. Another son has joined his father in the Long Gray Line. Well done, Sherman. Be thou at peace.

Sherman is survived by his wife, Joan Feig; two sons John Sherman, Jr., and Thomas Lloyd David; and two brothers, Thomas U. Harrold and Arthur C. Harrold.

- His family and friends

George Ervine Hannan

NO. 17685  •  23 August 1927 – 2 October 1950

Killed in Action October 2, 1950, near Wonju, Korea, aged 23 years.


George Ervine Hannon was born at Mobridge, South Dakota on 23 August 1927, the son of Colonel and Mrs. William Seaton Hannan. His early education was secured in a number of South Dakota schools, and In 1945 he graduated with honors from the high school of Pierre, South Dakota.

Soon after his high school graduation, he met his future wife, Miss Georgia Banks, at a Prisoner of War Camp in Wyoming, where his father was Commanding Officer and Georgia's father was Post Engineer.

On his eighteenth birthday, George reported for Induction in the Army and spent some weeks at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. Soon after his Induction he received an appointment to the Military Academy from Senator Harlan Bushfield of South Dakota and was sent to Amherst College as a Student In the USMA Preparatory School there. After a year of training be received a discharge from the Army to enter West Point In July 1946.

His first year was not the easiest plebe year ever spent at the Academy, and he seemed to appreciate his upper class years more than did most cadets. Always a studious person, George managed to survive, and his graduation in the middle of his class was a major victory. During his four years as a cadet, he participated In many extra- curricular activities, Including work with the Howitzer, the Camera Club, the Concert Orchestra, and the Record Lending Library. He was a co-founder of the Record Library, and In his First Class year served as president of the organization. Athletically inclined, his forte was handball, at which sport he easily held his own against all comers.

On 6 June 1950 two of his three goals were reached. He was commissioned in the United States Army and assigned to the Signal Corps, and Graduation Day was made complete by the traditional West Point wedding to his longtime sweetheart, Georgia. Unfortunately, both graduation leave and honeymoon were abruptly cut short in July by movement orders for preparation for overseas shipment. Just three months later he was to give his life In attaining his third goal - that of bringing only honor to his loved ones and to West Point.

He reported to the 205th Signal Repair Company, Fort Lewis, Washington, on 26 July 1960, and on 4 August sailed for the Orient. After a short stay in Japan, George landed at Pusan, Korea, on 16 September.

Although with his unit In Korea only a very short period before his untimely death, George made an Indelible impression upon both the officer and enlisted personnel of his company by his remarkable ability to understand the situation and solve the problem at hand. On one occasion he led a convoy of trucks almost one hundred miles over unchartered roads, with the constant threat of the enemy to his flank, in order to get back to his unit.

On the night of his death, his signal repair unit was attached to the Sixth Republic of Korea Division, a very fluid organization. When word reached George that approximately 2,400 North Korean troops were almost upon them, there was no hope of an organized withdrawal. Being In a walled enclosure, their only hope of escape was in fleeing over the far wall. The proximity of the enemy was disclosed when one man was wounded by small arms fire. George's Distingulshed Service Cross citation reads in part ". . . With total disregard for his own safety Lieutenant Hannan maintained his position, although wounded several times, until all the enlisted men had cleared the area. When the enemy stormed into the compound, by sheer weight of numbers, Lieutenant Hannan was overwhelmed. The gallant sacrifice of life and heroic action of this oflicer saved the remainder of the detachment from certain annihilation. . ."

George Is survived by his widow, Mrs. Georgia Banks Hannan, of 1731 Princeton Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota; his parents, Colonel and Mrs. William S. Hannan, of 902 East Capitol Avenue, Pierre, South Dakota; his brother, William S. Hannan, Jr., of Austinville, Virginia; and his sister, Mrs. William A. Griffith of Palmerton, Penn. His family and friends knew him to be a person of high ideals with a great capacity for leadership. An editorial written after his death said in part, " …George Hannon was a gentleman by nature, a soldier by profession, and an officer by merit and Act of Congress…he died in the performance of duty assigned to him In the service his country . . . we hope his sacrifice will promote the cause of peace in a better world. . ." . George’s remains were returned to United States for burial and on 28 May 1951 he was laid to rest with all military honors at Riverside Cemetery in his home town of Pierre, South Dakota. Quite appropriately, the memorial services were closed with the words, "He gave his life so that others might live ... no higher tribute can be paid to any man ... Well done, good and faithful servant."

- His widow Georgia and his classmate Harold G. Nabham

Charles W. Hammond

NO. 17499  •  9 September 1926 – 31 May 1991

Died in Fairfax, VA
Interred in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA


CHARLES "CHUCK" WILBUR HAMMONDwas born in Terre Haute, IN. He attended elementary and secondary schools in California, and during 1944 ‑46 he enlisted in the Navy and the Army. It was from the Army’s preparatory school at Amherst College and Ft. Benning that he received his appointment to USMA and enteredwith the Class of '50 in July 1946.

Chuck was my closest friend at West Point. We remained special friends after graduation, although our paths did not cross often. I always will miss him in a special way - his annual birthday cards; and the way that he, Marj, and my wife, Barbara, and I would fall back into an easy closeness at reunions as if we had never been separated. But that was Chuck. He faced even the smallest personal responsibilities with the same sense of dedication that most of us reserve for our most important professional duties.

Chuck and I first became close friends during our Yearling summer at Buckner when we were on the engineering detail together and had the rare privilege of having our very own jeep for our travels. We laughed a lot and took full advantage of our "convertible." More than once, Chuck’s sense of humor was a great comfort to me.

Chuck had an excellent West Point record. He did well in academics, won a varsity letter for four years of soccer, was a lieutenant on the brigade staff, and chaired the Special Events Committee.

We both chose Air Force after graduation. Chuck earned his navigator's wings and was assigned to a strategic   bomb wing at Travis AFB, CA, during 1951‑52. It was there that he met and married Marj.  In 1953, he was transferred to Mountain Home AFB, where he served as Assistant Chief of Operations for a Strategic Air Command Medium Bomb Wing.

Chuck had two outstanding careers ‑ in the Air Force and, after retirement, in executive business management. In 1958, he was assigned to the new Air Force Academy Spanish Department, after earning a master's degree from the University of Texas. In 1962, he became a Squadron Tactical Officer in charge of the officer training of a cadet squadron.

In 1964, Chuck was assigned as Chief of Liaison for the Joint U.S. Military Group in Spain. He received the Joint Services Commendation Ribbon for his accomplishments there.

In 1969, Chuck was assigned to Air Force Headquarters in the Pentagon, where he remained until his retirement as a colonel six years later. His career in Washington was exemplary, and  for his accomplishments he was awarded two Legions of Merit and the Distinguished Service Medal.

Chuck’s first assignment in Washington was as Legislative Liaison for the Office of Secretary of the Air Force. He was responsible for oral and written responses to inquiries from members of congress from ten states. From this position, he was promoted to Branch Chief, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, where he was responsible for substantive responses to inquiries from the White House and Office of the Vice President.

In 1971, Chuck was assigned as Deputy Director of Legislative Liaison, Office of the Secretary of Defense. He worked with congressional committees, and arranged appearances of defense witnesses. He performed similar functions for the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Intelligence, the joint Staff, and the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. He prepared White House staff briefings. Chuck’s last assignment in Washington was as Special Assistant for Legislative Affairs to the Assistant Secretary of Defense. He served as principal liaison between congress and the three military departments.

Chuck Hammond retired from the Air Force in 1975 and immediately joined Sperry Corporation, where he served as a manager in Minneapolis for a year and a half and then in Bonn, Germany for seven years, in charge of Defense Systems. In 1984, he was transferred to Washington as Director of International Operations in the Computer Division. After Unisys acquired Sperry, he became a vice president of that corporation.

Chuck fought off cancer for several years, and when we met at our class reunion in the summer of 1990, he had hopes that he was in remission. But upon returning from an overseas business trip in 1991, he became seriously ill and passed away in May of that year.

Chuck’s wonderful wife, Marjorie H. Hammond, a lovely lady and the mother of their two daughters, Daphne and Janet, passed away on 4 Nov 1997 in Washington, DC. Chuck and Marj are survived by their two daughters.

I, and dozens of friends from Chuck's Air Force and business careers, will miss them terribly. They were two rare class acts.

Kenton Cooley ‘50

John Richard Hall, Jr.

NO. 17585  •  18 July 1927 – 7 September 1955

Died September 7, 1955 in an Aircraft Accident at Stewart Air Force Base, New York, aged 28 Years.

 

JOHN HALL, the elder of two children of John and Lucille (Cary) Hull, was born July 18, 1927, in South Bend, Indiana.

Between 1927 and 1930 he lived in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and Davenport, Iowa. In 1934 his parents moved to Muscatine, Iowa where he lived until entering the service in 1945.

