William D. Curry, Jr.

NO. 17864  •  15 May 1926 – 16 April 2013

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

Brigadier General William Donald Curry Jr., of Minneapolis, MN, passed away on Apr 16, 2013, at Patriots Colony in Williamsburg, VA.

Bill was a member of the Class of 1950 at the United States Military Academy. Upon graduation he earned his Master of Science degree in International Relations from George Washington University and was a graduate of Squadron Officer School, Armed Forces Staff College and the Air War College. Bill was a command pilot with over 6,500 flying hours. His military decorations and awards included the Air Force Distinguished Service medal, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, the Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation with two oak leaf clusters, and the Army Commendation Medal.

His Military career began during the Korean War, flying combat tours in the F-51 Mustangs. He spent his career as a pilot and flew combat missions as an F-4 Squadron Commander with the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing at Da Nang Airbase in Vietnam and as the Commander of the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing at Korat Air Base, Thailand, flying the A-7d Corsair II. From December 1958 to June 1966, he was a SAC B47 Aircraft Pilot and training instructor in the 341 Bomb Wing 10th Bomb Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona and the 100th Bomb Wing, Pease AFB in New Hampshire.

Other assignments included a tour as Deputy Chief, Joint Chiefs of Staff Matters, Global Planes and Policy Division, Directorate of Planes, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Vice Commander and Commander of the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, Assistant Deputy and Deputy Chief of Staff, Logistics, Headquarters Tactical Air Command; Commander of the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing; and Commander, Tactical Training Davis-Monthan, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, AZ. His final tour of duty was to command the Defense General Supply Center, Defense Logistics Agency in Richmond, VA, prior to his retirement in 1980.

Bill considered his service of 32 years in the Air Force and the Army to be his calling and truly an honor. He continued to serve his community after his retirement as a charter member and president of the Brandermill Rotary Club in Richmond, VA, and a Board member of the Richmond United Way. He valued his associations working in leadership roles with the Rotary Club, the Air Force Association, and the West Point Society. Bill was the Chairman for the Disaster Services to the Red Cross of Virginia and was a Consultant to the American Red Cross in Washington, DC, providing disaster services and logistical support. Bill was able to use his skills and knowledge as well as his gifts and talents to support families devastated by natural disasters.

Bill is survived by his wife of 62 years, Bettie B. Curry; his son William Donald "Chip" Curry III; his daughter Linda Curry Gaskins and son-in-law Kevin Gaskins; two granddaughters, Page and April Curry; grandson Kevin Curry Gaskins and wife Erica; and loving nieces and nephews as well as grand nieces and grand nephews.

Richard N. Cody

NO. 17563  •   1929 – 29 April 2007

Died in Annandale, VA
Interred in Old Mission Mausoleum, Wichita, KS

"Why, you’re a sunflower from the Sunflower State!" exclaimed Frank Thompson when Richard Neal ‘Dick’ Cody arrived at West Point from Kansas in 1946. Little did Frank realize how apt that descriptor was for the personable and easygoing Dick Cody. His good nature and warmth characterized Dick’s friendships at West Point, during his Air Force career and are what his family misses most about him.

Dick was the first child of Ione and Ralph Cody born in Hutchinson, KS. Dick was joined by siblings Rosemary and Jim. The children loved visiting grandparents in Clearwater, KS, where they enjoyed riding through the wheat fields on the tractor.

Attending West Point was Dick’s boyhood dream. The rigors of the Academy did not dampen nor overwhelm him. Despite Dick’s service as Chairman of the Escort Committee, he remained loyal to fellow Wichita East graduate and sweetheart, Marilyn Barnum.

Upon graduation in 1950, Dick was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force and began flight training. He and Marilyn were married and moved to Lubbock, TX. Then Dick served a combat tour in Korea flying B-29s. Marilyn and baby, Diane, returned to Wichita to be with family.

Dick’s next assignment was the beginning of a long period of satisfying service in the Strategic Air Command. From 1952-57, Dick was assigned to the 68th Bombardment Wing in Lake Charles, LA, where, as a B-47 and B-29 pilot, he served as instructor and aircraft commander. His next job was serving as Director of Ops & Training at Barksdale AFB. Their family grew and now included Diane, Rick, David, and Lauren.

The family began a three-year adventure where Dick served as an Exchange Officer with the Royal Air Force attending Staff College at Bracknell then serving on the Operations staff at RAF Headquarters Bomber Command in High Wycombe. The years in England were filled with travel—each summer Dick and Marilyn loaded the four kids into a VW camper with a Coleman stove, six-man tent and they camped throughout Europe. They took in all the sights—museums, cathedrals, and amusement parks—in the right combination to keep the crew happy. Evenings were times to re-group around the campfire.

Leaving dear friends Dick and Marilyn made in England was not easy but a different kind of assignment was waiting for the family in Dallas, TX. They lived as civilians while Dick studied for a Master of Science in Engineering Management at Southern Methodist University. The southern hospitality encircled the family when Dick left for the Philippines where he was Chief of the Command Center of the 405th Fighter Wing at Clark Air Force Base. He "commuted" to Vietnam and flew 139 ground attack combat missions as a B-57 pilot in Southeast Asia. His family joined him in the Philippines expanding their travel to include Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, and areas throughout the PI.

The Codys returned to the States and Dick was assigned to the Pentagon with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He valued the headquarters experience but was pleased to assume command positions at the 320th Bombardment Wing at Mather AFB in California. While Marilyn and the kids stayed there, Dick served on temporary duty at U-Tapao Airfield, Thailand, in 1972-73. He was the airborne commander for the SAC bomber forces leading two Linebacker II missions over North Vietnam in the "Eleven-Day War" of December 1972. Following his combat assignment, Dick was named Commander, 93rd Bombardment Wing at Castle AFB.

Before leaving California, Dick was promoted to brigadier general. In his characteristically straightforward way, Frank Thompson sent his congratulations and comment, "Dick, you were the last guy I thought would become a general—you’re just not serious enough!" Indeed, Dick was still the fun-loving, warm-hearted, jokester and that warmth, combined with his clear thinking, was what drew people to him and earned their respect in the command positions he held.

Dick was pulled into SAC headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, NB, where he was Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel and DCS for Plans where he was very involved in the development of the B-1 bomber. While at Offutt, he and Marilyn had great fun living down the street from classmate Dick and Ruthie Newton.

Dick added a second star and was transferred to the Defense Nuclear Agency in Washington, DC, as Deputy Director. Dick retired from the USAF but immediately launched his own consulting business where he helped federal and state governments and agencies prepare for nuclear accidents.

Dick and Marilyn enjoyed their now empty nest by becoming avid square dancers, cruise travelers and visiting children and grandchildren who settled from California to Boston. Another highlight was visiting West Point classmates and attending reunions.

In the late 1980s, Dick experienced symptoms of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, a progressive disease that steadily robbed him of mobility and mental agility. With help Marilyn was able to care for him at home and became an expert at patient mobilization as they continued to visit their children in Texas, Boston, and Sacramento as well as gather the family at Navarre Beach, FL, for an annual reunion.

One of the hardest parts of Dick’s illness those last 20 years was his children realizing Dick’s 11 grandchildren never got to see him when he was well—strong, kind, funny, smart, and a dynamic leader devoted to his country and his family. A great gift came from classmate Dick Newton who assembled books for Dick’s grandchildren that shared stories, his official Air Force biography, and a personal letter describing who Dick Cody was as a patriot, a friend, and a classmate. Thanks to Colonel Newton’s gift, Dick Cody came alive to those who weren’t lucky enough to get to know him personally.

— Lauren Cody Murphy, daughter

John W. Best

NO. 17803  •   1929 – 21 November 2007

Died in Riverside, CA
Cremated. Interred in Riverside National Cemetery, Riverside, CA

At a dinner with friends and his wife Nancy, John could be counted on for a humorous story followed by his own hearty chuckles. His sharp wit was just one aspect of a warm, generous, cheerful personality. His outlook on life, talents and achievements are all the more remarkable after a difficult childhood.

John Walton Best, Jr. was born in Detroit, MI, the son of John Walton and Marjorie Elaine Best. When John was born, his father was at the peak of his ca­reer as a swimming teacher to the wealthy and privileged members of the Country Club of Detroit. Two years later, the Great Depression made swimming lessons an extravagance. In 1931, his father moved the family to Hollywood, where he found prominent clients in the entertainment in­dustry. They traveled from California to Florida in search of favorable weather for teaching swimming in outdoor pools. John was used as a swimming demonstrator. It was a gypsy life, with his attending 13 dif­ferent schools.