Perhaps no better theme for John's life can be found than the phrase of his classmates in the Howitzer: "One did not have to know him very long to realize that he was a truly remarkable individual." The qualities of "efficiency", "quick thinking", sincere purpose" and "sense of humor" which fill our memories of this friend are characteristic of John's whole life.

John determined the fine line between enthuslasin und zealotry. He was actively interested in many fields, both intellectual and athletic. In these pursuits, as in his leadership of men, he gained respect and affection by his example.

He was an insatiable reader, and his room in his Muscatine home was lined with books. He created a local sensation when, as a child, he exhausted the resources of the Muscatine Children's Library.

During his early school years John was an outstanding athlete, excelling particularly in basketball. He continued his athletics at the Academy, winning a major "A" in track. He was not a great runner, and at times it appeared that he might not make the team. But then, as a roommate has written, "his tenacity of purpose and determination won the victory." The continuing influence of athletics was revealed just the day before his death, when John happily told his wife that he had at last beaten George VIisides in a tennis match.

Another trait of long standing was a quiet efficiency. His sister gives an example of one of John's earliest attempts at organization, "He ran his paper route so effectlvely that he didn't have to go collecting. He had his customers put their money in a certain place, and would collect it as he delivered the Sunday papers." As a Captain of Infantry, John still had this knack for simple organization and administration which he had first showed as a paper boy.

John was a Roman Catholic. He received his primary and secondary education at St. Mathias School, in Muscatine, where he graduated with the Class of 1945. The tender respect and love with which his former teachers honored his mortal remains was a fitting testimony to the impression which he had made. One of his teachers later wrote, "His faith was deep, and his character strong, even as a child." His steadfast holding to religion, demonstrated by his service as an acolyte, even to the time of his death, reflected the deep impress of his early training.

The life of a soldier had an early appeal to John. His sister writes that his three young nephews now play with the lead soldiers, "red and blue," which John had cast and painted. He also felt the lure of flying. As an eighth grader he entered a kite contest. His kite was huge, and covered with red cellophane with a tissue paper fringe, It won first prize for performance, and also for beauty. John's last flight was an attempt to further explore the mystery and exhilaration of flying: A first ride in a jet, which he anticipated with the same joy and enthusiasm that had gone into building his prize?winning kite.

In November 1953, John married Betty Jo Gregg at Fort Benning. This happy wedding, attended by a great party of classmates, was a fitting climax to a courtship which had started while John was serving in his first station at Puerto Rico. The excitement of the courtship never died, and John's two years of marriage were busy and happy ones. He never forgot the "little things which mean so much."

What tribute can we pay to this man? In the lives of his wife, his family and his friends, there is a gap which can never be refilled. But he has left part of himself with us. His fine abilities, his faith in others, and his personal example have left their mark on all who knew him. May we remember his example, and fill ouir lives with the joy and purpose which characterized his own.

Carter Burdell Hagler

NO. 17798  •  24 August 1928 – 28 November 1950

Killed in Action November 28, 1950 in Korea, aged 22 years.

 

When this historic shaft shall crumbling lie
In ages hence, in woman’s heart will be,
A folded flag, a thrilling page unrolled. 
A deathless song of Southern chivalry.
Fame’s temple boasts no higher name,
No king is grander on his throne;
No glory shines with brighter gleam,
The name of "Patriot" stands alone.

These words are carved in a granite monument beside the first Capitol of the Confederacy. They commemorate the brave soldiers of the South who lost their lives in the terrible war Of 1861-65. They might verywell have been written to honor another soldier who fell in battle almost a century later.

His uniform was not gray or butternut brown, but the green fatigue twill of the modern army. The battlefield on which he gave his life was not in Virginia or Tennessee, but thousands of miles to the west on the barren hills of a small Asian country. The flag which he followed was not the Stars and Bars of the Confederacy, but that of the United States of America, both North and South. But the cause for which he fought was no less noble, and the sacrifice he made no less great!

Carter Burdell Hagler was born in Augusta, Georgia on August 24, 1928, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Waterman Hagler. From the earliest recollections of those who knew him, he always stood out among his fellows. I can verify this. I first met him at a boys’ camp in 1938, eight years before we entered the Military Academy. He was an outstanding camper, completely without pretense - one of those few people that everybody considers a good and cherished friend. Children are often inclined by their very nature to be mean or bullying to those less able than themselves. During the two years I knew him at camp, I never saw or heard him show anybody, from the most popular to the least liked, anything but kindness and friendship.

Carter attended and was graduated with honors from the Academy of Richmond County, Augusta, Georgia. There he won many coveted honors. He was on the track, tennis and rifle teams, a member of the Beta Club, the Literary Society, the Annual Staff, the R.O.T.C. Sabre Club, and the Hi-Y. He was awarded the Gold R, was a Lieutenant in the R.O.T.C., and a member of the Order Of the Arrow of the Boy Scouts of America.

Front the day he entered West Point, Carter was admired and liked by everyone. The way his classmates felt toward him can be best summed up by this excerpt of a letter from a classmate to his family. "You will want to know that Carter was the only one I know who never had an enemy, for Carter was incapable of being mean and unkind to anyone. In countless 'gab’ sessions, which men always have, Carter alone was discussed as being the best in every respect. There is no other fellow cadet or officer who came through those discussions unscathed. I believe this to be the highest tribute." What this classmate wrote, I know to be the literal, unembellished truth.

Along with others of us, Carter went directly from graduation leave to Korea, and the war in progress there. On the 16th of September, a classmate reports seeing him go over the side of a ship and down a landing net into a waiting L.S.T. which was to take him to his first combat. I am certain he was smiling with the same confidence and encouraging others around him in the same inspiring way that he always did.

Less than two months later on November 28, 1950, Second Lieutenant Carter Burdell Hagler poured out his young life for his country on a Korean hillside. The heroic action in which Carter fell is outlined in his citation for the Silver Star for gallantry in action. As a forward observer of Battery C, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, Seventh Infantry Division, he was attached to Company L, 3d Battalion, 31st Infantry, which was in position near the Chosin Reservoir on the east coast of North Korea. "Vastly numerically superior enemy forces threatened to overrun positions held by this battalion and other units of the division. Lieutenant Hagler moved his forward observer section to the highest accessible ground in the area to better direct artillery fire. With complete disregard for his own safety, though exposing himself to heavy enemy fire and observation, Lieutenant Hagler placed himself in an open position from which he could call for artillery fire on the attacking enemy forces. In his effort to hold the high ground, he left the men of his section in the shelter of their covered positions and personally delivered messages to the Infantry commander regarding his observations. During the course of battle on 28 November 1950, the telephone line between Lieutenant Hagler and the artillery fire direction center was knocked out by enemy fire. With complete disregard for his own safety, Lieutenant Hagler made his way through enemy lines to the artillery fire direction center and after procuring the needed wire for reestablishing communications, started to lay it back to his position when he was struck down by enemy fire and killed."

About Carter, his battery commander said, "Lieutenant Hagler was a fine officer and a gentleman. Men in this organization, while I commanded it, sought assignment in his section. He was well-liked, and it was a pleasure to have been his commanding officer."

In Augusta, Georgia, an American Legion Post is named for Carter. A window has been erected to his memory in the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, of which he was a communicant.

There are three living memorials which bear his name. Perhaps they will to some degree fill the void that has been left in the hearts of those who knew him and contribute some of the goodness to this world which he would inevitably done, had he lived.

The first of these memorials is his cousin’s child, Carter Burdell Boardman; the second is his brother’s little boy, Carter Burdell Hagler; the third, I am proud to say, is my son..

"Blessed are the poor of heart; for they shall see God." Matthew 5:8.

- Will Hill Tankersly

Thomas Patrick Greene

NO. 17724  •  10 January 1929 – 10 February 1951

Killed in Action February 10, 1951 in Korea, aged 22 Years.


Thomas Patrick, "Pat" as he was known to all, was born at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, January 10, 1929, the sixth son of then Major and Mrs. Douglass T. Greene. From there it was a succession of stations, as it is in all Army families, At each new station "Pat" rapidly made new frIends but never forgot the old.

"Pat" started High School in Fort Smith, Arkansas, where his father was CommandIng General of the 16th Armored Division. When transferred from Fort Smith, his father decided to establish a permanent home for his family in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. This was home to "Pat"; the former places of living took on the aspect of pleasant tours of duty, but Drexel Hill is where he made his dearest friends and firmest ties. It was in Drexel Hill that "Pat" graduated from Upper Darby High School In the class of 1946.

It was only natural that "Pat" should go to West Point. Both of his grandfathers, his father and two of his brothers were graduates, and he directed all of his efforts to joining them in the Long Gray Line. He won the appointment from the 7th Pennsylvanla Congressional District and realized his ambition when he entered the Academy in July 1946. The following four years were happy ones. His easygoing manner made the routine of the Academy pass quickly and his inherent leadership abilities were brought out and nurtured so that he rapidly advanced toward his goal, a good officer. Underneath his easygoing and jovial attitude was a deeply serious man. "Pat" was one who put his service to GOD first and this seemed to be his inner drive and calm. His comradeship and sympathy were there for all. Graduation for "Pat" was a time of great happiness as well as sorrow. Happiness because he was joining the service he loved and sorrow because of the many friends he was leaving.