In 1936 the family acquired a 16-foot travel trailer. It was home for John, his brother, sister and parents, moving from Beverly Hills in the summer to Palm Springs in the winter. In 1942, his parents bought a lot in Riverside for the trailer, and John built an attached sleeping room for his sister and another for his brother and himself. It was a dysfunctional household with a domineer­ing father, marginal income and incessant bickering making life uncomfortable and insecure. On occasion John was sent to fish off the Santa Monica pier to bring home dinner. At 14 he spent the summer caring for 12 horses at a riding stable. He slept out­side the barn, with kittens in his sleeping bag for warmth. His pay was a dozen pancakes for breakfast and other meals. Moving on to high school he commanded the ROTC unit, was on the rifle team, lettered three years in swimming and captained the swim team his senior year.

Although John had scholarship offers from local colleges, he saw West Point as an opportunity for a new life, an excellent education and financial independence. He entered West Point only a few months after his 17th birthday, making him one of the youngest in the class. At West Point he ex­celled in swimming, earning a letter for three years and setting a Plebe record for the 200- yard relay. Paul Ache, a Co I-2 classmate, re­calls, “sitting at a brace in Washington Hall” when the record breaking was announced, “by a team including John Best. Boy, was I impressed.” Ever the dutiful son, a trying family life notwithstanding, John sent home $20 a month from his cadet salary. In later years, he helped his brother financially.

After graduation, John selected the Air Force. He became a pilot for multi-engine aircraft accumulating 900 hours of fly­ing time. He flew five different aircraft, with most of his flying time in B29s and B36s. During the Korean War he flew 32 combat missions.

Of minor consequence was his plane crash during flight training. The instructor, apparently not pleased with John, idled one of the engines at a time when the plane was just accelerating after a touch and go. The plane landed in a cotton field just beyond the runway. No one was injured. John walked back to the airfield. At the gate he asked an MP where he should go to report a plane crash. Not even a plane crash could dampen his sense of humor. The fate of the instructor was an immediate transfer to Iceland.

After resigning from the Air Force in 1955, John moved back to Riverside. He was employed as an engineer for several compa­nies before striking out on his own in 1972. He served a variety of clients, including General Electric, with engineering services in civil and mechanical design. Ninety per­cent of his work was in structural analysis and design for buildings. His success as a one-man firm is a tribute to his engineering acumen and perseverance.

In 1956, John entered into a marriage that lasted for 25 years before ending in di­vorce. His life changed after he met Nancy Parsons and married her in 1983. She proved to be the perfect partner in what was a happy and fulfilling marriage. He had no biologi­cal children from either marriage. He was a stepfather to Victor and Chris, and a de facto father to Lisa, who became a family member.

John was a West Pointer through and through. He was active in the West Point Society in Riverside and generous with his time in support of West Point. For many years he was the Academy’s admis­sions representative for the Riverside, San Bernardino and beyond areas. Over the years he had been responsible for encourag­ing and shepherding some 200 high school graduates to West Point. Being invited to the Bicentennial Dinner marking the 200th anniversary of West Point was recognition for his service.

Topping off the abilities of this talented man was his acting in amateur theater. His most memorable role was the male lead in the play, “First Monday in October.” His performance was magnificent. His wit and stage presence were perfect for the role of a Supreme Court Judge. Actually, he was asked to replace a person in the lead role late in the rehearsals. Not a problem for John, he had the ability to memorize not only his own part but also all the parts of the other actors. What a memory! After 60 years he could recite the definition of leather.

John had the resoluteness and subtle drive to achieve which served him through­out his life. Those qualities were intrinsic to his being. Beyond that he was just a good person to be around. He was affable and hu­morous, and yet he was a sensitive person. He was a devoted husband. He lovingly sup­ported his family and cared deeply for oth­ers. For all who knew him, he left a mark on their hearts.