His graduation assignment was with the 7th Infantry at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, in the company that both of his grandfathers had commanded years before. The regiment left the States for Korea in September 1950, landed first in Japan to receive its compliment of Korean fillers, then proceeded to Wonsan, Korea. in November; thence inland to cover the left flank of the withdrawal of the Marines and the 7th Division from the Chongijn Reservoir, and finally covered the withdrawal through Hungnam, where Pat was the last officer off the beach. He was back into the line again in the drive up the peninsula during the middle of January. On February 10, 1951 while leading his platoon - a part of the leading elements of the regiment - against the Walled City of Korea, Son-Son-Ni, "Pat" went to the assistance of his lead scouts, who were pinned down by fire, and while covering their withdrawal was instantly killed.

He was awarded, posthumously the Silver Star for his part in this action, with a citation which read: "During this bold action, as he fearlessly drew the enemy attention to him, Lieutenant Greene was mortally wounded by a sniper's bullet. The conspicuous gallantry and steadfast bravery exhibited by Lieutenant Greene reflect the highest credit upon himself and are in keeping with the most esteemed traditions of the military service."

"Pat" has joined the ghostly assemblage"; the Army has lost a fine young officer; his family a wonderful boy and his friends a marvelous comrade. "Well Done."

- A Classmate

John H. Green

NO. 17652  •  30 Apr 1926 - 15 Oct 1952

Killed in Action in Korea


John Henry Green crammed about as much living, loving, and leading as humanly possible into his short 26-year lifespan. The quiet sterner's young life was snuffed out in a fierce firefight in the rough and rocky terrain near Kumhwa, Korea.

Born in Orville, CA, in 1926, John was raised in Green River, WY, a town of about 11,000, tucked in the southwest corner of the state. Upon graduation from Lincoln High School in June 1944, John enlisted in the Army Air Corps. A professional military career soon beckoned, however, and, in January 1946, Green sought and won an appointment to the United States Military Academy from Senator Joseph O'Mahoney. The young soldier was enrolled at West Point Prep at Amherst College, MA, to sharpen the academic skills he would need as a plebe.

John Green's massive shoulders stood out as hundreds of new cadets formed up for swearing-in ceremonies on the Plain early in June 1946. Cadet store tailors surely worked overtime refashioning dress coats, jackets, and tunics to fit Green's impressive frame.

Academically, John was a good student with a wide array of extracurricular activities. CDT Sergeant Green of I company, 2d regiment, was a member of the camera, debate, ski, and (of course) weightlifting clubs. His first love, however, was gymnastics, where, as a plebe, he mastered difficult high bar routines and won numerals.

As a first classman, John was awarded his letter as a rope climber, helping Army win the eastern intercollegiate team championship that year.

Graduation ceremonies for Class of '50 were on June 6th. Later that month, the handsome blonde officer was in demand as usher and groomsman at his classmates' weddings. The new 2LT John Green wooed and won the heart of Doris Eleanor Bridges, a petite and attractive chestnut-haired native of Greenville, SC. They were married in Greenville on 27 Dec 1950.

The North Korean Communist attack on South Korea shortly after graduation plunged a shocked United States into another Asian war. Green and hundreds of his cadet classmates (along with thousands of American and U.N. troops) headed for the Korean peninsula from 1950-51. When 1 LT Green took over company B of the 32d Infantry in 1952, the one-time air cadet, Army corporal, and cadet sergeant had completed airborne training, platoon leader school, and other specialized training at Ft. Benning, GA.

In early October 1952, the large-scale Operation Showdown was approved by Far East Commander General Mark Clark for elements of the Eighth Army to seize Hill 598, the famous Triangle Hill located squarely in the middle of the DMZ.

Earlier that summer, Lieutenant Green was seriously wounded but returned to action within two months to lead company B of the 32nd regiment in Operation Showdown. Heavy air strikes and artillery barrages preceded the attack. Thousands of seasoned enemy troops responded with vigorous counterattacks during the next eight days. LT Green played a pivotal role, defined in detail by the citation posthumously awarding him the Distinguished Service Cross. His award citation is as follows: "LT Green, a member of an infantry company, distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against the enemy in the vicinity of Kumhwa, Korea. On 15 Oct 1952, Lieutenant Green, a company commander, led his men in an assault on a vital enemy position through a barrage of small­arms, artillery and mortar fire. In the course of the attack, the company was subjected to fire from a camouflaged position, threatening to halt the advance, Lieutenant Green, leaping from cover into a communication trench, without regard for his own safety, hurled hand grenades to neutralize the enemy machine gun. When the company was again subjected to devastating fire from a tunnel under one of the trenches, Lieutenant Green moved forward to destroy the position and, in the process of silencing the guns, received wounds which later became fatal. Resuming the advance despite his painful wounds, Lieutenant Green led his men in an attack against the hostile forces. His courageous and inspirational leadership was greatly responsible for routing the enemy and securing the strategic ground. The extraordinary heroism exhibited by Lieutenant Green on this occasion reflects great credit on himself and is in keeping with the finest traditions of the military service."

1 LT Green's broad shoulders could not shield a heroic heart against enemy bullets and shrapnel. Operation Showdown ended major U.S. involvement in the Korean War at a total cost of 365 American soldiers killed in action and 1,174 wounded.

John's battle death "saddened the entire town," when it was reported in his hometown paper, the Green River Star (Wyoming). "Johnny was well known there and had many friends who kept track of his military career."

John's roommate, Luther B. Aull, and his wife, Louise, also of Greenville, SC, named their two sons John and Edmund after John Green and Edmund J. Lilly III, both of whom were killed in action during the Korean War "...as a living memorial to the sons John and Ted never had."

John was survived by his mother, Mrs. Kenneth Young; his wife, Doris Green; and his ten-month-old daughter, Janet Eileen; all living in Green River, WY, at the time of his death.

- Written by classmate Donald E Dunbar

Harold A. Gottesman

NO. 17373  •  7 Sept 1926 – 21 Nov 2001

Died in Old Lyme, CT 
Interred in West Point Cemetery, West Point, NY


Harold Aaron Gottesman, born in Newark, NJ, was the oldest of Sadie and Joseph Gottesman’s four children. Known as "Hal," he skipped a grade in elementary school and was an A student. Throughout his academic, military, and business ventures, Harold’s mental agility would leave others admiring his ability to concentrate and to bring all of his knowledge to bear on a challenge. Studying and solving problems and helping others find the answers, too was Harold's passion, and his mind was every bit as wonderful as the machines and concepts he spent a lifetime mastering.

Harold graduated from Hillside High School in 1943 and, already interested in engineering, enrolled at the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh. Studying through the summers, passing two classes that met simultaneously, and taking a late night job as an elevator operator so he could study while working, Harold earned both a bachelor's and master's degree in mechanical engineering in just three years.

Harold knew the role the military played in American life and, especially, in his preferred scientific fields of study. He wanted to continue his schooling with the best and brightest, and that meant West Point.

A member of Company E-2, Harold quickly gained a reputation as one of the top academic performers. As much as Harold enjoyed learning, he also enjoyed helping others learn. One of his roommates, Andrew Rutherford, remembered Harold was often his savior when it came to math and science courses. Jerome Waldor, another classmate and a lifelong friend, said Harold was always generous with his academic skills even if it cost him time or effort. He tutored and was always available to help cadets who needed it. Harold earned the Veterans of Foreign Wars prize in physics, finishing at the top of the class in that subject. He also participated in the French Club, Radio Club, Pointer, Jewish Chapel Choir, and Ski Club.

Harold left West Point with a fierce appreciation for American freedoms and the costs of protecting them. Later in life, he would become deeply involved with the West Point Jewish Chapel and the U.S.S. Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum in New York City.

Harold met Barbara Freid of Brooklyn, NY, shortly before his First Class year, when he and classmate Ben Lewis visited Ben’s sister at the summer camp in Maine where she and Barbara were counselors. Harold and Barbara married after graduation.

Harold entered the Air Force and completed primary flight training at Connelly Air Force Base, Waco, TX. He did a stint in Enid, OK, for advanced flight training before being assigned to Mather Field in Sacramento, CA, where he flew training missions. His last post was Kelly Field in San Antonio, TX, where he oversaw a unit ferrying airplane engines around the country.

Harold left the military in early 1954 to begin a business career in New Jersey. After jobs with his father’s handkerchief company and the Cooper Alloy Corporation, a great opportunity arose when his father purchased an old industrial building on Edison Place in Newark. Because the site was near the railroad station, Joseph decided to demolish the structure and construct a parking lot. He suggested that Harold and brother Jerry (USNA '52) operate the lot. The business opened in February 1956.

"We were working like crazy," recalls Jerry. "Dad saw us going from $11 to $40 to $80 to $ 100. What else could he be but happy? He got pleasure out of seeing us working hard together."

Edison Park Fast expanded quickly, and the Gottesman brothers became well known around the New York metropolitan area for their expertise, hard work, and first class operations. By the early 1970s, they owned or managed more than 150 locations and consulted for others who needed help building or running parking facilities.

The Gottesmans expanded into the ministorage business in the 1970s, opening Manhattan Mini Storage for New Yorkers who needed space to store their extra belongings. In 1978, they purchased the Hippodrome, a 650,000 square foot office building in midtown Manhattan.

The real estate business suited Harold's fondness for both math and science. He had a mind for numbers and a specialty for coming up with solutions to the unique challenges that arose with each property. He loved to figure out what made a ticket spitter work or where to put an elevator, how to negotiate leases or when to change prices.

All his life, Harold credited the discipline, excellence, and leadership skills West Point espoused for much of his success in business. Employees and associates alike recall Harold as fair and eager to help others find the answers they needed. He enjoyed grinding out the details of any problem as much as top level meetings, and he took pride in the successes of the people around him.

Harold and Barbara had two daughters while living in Union, NJ: Ellen in 1954 and Robin in 1956. After moving to West Orange, NJ, they had a son, Andrew, in 1970. His children were the beneficiaries of his intelligence and experience, with help always available for everything from homework to home buying. Robin simply called him "The Answer." He and Barbara separated in 1987.

Harold sold much of the business to his brother in 1998 and retired to Old Lyme, CT, with his companion, Madelaine Goldish. There he was able to enjoy all of the tinkering and work a new home requires.

Harold never stopped learning or teaching. He was excited about helping his son succeed in business and treasured a phone call from one of his grandchildren looking for help with a math assignment. All who knew him are poorer for the passing of a mentor but also well prepared to solve the problems they face. That is his legacy.

James German

NO. 17878  •  

Died 28 November 1981 in Little Rock, Arkansas, aged 54 years.
Interment: Veterans Administration Cemetery, Little Rock, Arkansas.


JIM GERMAIN WAS BORN in Elkhorn, Indiana, to Wendall "Dutch" and Mary German. He lived there until attending Tri State College for one year in Angola, Indiana. He earned his appointment to West Point (at large) from Senator Raymond E. Willis in 1946.

No more telling description of this man and his devotion to Duty, Honor and Country can be found than in the 1950 Howitzer. The notation, "Jim is noted for being as fair as he is hard," paints a picture unchanged from the summer of 1950 until he died a short 31 years later. Even more compelling are the words this talented writer penned for the 2 June 1950 graduation issue of the Pointer. In this piece. printed in full below, one finds the line, "that which captures a man's heart is written in deed." And so it was that this graduate devoted his life to making a difference ... no matter the personal or professional sacrifice.

Commissioned in the Air Force at graduation, he successsfully, achieved his wings in August 1951 and in 25 years of military service flew and fought in Korea, Vietnam and other areas of the world.

Following Korea, test pilot duties at Hayes Aircraft Corporation in Birmingham, Alabama, and two tours at Tachikawa Air Base, Japan led in 1964 to his "favorite" assignment with the 1st Air Commando Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida. With this unit Jim added substantially to the final total of 25 difierent types of aircraft he would fly in his career.

Originally formed to train foreign personnel in counterinsurgency air operations. the Air Commandos grew to an imposing force with more than 6,000 personnel, 550 aircraft and 19 squadrons. There are numerous stories illustrating how the Air Commandos and MAJ Jim German made a difference - perhaps none more unusual than a phone call years later from a Cambodian Refugee Center. A Cambodian Air Force officer and his family, having fled the Khmer Rouge, had made it to the United States with one hope -- Jim German. Today, Chhomdoeum Buon and his family live a free life in America because of Jim's commitment to make a difference.

Jim's final active duty assignments were with the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Lisbon, Portugal, and then as a C-130 pilot and maintenance officer in the 314th Military Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. He vowed not to retire until he had pinned his original silver wings on his son's chest, which he proudly did in 1975. Jim continued his love of flying in retirement, piloting with Central Flying Service, Little Rock until his death.

His oldest son, Steve, is Operations Group deputy commander in the 55th Wing at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska: his youngest son, Scott, is a security policeman at Offutt Air Force Base. His son-in-law Jim and daughter Sarah, recently retired from the Air Force, reside in Kentucky. His widow, Cathy German, resides in Washington, D.C.

The Spirit of West Point
By Cadet James S. German, '50

Beautiful words and inspiring phrases are written by professional authors, but that which fills a man's heart is written by deed.

For over 100 years, the accomplishments of men who have gone forward from West Point have written on the pages of history the story of the "Spirit of West Point. "

A man who graduates from West Point feels that he must maintain a standard set by those who have gone before.

He has learned to apply himself to a task with the object of doing the job to the best of his ability.

He has learned the meaning of an integrity which he values as high as he does his Iife.

Be not mistaken, however. There is no automatic process by which all men become models of devotion to "Duty, Honor, and Country", merely by spending four years at the Military Academy.

When they leave Cadet life, they embark on their careers armed with those qualities which they have made an effort to develop in themselves.

Some men carry away that which West Point has given them every opportunity to gain by experience and study; others leave still lacking intangible qualities that they failed to grasp.

Those who have armed themselves well with the tools of their profession will have one weapon which only the men of the Corps are privileged to bear. It is a keen edged blade, forged by duty, sheathed in Honor, dedicated to the Service of Country.

It is borne by those who know the meaning of "The Spirit of West Point."

-By his son and a classmate

Louis V. Genuario

NO. 17926  •  1 Jan 1926-10 Jan 2004

Died in Alexandria, VA
Interred in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA

 

At age 14, when Louis Vincent Genuario first saw the words Duty Honor, Country on a West Point brochure, he knew he wanted to attend the Academy and serve his country. Little did he then know that the values instilled by West Point would be tested as he and one hundred of his classmates would be thrown into combat in Korea shortly after graduation in 1950.

Lou was born in Norwalk, CT, to Arthur and Gemma Genuario. The oldest of three children, Lou enjoyed a wonderful childhood surrounded by an extended family of Italian immigrants. Some of his most enjoyable memories as a youth were those of living in Yonkers, NY, from 1931 to 1939. Lou would recall how those years were filled with endless games of sandlot baseball, roller and ice skating, football, handball, and swimming, all without the benefit of Little League organization. His father's work took the family back to Norwalk, where Lou graduated from Norwalk High School in 1944, lettering in soccer, basketball, and baseball, as well as being an honor student. There, he met Rose Greco, his future wife.

After graduation, Lou enlisted in the Army and volunteered for an assignment with the Air Corps to the China-Burma-India Theater. While there, Lou recalled being captured by the Chinese. He and a fellow soldier were taking target practice when Red Chinese soldiers appeared and took them by force to their colonel. They learned their bullets were ricocheting and going into the Chinese compound. After promising to stop, they were released.

While on active duty, Lou received an appointment to West Point. Prior to entering in 1946, he attended the USMA Preparatory School at Amherst College, MA. At the Academy, Lou later admitted that he was more successful athletically than academically. He played baseball and earned four letters in soccer, serving as captain his fourth year. Lou often credited his roommates for helping him survive the demands of the classroom.

Lou married Rose, his high school sweetheart, on graduation day. After a brief honeymoon, he was sent to Korea in August 1950 to help stop the advance of the North Korean Army. Lou was assigned to 2-38 Infantry, 2d Infantry Division in Pusan. As the reality of war became more evident before his first engagement, his battalion commander warned that "the first thing you've got to do is to conquer your fears." Lou credited his platoon sergeant for providing critical combat advice and support, which helped him overcome his fears and lead his men into combat.

Lou was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action on 12 Sep 1950. The citation reads as follows: "The platoon received the brunt of the enemy attempt to escape the encirclement. When the success of the mission was threatened due to a weakening of our line, LT Genuario, with complete disregard for his own personal safety, charged the enemy position with hand grenades and automatic weapons fire. Enemy breakthrough was averted and approximately 100 enemies were annihilated. His gallant action on this occasion reflects great credit upon himself and the armed forces of the United States."

Lou's combat tour was cut short two weeks later after he received serious abdominal and hip wounds. He endured a long struggle to overcome these wounds, spending almost two years in St. Alban's Hospital, Long Island, NY. Upon partial recovery, although unable to serve in the Infantry, Lou was reassigned to the Corps of Engineers with assignments to Governor's Island, NY, with the First Army, and the Engineer Officer Candidate School, Ft. Belvoir, VA. He received a MS degree in Civil Engineering from Harvard University in 1956.

Lou had several subsequent assignments. The most meaningful to him was returning to West Point from 1957 to 1960 to take charge of converting the massive riding hall into Thayer Hall, a multi-floored academic building. From that assignment, Lou took his growing family, (six children in eight years) to Verdun, France, for a three-year assignment as a company commander constructing military facilities. His next assignment was to Ft. Leavenworth, KS, to attend the Command and General Staff College. He then spent the next three years at the Pentagon with the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, after which he retired in 1966. After spending three years as the area engineer for the District of Columbia, supervising the construction of the Mall Tunnel, Lou left public service and began a private career by founding a successful general contracting and homebuilding business in Alexandria, VA. The Genuario Companies are now run by his two sons, Rick and Louis, Jr.

For almost 40 years Lou was extremely active in the Alexandria community. He was a founding member of Good Shepherd Catholic Church, where he was extensively involved in parish activities. His involvement with his church resulted in his appointment by the Bishop of Arlington to serve on the diocesan committee to develop plans for a priests' retirement home. He served on several Fairfax County Boards. For this service he was posthumously honored by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. He also served on Alexandria's committee on affordable housing and helped establish the first homeless shelter in Fairfax County. Lou was also active in professional associations serving as Vice President of the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association, which, in 1998, named his company the Builder of the Year. An avid golfer, Lou served on the board of directors at Mt. Vernon Country Club and was elected president for two years. He also served as historian for the Class of 1950.

Lou is survived by his wife Rose; two sons, Rick and Louis, Jr.; four daughters, Donna G. Hart, Marina G. Nagler, Christina Genuario-Gill, and Debra G. Whitt; and a sister, Maria G. Sikes. Lou was blessed with fourteen grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

My father will always be remembered for his devotion to his family, country and faith, and for his great compassion and high sense of honor. The way he lived his life no doubt presumes that Dad died in God's good graces and is well on his way to that eternal happiness with Him.

- His son, Rick

John M. Garrett, Jr.

NO. 17419  •   21 September 1925 - 6 November 1951

Died in air accident over Luke Air Force Base, AZ

 

John Mansell Garrett, Jr., was born in Birmingham, AL. He attended schools in Delta and Lineville, AL and graduated from Messick High School in Memphis, TN, in 1943. Setting his sights on attending West Point, John spent one year, 1943‑44, at the Marion Military institute, AL, to prepare for USMA.

Unable to obtain an appointment to West Point after Marion Military Institute, he joined the U.S. Army in August 1944. During the next 22 months John attended the USMA Preparatory School at Lafayette College, PA. He served out his enlisted duty with the Army Replacement Training Center at Ft. Knox, KY, leaving as a technician (fourth grade) with the Good Conduct Medal and Victory Medal and an Alabama at‑large appointment to West Point from Senator John H. Bankhead. John successfully passed his entrance examinations and entered and West Point in July 1946 as a member of the Class of '50.

John came to West Point well prepared academically and possessed a broad grin that practically guaranteed quick and lifelong friendships. He breezed through academics, finishing in the upper six percent of his class, while spending time and effort trying to keep some of his classmates proficient in their studies as well. That reflected  the concern he had for others. John still had time to plan his weekend parties at the Greystone Mansion or Ft. Putnam and arrange dates for himself and others. His drags were so invariably "pro" that classmates looked on with amazement and even envy.

John credited his cadet success with being "bald and red headed," traits that the fairer sex found irresistible. Many laughed with him and credited his success to his ever‑present smile. John was an excellent team player, "All The Way," whether in sports, company activities, or cadet projects. His extracurricular activities were confined to track, rifle, and a number of clubs that could earn him an overnight or weekend trip. However, he did stay with the Pointer staff and Camera Club from Plebe through First Class years, resulting in countless hours in the club's basement dark room. John’s classmates had no doubt that his combination of intelligence, humor, wit, savoir‑faire, and happy‑go‑lucky attitude made him a perfect fit for the Air Force, which was his branch choice. At graduation he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Air Force.

After completing graduation leave in August, he reported to Connally Air Force Base in Waco, TX, for Basic Pilot Training, then attended Advanced Single Engine Training at Craig Air Force Base, AL. He left Craig with his pilot wings and reported for Advanced Gunnery Training at Luke Air Force Base, AZ, in August 1951 with follow‑on orders to Korea in January 1952.

On 6 Nov 1951, John took off from Luke Air Force Base with a flight of F‑51s and proceeded to the Gila Bend Gunnery Range on a routine training mission. During the flight, he put his aircraft into a dive attitude following other aircraft in the flight. For some reason, he failed to recover from the maneuver and his plane crashed into the ground. John died instantly. In a letter to John’s father, the commanding officer of the 127th Pilot Training Wing stated, "John was known to all as a capable, sincere, and energetic officer who enjoyed the respect and admiration of his fellow officers and airmen of the squadron."

When John died, he left behind his father, who was a civil engineer with the U.S. Corps of Engineers, Memphis District; his stepmother Sarah Prewitt; and his sister Margaret Thompson. He also left behind among his Academy classmates a lasting memory of a wonderful human being and a dedicated member of the Long Gray Line whose promising career was unfortunately terminated much too soon.

- Clyde Spence and other M‑1 Company classmates

Arnold Anthony Galiffa

NO. 17979  •  

Died 5 September 1978 in Glenview, Illinois, aged 51 years. 
Interment: Mon-Valley Memorial Cemetery, Donora, Pennsylvania.


ARNOLD ANTHONY CALIFFA was a gifted athlete, a leader of men and a truly nice guy. He hailed from the smoky valley of Donora, Pennsylvania, near the plants of the United States Steel Corporation. His athletic ability in high school, where he won 12 varsity letters and was named to two all-Pennsylvania teams, attracted the attention of Red Blaik, and Arnold joined the Class of 1950 on 2 July 1946 as a football prospect. He did not disappoint the coach.

At West Point, he earned 11 major varsity letters in football, baseball and basketball. This achievement had been bettered by only by one graduate and equaled by only one other. He was the quarterback of the football team and captain of the basketball team. In his first class year, he led a football team with a 9-0 record, ranking 4th in the nation. While some believe the game against Michigan in 1949 (Army won in an upset, 21-7) was his finest hour as a quarterback, he showed his leadership best in the Pennsylvania game in 1948. No one will ever forget the final quarter. Army was behind 20-19 on their own 26-yard line with three minutes to play when Galiffa engineered a masterful drive. Army advanced to the Pennsylvania 15-yard line in six plays, with Galiffa completing several passes in succession. With time running out, he threw a pass to John Trent in the end zone for a touchdown and an Army victory of 26-20.

Arnold was named to five All-American teams for 1949, including the Chicago Tribune, United Press International, Look magazine and others. At graduation, he was presented with three Army Athletic Association trophies: one as the cadet who rendered the most valuable service to athletics while at West Point; one as the most outgoing basketball captain; and one as the most valuable football player of 1949. He also played in the East-West game in San Francisco in 1950. In 1983, Arnold was inducted into the National Football Hall of Fame, and in March 1990 he was inducted into the National Italian Sports Hall of Fame, Pittsburgh Chapter.

Arnold graduated in June 1950 and married his long-time girlfriend, Peggy Perdock. As Arnold's roommates knew very well, he had a habit of humming "Peg Of My Heart." But the honeymoon was cut short, as Arnold and many of the Class of 1950 went to the war in Korea. Arnold was assigned as a platoon leader in the 3rd Infantry Division. He received a Bronze Star and was mentioned in the press for throwing a hand grenade a record distance of 75 yards in combat. After completing his tour on the line, Arnold was reassigned to Tokyo as aide de camp to Generals Ridgway and Mark Clark while they were supreme commanders.

In 1953 Arnold resigned from the Army to enter civilian life. He was contacted by Vince Lombardi, who was then backfield coach for the New York Giants. Arnold played four years of professional football - a year with the New York Giants, another with the San Francisco Forty-Niners, and two years in the Canadian Football League. Injuries plagued him the entire four years.

Arnold and Peggy returned to Pennsylvania in 1955. For the next 23 years, Arnold worked for United States Steel. As an industrial engineer, Arnold was promoted to supervisor of safety and supervised the demolition of the whole plant in Donora. The land which ran along most of the whole town and along the Monongahela River was then donated to the town of Donora to be used as an industrial park. The whole street, from one end of the town to the other, is named Galiffa Drive in his honor. Arnold moved to Chicago in 1964 in the law department of United States Steel. In 1975, he was named the United States Steel Public Affairs representative for the Central Midwest Area.

During his years with United States Steel, Arnold was active in numerous civic and charitable activities. He served as a member of the Donora Borough Council for seven years and as president for a year. He was a member of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Chicago Association of Commerce and Industry and the Indiana Manufacturer's Association. He served on the Indiana Governor's Committee to study solid waste problems. He was a director of the Union League Club of Chicago and was active on the Union League Foundation for the Boys' Club. He was president of the Chicago chapter of the Association of the United States Army and a member of the national advisory board. Later, his sport was golf, and he became an avid and excellent player.

In March 1978, Arnold was found to have colon cancer. After a six-rnonth illness, he died in September 1978 and was buried in Pennsylvania. Peggy and daughter Joanie, a medical assistant, now live in Delray Beach, Florida. His oldest daughter, Deborah Fliehman, is president of a marketing and communications firm in Chicago, happily married, and the mother of Arnold's two granddaughters, Sara and Lauren; Thomas is a sales representative for a wire supply company in Indianapolis.

Arnold was a good father, and his death has left a void in his family that never can be filled. Everyone who knew Arnold Galiffa liked him. He was a happy person and a great sport. He loved his family and his life. We all miss him, but his family misses him the most. Peggy lost her partner, and the children lost their best friend.

- His daughter Deborah G. Fliehman and Classmate John R. Brinkerhoff

Charles A. Gabriel

NO. 17630  •  21 Jan 1928 - 4 Sep 2003

Died in Arlington,VA 
Interred in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington,VA


GEN Charles Alvin Gabriel’s death signifies the end of an era in both West Point and Air Force histories. With no West Point graduates now serving as Air Force generals, GEN Gabriel may be the last West Pointer to complete a term as the Air Force Chief of Staff.

His military career began with unexpected publicity in 1946. President Truman received a letter from the football coach at Catawba College, claiming he had caught Blaike’s assistant coach, Herman Hickman, "red?handed, stealing football players." Hickman had lured Charlie Gabriel to West Point under the pretense that he was "good officer material." The Catawba coach continued, "Hickman isn’t fooling anybody. It’s obvious the only reason he wants the boy is because of his athletic ability." The Catawba coach was right about Charlie’s athletic ability. Charlie had entered Catawba College at 16 and, the following year, broke conference passing records and was named Small College All-American. But Hickman certainly did not exaggerate when he stated Charlie was good officer material.

Cadet Gabriel disclosed the personality and broad?based talent that forecast future success. Despite playing varsity football, basketball, and baseball, Charlie always found enough time for academics to remain in the top half of his class. But most important was his leadership style, nurtured while at West Point. Throughout his career, he consistently built team spirit and solved difficult problems by encouraging others to do their best in a positive, cooperative way.

LT Gabriel was assigned to fly F-51's in the Korean War. After flying many close support and interdiction missions, the 18th Fighter Bomber Wing was converted to F-86s. Gabriel shot down two MIG-15s before completing 100 missions. He then volunteered for Germany, where the next three years were spent performing career-broadening duties not available in combat.

While Gabriel was in Europe, President Eisenhower secured the foundation of the Air Force Academy. His goal was to instill West Point standards, ethics, and discipline in USAFA graduates. Entering cadets needed face-to-face leadership, and CPT Gabriel was one of the few chosen for this important task. Throughout his career, GEN Gabriel retained an active interest in the Air Force Academy. He never forgot West Point but remained proud of his strong ties with USAFA.

MAJ Gabriel graduated from the Naval War College, Command & Staff Program, in 1962. He then attained a master’s degree in engineering management from George Washington University, followed by three years in Studies and Analysis, Air Force Headquarters. LTC Gabriel graduated from the Industrial College o the Armed Forces in 1967 and then was transferred to NATO headquarters as executive to the Chief of Staff.

During 1971-72, COL Gabriel commanded the large composite wing at Udorn, Thailand. Because of its proximity to Hanoi and Northern Laos, this wing was often tasked for the most challenging assignments. He flew 152 combat missions and earned the respect and loyalty of all by leading the most difficult missions. Never one to brag, Gabriel typically credited successful missions to well-deserving younger officers.

Following promotion in 1972, BG Gabriel moved through several staff positions with ever-increasing responsibilities. The next generation of military leadership, typically colonels and brigadier generals in Viet Nam, were sorting out the true lessons to be learned from the Viet Nam War. As the deputy director of Air Force Operations, he became a key spokesman for Air Force positions. Assigned to Tactical Air Command Headquarters as DCS Operations, MG Gabriel led his staff through the successful development and implementation of "Red Flag" a new way to train tactical units under near?combat conditions. By working closely with the Army Doctrine Command, USAFE, and PACAF, he successfully resolved many competing requirements with his calm, objective approach to problem-solving.

His outstanding work at HQ TAG resulted in promotion to lieutenant general and assignment in 1977 as the deputy commander, U.S. Forces Korea and D-CINC, UNC. Working with Korean forces, he improved the command and control procedures for UNC forces. In 1979, he became the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, for Plans and Readiness. This was a difficult period. Money was short and so were tempers. The Joint Chiefs were torn between supporting their services and supporting policies that often ignored service needs. His objective manner and experience in joint operations were instrumental in resolving inter-service arguments during those troubled times.

In July 1980, GEN Gabriel assumed command of USAFE and Allied Air Forces in central Europe. He was the first USAFE commander to have combat and command experience in both the Korean and Viet Nam wars. His impressive credentials were readily accepted at all levels within USAFE and NATO. He persuasively advocated the case for spectacular new developments in air weaponry, such as precision guided munitions.

GEN Gabriel became the Air Force Chief of Staff in 1982. Money was now available to rebuild the deteriorating infrastructure and increase pay. Air Force morale soared. Because GEN Gabriel was a fighter pilot, some were concerned that he would focus on tactical aviation to the detriment of strategic, airlift, and space demands. Surprising many observers, he announced his first priority would be modernizing strategic forces after years of neglect. His reputation as a healer was quickly perceived throughout the Air Force.

GEN Gabriel retired in 1986 after four very successful years as Chief of Staff His retirement years were active until a debilitating disease forced him into full retirement. His wife Dorothy; daughter Jane; son Charles, Jr.; and five grandchildren survive him.

To summarize a career as important and with as many achievements as GEN Gabriel's is difficult. Because his positive leadership rose above all lesser details, a biblical quote from the book of Luke may best describe his life: 'And the rough ways made smooth."

- Fellow airman and classmate Dick Leavitt

George R. Fullerton

NO. 17417  •  13 Dec 1928 - 17 Mar 2000

Died 17 Mar 2000 in Washington, DC.
Cremated, inurned in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA


ON 17 MAR 2000, the Class of '50 lost one of its younger and brighter members to pneumonia at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

George Rae Fullerton's life began in Boston, MA, in 1928, when he was born to Marjorie and Albert Fullerton. His childhood years were spent in the Boston area, where he graduated from Roxbury Latin School and entered Harvard in 1945 at the very young age of 16.

A year later, knowing nothing about the Army, George arrived at Central Area to join the Long Gray Line. At the Academy, he excelled in academics and in track & field. One of his major interests, and an indicator of his future vocation, was his work with the Radio Club. Upon graduation in 1950, he became a Signal Corps officer.

The year 1950 also saw him marrying Constance Hartwell on 16 June, whom he had known since his childhood in Boston. George and Constance had three sons ‑ Lawrence, Donald, and James; three daughters - ­Leslie, Laura, and Linda; and, eventually, 12 grandchildren.

George's early service was with the 97th Signal Battalion in Germany, where the expanding NATO commitment kept Signal officers very busy. In the late 1950s, he was one of the first of his class assigned to the Pentagon, in the Office of the Chief Signal Officer. Assignments as Signal Officer for the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade in Korea and to the Computer System Command at Ft. Belvoir, VA, ultimately led to his role as Commanding Officer of the Computer Systems Support and Evaluation Command in Washington, DC. In that position, he laid much groundwork for the Army’s computer usage in the years to come. It was from that position that he retired from the Army in 1971.

Throughout his military career, George always was learning. In addition to the usual Army schools, he earned two master's of science from Stanford University, one in electrical engineering and the other in industrial engineering. While an assistant professor at the Academy, he did graduate studies in theoretical physics at New York University ‑ while at the same time writing and teaching a new course on theoretical physics and introducing computers to USMA as a member of the Dean's Special Committee on Computers in Education.

After retiring from the Army, George and Connie settled in northern Virginia, where he joined Computer Science Corporation as Project Director for the INFONET Division for the next ten years. In 1981, he became Director of Contracts for the International Division of CSC, working in Saudi Arabia during much of the time until 1984, when he joined IBIS Corporation as Director of Contracts until 1991.

For several years after leaving IBIS, George was a full or part‑time consultant to several companies in a number of technical areas. He was a highly respected and appreciated commander, leader, and coworker throughout his careers, both military and civilian. He was once described as one of the truly outstanding officers in the Army skilled in the field of automatic data processing. George is remembered by those who worked for him for his sincerity, understanding, pleasant attitude, and thoughtfulness.

He also is remembered for his love of competitive bridge; his enjoyment of camping trips with his family, friends, and dogs; and his hospitality at the Fullerton's Virginia Beach summer home.

Ethical values nurtured in George's early New England childhood and at Roxbury Latin School were strengthened during his West Point years. He instilled in all his children a willingness to work hard, a love of education and learning, and a desire to succeed. Three of his children are respected attorneys, the others include a successful engineer and two outstanding university professors. George was fiercely proud of them all.

Amid full military honors and with bagpipes playing, George was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery on 28 Mar 2000. 

William Goodjohn Fuller

NO. 17894  •  6 Jan 1927 - 29 Jul 1974

Died 29 July 1974 in New Braunfels, TX
Interment: Ft. Sam Houston Cemetery, San Antonio, TX


William Goodjohn Fuller was born at Ft. Bliss, where his father was serving as a major in the Calvary. As an "Army brat," "Bill" became familiar with military life from traveling with his family and his interaction with his grandfather, COL Ezra Fuller, Class of 1873, and uncle, MG Horace H. Fuller, Class of 1909. From his grandfather, he heard about Calvary actions during the Indian Wars and, from his uncle, he learned about WW1 and more about life at the Academy. It was no surprise that Bill became interested in West Point and the military. That interest became more focused after his father transferred to Ft. Sam Hous­ton. The close proximity to Randolph Field, then known as the "West Point of the Air," allowed Bill to observe frequent military flights, thus developing a love of flying and a desire to become a military aviator.

While at Ft. Sam Houston, Bill's father retired from the Army and the family settled in Kerrville, TX, not far from Randolph. Bill continued to observe the training flights, commenting about the quality of their formations and his passion for flying grew as he entered Tivy High School in Kerrville. He studied hard to obtain grades that would qualify him for an Academy appoint­ment from Texas. Unfortunately, there were no vacancies in Texas but Bill succeeded in obtaining an appointment from Represen­tative Albert M. Cole of Kansas. Bill then attended Sullivan's Preparatory School to prepare for the entrance examinations. His exertions paid off-he passed all the requirements.

Bill's dreams were on their way to fulfillment but he began to experience academic difficulties at West Point and was turned back at the end of the first semester. Undaunted, he reentered Sullivan's for additional academic preparation. That decision proved to be a wise one and the Academy accepted him for en­trance with the Class of '50. Bill became even more determined to improve his class standing to ensure he would be able to choose a military flying career at graduation. His academic progress al­lowed him to participate for four years as the student manager of Armys championship football teams and to earn his "A" let­ter. He took part in other cadet activities and clubs, experiences through which he developed lasting friendships.

Bill achieved his goal with an assignment as a student pilot in the Air Force and was assigned to Randolph AFB for Basic Flight Training. He was on home ground. Flying was natural for him and he was the first of his group to solo in the T-6 trainer. More significantly, after that first solo flight, he received more good news-his "old flame," Lee Grebe, daughter of COL Alfred A. Grebe, an Army physician, accepted Bill's marriage proposal.

Lee Fuller adjusted readily to life at Randolph and was delighted to accompany Bill to Williams AFB, where he entered advanced jet flight training. The transition to jet aircraft was done without difficulty and Lee pinned the silver wings of an Air Force pilot onto his uniform. Next, Bill attended F-84 jet combat crew train­ing at Luke AFB, where numerous classmates also were under­going combat crew training. That was perhaps the largest gath­ering of the class pilots since graduation, a mini-reunion. Then, Bill was assigned to the 49th Fighter Bomber Wing in Korea, where he completed 100 combat missions flying the F-84. His skills and leadership led to his selection as a flight commander and his accomplishments earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross and three Air Medals. Bill went home for a well-earned leave to join Lee and his newborn son, William G., Jr., before reporting to Luke AFB as an F-84 combat crew training instructor. That was an ideal flying assignment for Bill and lasted for six years.

The advent of Sputnik and other missile flights prompted Bill to volunteer for missile training, afterwhich he was assigned as a Thor missile alert officer in the United Kingdom. The Fullers lived in the English countryside and exposed their English neighbors to the American lifestyle and vice-versa. In 1961, the Fullers transferred to Vandenberg AFB and, later, Bill was assigned to SAC Head­quarters in Nebraska. Although the work was interesting, he missed the excitement and camaraderie found in fighter units. During those assignments, sons Sam and Peter joined the Fuller family.

Bill desired to be part of the ongoing war in Southeast Asia and volunteered for F-4 aircraft transition training at MacDill AFB. The speed and advances in firepower of the F-4 Phantom jet amazed him-that was his kind of airplane! In October 1966, he completed training and underwent combat indoctrination training at Cam Rahn Bay Air Base in South Viet Nam. His flying skills distinguished him as a superior fighter pilot and he was appointed 557th Tactical Fighter Squadron Commander, a prized assignment sought by many but gained by few. Bill flew 100 combat sorties over North Viet Nam and 85 ground sup­port sorties in South Viet Nam. When he finished his combat tour in 1967, his outstanding performances earned him another Distinguished Flying Cross, 12 Air Medals, and the Air Force Commendation Medal.

Bill returned to the States to rejoin his family at Randolph AFB, where his Air Force career began. He had come full circle. It was an ideal assignment and he felt as if he had never left Randolph. He enjoyed being with young air cadets and officers, who made him feel young, Bill began to develop health prob­lems that were diagnosed as stomach ulcers. In 1972, after dis­cussing the situation with Lee and the doctors, COL William Fuller retired from the U.S. Air Force.

Although the decision to retire was difficult, Bill adjusted quickly to civilian life and, from his retirement home near Randolph AFB, he continued to observe the training flights over­head. Neither his love of flying nor his energetic approach to life ever left him. Bill was not ready to "fade away." He had more time for other activities and pursued the establishment of a sum­mer camp for impoverished children. That camp would treat them equally and fairly, and give them the experiences that would help them become productive citizens. Bill spent hours writing to likely donors and church groups to obtain their support and financial backing. During one trip, Bill's car left the road and struck a tree near New Braunfels, TX. He was thrown from the vehicle and declared dead at the scene. Bill received full military honors and was laid to rest in the Ft. Sam Houston Cemetery. As the flight of three Air Force planes soared overhead during his interment, one could believe that his spirit had sped to rejoin his Academy roommates, Gene A. Dennis and Robert A. Williams, who preceded him in death many years before. Those three in­dividuals had "escaped the surly bonds of earth and touched the face of God." Their mission is complete and now they are at peace.

- William G. Fuller '50

John E. Fox

NO. 17495  •  6 Jun 1928 – 17 Jun 2002

Died in Trenton, NJ
Interred in West Point Cemetery, West Point, NY

 

John Edmond Fox was born at Ft. Sam Houston, TX, the son of 1 LT John Henry and Evelyn Wood Fox. The family traveled to many places throughout John Henry's career, but Panama, with its green jungles and blue waters, was John Edmond's favorite and the birth- place of younger brother, David. 

When LT Fox retired in 1937, the family settled on a farm north of San Antonio. The boys often had to devise their own entertainment. For John, that meant catching rattlesnakes for the zoo and reading the entire Book of Knowledge. Not only did he enjoy the reading, but he also gained a liberal education that served him all his life. With his friend, John Igo, he co-authored a play produced for the Texas PTA Convention in 1941. 

John graduated from Jefferson High School and attended Texas-A&M University for one year. At 17 years of age, he enlisted in the Navy before the end of WW II. He was serving on the cruiser USSChicago anchored at Shanghai, when he received word of his appointment to West Point. John reported to the Academy in Navy uniform. 

His classmates often heard him singing, "I joined the Navy to see the world, and what did I see? I saw the sea. Oh, the Atlantic isn't romantic and the Pacific isn't terrific, and the Navy ain't no place for me!" 

John had a wonderful sense of humor and liked to tell jokes, but never at the expense of others. One time, during a large combined class session, the instructor asked a question and then called on "Mr. Fox" to answer. John stood, and asked, "Do you want E. J. Fox. " (The other Fox in the class.) The instructor said, "Yes." So E.J. Fox had to respond. A few days later, the same thing happened, but this time E. J. Fox stood up and asked, "Do you want J. E. Fox?" "You will do," the instructor replied. 

Academics were no challenge to John. One classmate recalled that John took frequent catnaps during the evening study time. He jokingly accused him of "sleeping his way through West Point." John just grinned. He was well liked by his classmates. He was active in intramural sports, ran on the cross-country team, was a member of the Glee Club, the Chapel Choir, and served on the Howitzer and Pointer staffs. On a trip with the Glee Club to New York City during his First Class year, roommate Bob Groseclose introduced him to a friend. John was quickly swept up in a whirlwind romance with Jane O'Connor, the pretty daughter of an Air Force officer. They married shortly after graduation. 

John had orders for Japan but in August 1950, with some other 11 classmates, he flew to Tokyo, Japan, via Seattle and Adak, AK, then by ship to Pusan. He was assigned as a platoon leader in Company F, 38th "Rock of the Marne" Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division. 

In Korea, John was wounded twice, and earned two Silver Stars and a Bronze Star for valor. He rotated home in May 1951. Arriving in Sasebo, Japan, he met Uzal Ent, one of his roommates at the Academy. Ent, too, was rotating home. Somewhere, John located a guitar. He and Ent, by way of reunion, visited a nearby "watering hole" and entertained themselves (and maybe the other patrons) by singing to John's accompaniment on his guitar. 

John's most significant assignment was at West Point (1957-61) teaching map reading, astronomy, and geography in the Department of Earth, Space and Graphic Sciences (ES&GS). He wrote articles about stars and telescopes that were published in Popular Science and Popular Mechanics. By that time, the family had Barbara (1952), Susan (1953), John "Jeff" (1955), Stephen (1957), and Cathy (1958). John, with humor and affection, referred to their children as "varmints. " 

John then went to Panama and the 20th Infantry (1961-62) and Headquarters, Army in the Caribbean (1962-64), After a year at Columbia University (1964-65), he returned to ES&GS, earning his master's in 1966 and a Ph.D. in 1969. He completed the correspondence version of CGSC in four months in 1969. 

In Viet Nam, John served as G-2 for XXIV Corps (1969-70), earning a Bronze Star and two Air Medals. While at Ft. Dix, NJ, in '71, he decided to retire because his hearing loss, due to a hand grenade in Korea, was worsening. He then was awarded the Legion of Merit. John became a professor of geography and department chairman at Trenton State College in New Jersey, retiring after 25 years as professor emeritus. 

John was a mentor to students and fellow teachers. He made them laugh, he made them think, encouraged them, challenged them, and made them better for having known him. In 1988, he was Teacher of the Year. He was a member of the Princeton Officers Society, Ewing Township Patriotic Committee, and Ewing Historical Commission. 

After son Stephen died in 1996, John retired from teaching to his study filled with computers, files, references, photos, and cookies, to work on a book that he left unfinished. That project will be completed as his legacy. 

All twelve grandchildren loved grandpa's office, where they always received a warm reception from him and were allowed to play computer games. In July 2000, Jane and John celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. 

In May 2002, while cruising Russia's rivers and lakes, John suffered a head injury. It took two weeks to get him to Walter Reed Army via Finland and Germany, but there was no hope of recovery. Ewing Township honored John with their first memorial service in Veterans Park. 

John Edmond Fox was a well-rounded person - brilliant, creative, and fun loving-who effortlessly pursued his careers with light-hearted determination. He loved his family, his work, his hobbies, and his friends, and he was greatly loved in return. 

John's mortal body has left us, but his indomitable spirit will be with us always.

- The family with classmates Howard B. Blanchard;Jr:, Joseph P. Buccolo, and Uzal W. Ent

George Everett Foster

NO. 17446  •  

Missing in Action since December 2, 1950 at Chonjin (Chosin) Reservoir, Korea.
Officially declared Dead as of December 31, 1953, aged 25 Years.

 

George, "Georgie" as he was generally known, and as "Porgie" among his childhood mates, was born at Cayey, Puerto Rico, March 4, 1928, the son of then Lieutenant and Mrs. Roy M. Foster. Practically all of his boyhood was spent at Army stations, where he always was one of the gang, making new friends, whom he never forgot. From the time that he was old enough to walk, when his mother or father would have to rescue him from out in front of the 20th Infantry Band, at marchIng practice, where he was beating on a cooking pan with a spoon, the environment and atmosphere of Army life was ever complete to him.

Throughout his Elementary School days and into High School, George was an outstanding student. He was quick to grasp and keen at organizing his thoughts, enabling him to make the honor roll of his Class, except for his last two years of High School, at Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Maryland, where he seemed to lose interest. However, at Chevy Chase, Georgie made his closest and lasting friendships, with boys who later remained as close to him as his classmates at West Point. From his childhood, Georgie had a devoted love and respect for the Almighty, his parents, sister and brother, and toward all people, that made him admired and loved by all. He was always ready to accept responsibility and no task was too small or too big for him.

From the time Georgie was old enough to know of West Point, he had the desire to be a West Pointer. When a principal appointment to Annapolis or a 2nd alternate appointment to West Point was tendered him, his decision was West Point. Upon graduation from High School, Georgie entered Sullivan's Preparatory School, and under Sully he really found himself. He stood very high on the Presidential List, and through West Point, no one meant more to George than Sully. Georgie, in his devoted love for West Point, and toward his brother, Bob, hoped that Bob would be able to prepare under Sully and make the Point. With Bob's entering in the Class of '58, through Congressman Herlung of Florida, after the briefest of preparation under Sully, it seemed a miracle through earnest prayers. Georgie was able to take the Point in stride and beyond doubt lived it as the four greatest years of his life, graduating with a very fine record. His class standing enabled him his choice of branch, and with his roommate, Larry Birk, who stood very high in the Class, they chose the Cavalry (Armor).

Graduation leave was a heavily occupied and delightful period for George, attending classmates' weddings, helping his mother and Bob to settle near Washington, D. C., after their sailing orders to Japan had been canceled, and visiting at San Antonio with his roommate, Falkner Heard, and Falkner's parents, Colonel and Mrs. Falkner Heard. During his cadet life, Georgie really felt that his second home was with Colonel and Mrs. Heard. George's original assignment orders upon graduation were to Europe, but, with his father being stationed in Japan, his orders were changed to the Far East. This had pleased him, as he planned to accompany his mother and Bob to the West Coast and then hoped to sail concurrently with them to Japan, stopping over to visit with his other roommate, Larry Birk, and Larry's parents at Klamath Falls, Oregon. With the war breaking in Korea, the planned voyage to Japan was canceled, and George, with classmates, was flown from Camp Stoneman via Alaska into Japan.

Upon reaching Japan, George was assigned to the 7th Division, then in the embarking phase for the Inchon Landing. At this time, he was assigned to Company C, 32d Infantry. Although he regretted having to replace the sabers with crossed rifles he felt that basically he was better qualifed for combat duty in the Infantry than with Armor.

 

Letters to his parents from officers of his unit - Regimental Commander, Company Commander, and others – said that Georgie performed remarkably as a leader in combat, that he repreesented the true ideals and traditions of West Point, and that his father and mother could be proud to call him "Son". Among associates who knew of him in combat, it was said that he was liked and admired to the highest by all. At the battle of Seoul, he was given a platoon and, after one month of duty, was recommended for promotion by his Company Commander, but the promotion was held up in accordance with the policy requiring completion of six months' commissioned service before the promotion could be made. Georgie's last letter to his father, written on the 28th of November 1950, at the Chonjin (Chosin) Reservoir, seemed to reveal him as in high spirits, and he said was counting the days until he could be back in Japan with his mother, Bob, and father.

Other than the report of his M.I.A. status as of 2 December 1951, no information has been found, except that he had been wounded in an arm on 1 December 1950, and, on 2 December 1950, had led his platoon down a steep cliff into a valley or canyon to break a road block. With the Department of the Army notifying his parents of his presumed death as of 31 December 1953. It may be said, true to the traditions of West Point, that George's duty and honor in battle are worthy of the highest tribute, "Well Done".

- R.M.F.

James Frank Fooshe III

NO. 17920  •  

Died 23 November 1976 in Arlington, Virginia, aged 48 years.
Interment: West Point Cemetery, West Point, New York


KIND, CONSIDERATE, GENTLEMANLY, best describe Jim Fooshe who passed away after a valiant ten month battle with cancer. We admire his courage and his quest to deepen his spiritual strength as he prepared to return to his Heavenly Father. We cherish the memory of his great love and concern for his family, which made it so hard for those close to him to let him go.

His life was one of service with integrity. He was competitive, always striving to achieve, to excel and win, but never at the expense of someone else. He was always aware and considerate of those around him. Jim was born in Washington, D.C., graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1946, and attended Bullis Prep School.

At the Academy Jim played lacrosse and excelled in all intramural athletics. He was known for his love of outdoor activities and physical fitness. Later, skiing, golf and tennis would keep him mentally and physically fit.

His service record was filled with exciting assignments and experience, including service with the 6th Infantry Regiment in Berlin, with the 351st Infantry Regiment in Trieste and a tour of duty with the "Old Guard," 3d Infantry at Fort Myers. As a result of his outstanding performance of duty, he was selected as a White House Social Aide. His open hospitality, gracious manner, and sense of propriety served him well during his service at the White House.

Following his active duty, Jim left the service in 1956 to do graduate work at American University and begin a new career in mortgage banking. At the same time, he maintained his interest and affiliation with the Army by serving in the reserves.

At Weaver Brothers Mortgage Bankers and Realtors of Washington, D.C., he became assistant vice president and key executive of the Income Properties Section. At the time of his illness, he was a real estate appraiser associated with Howard Brock Realty Company of Arlington. He was a member of the American Society of Appraisers, the Society of Real Estate Appraisers, and an associate member of the Washington Board of Realtors.

In the Reserve he attained the rank of colonel. His last assignment from 1975 until his illness and death was Military Academy Liaison Officer for the Washington, D.C. region responsible for Academy recruiting to which he was truly dedicated.

Since his marriage in 1966, Jim has had Macon at his side, sharing the good times and the bad and being a strong hand during the past months of his illness. Jim also is survived by daughter, Ann Carter, age 8, and son, James Cabell, age 6, and his sister, Mary Francis Featherstone of Rockville, Maryland.

The finest things are not ended by death. Jim lived a good life, filled with generosity and love of family and friends; his influence, his example and his principles will remain alive in his children, family and others fortunate enough to have known him.

-His Friends