—Bill Waddell ’50, assisted by Nancy Best

Raymond N. Barry

NO. 17829  •  19 March 1926 – 08 September 2009

Died in Highland Ranch, CO
Cremated. Interred in Ft. Logan National Cemetery, Denver, CO

Raymond Ney Barry was born on 19 Mar 1926 in the small town of Hollis, OK. He grew up there with his two sisters and a younger brother. His father was a respected attorney, and his mother was an influential school teacher. At Hollis High School, Ray established an outstanding record both in the classroom and on the athletic field. He was president of his class, an honor student and a gifted athlete. In 1943 he was selected to the Oklahoma High School All-State football team as a pass-catching end. The following year, 1944, he also was named to the All-State basketball squad. Several universities offered athletic scholarships, but with World War II still underway, Ray enlisted in the Navy. While undergoing boot-camp he received a congressional ap­pointment to West Point. Offered a choice of Annapolis or West Point, Ray astonished his naval superiors by choosing West Point. He was transferred to the Army and sent to the U.S. Military Academy Prep School at Cornell University. Ray entered West Point in 1946 and readily adjusted to cadet life but took a carefree approach to academics. Only in athletic proficiency did he stand near the top of his class. Years later he said, “As my roommates will attest, I studied almost not at all. And I regret that because, had I put forth a better effort in academics, I would have gained a lot more intellectually than I did during those years. But I was not very disciplined back then, even in that environ­ment noted for its discipline.” Later in his ca­reer, Ray redeemed himself by earning, with honors, a Master of Science degree and two Master of Arts degrees. After graduating with his West Point Class in 1950, Ray reported to Ft. Benning, GA, for airborne training. While there he met Marjorie Burgess, and the following year, in April of 1951, they were married. Ray’s first troop duty came with the 82nd Airborne Division, and he made 20 parachute jumps with that division.

Ray saw combat in the Korean War with the 7th Infantry Division. During heavy fighting near Chorwon, Korea, he was awarded the Silver Star for bravery under fire. On that battlefield he was so severely wounded by enemy shellfire that initially he was not expected to live. Hospitalized for an extended period, he underwent numerous operations, gradually recovered, and even­tually returned to active duty. One of  Ray’s doctors suggested that he take up golf to ben­efit from sustained walking. Ray did, and he became a skillful recreational golfer, good enough to win a number of club champion­ships through the years.

The 3rd of August 1954 was a special date for Ray and Marge, because it marked the birth of their only daughter, Paula, who later gave them two beloved grandsons.

Ray's mid-career progressed through completion of service schools, graduate civil schooling, and the assumption of increas­ing responsibilities in various command and staff positions, both stateside and over­seas. After graduating from the Army War College in 1968, he was assigned to the Army Intelligence Staff at the Pentagon and during that tour of duty was promoted to colonel. During the Vietnam War, Ray served in Saigon as an adviser to the South Vietnamese joint general staff. In 1972, Ray proceeded directly from Vietnam to Belgium for a three-year assignment on the combined gen­eral staff at Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers Europe. Returning to the states in 1975, he assumed new duties at Readiness Region VIII in Denver, CO, first as region executive officer, later as region deputy com­mander, then as region commander. Ray’s extended tour of duty at Region VIII turned out to be his final military assignment. He retired in 1980, completing thirty years of service. In the years that followed, Ray and Marge settled down to an unhurried, but still active life-of-retirement at their home in Englewood, CO.

In addition to the Silver Star and Purple Heart, Ray’s awards and decorations include three Legions of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Bronze Star, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and two foreign decorations awarded to him by the govern­ment of South Vietnam: the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry and the Vietnamese Honor Medal.

John W. Allen Jr.

NO. 17941  •  19 September 1927 – 25 July 2010

Died in Weston, FL
Interred in Presbyterian Cemetery, Hollidaysburg, PA

John Wesley "Jake" Allen Jr., was born on Sep 19, 1927, in Altoona, PA, to Margaret and John Allen. He grew up in Hollidaysburg, PA, with his two sisters, Peggy and Priscilla. During his high school years at Hollidaysburg High School he played basketball and was captain of the football team. He was elected class president his junior year and served as class vice president during his senior year.

Upon graduation in December 1944, he enlisted in the Army. He attended Virginia Military Institute, Amherst College, and received his appointment to West Point. Jake entered the Academy in 1946 and quickly adjusted to cadet life. During his cadet years he played intramural golf and handball, was a member of the Russian Club, and served as the Hop Manager for all four years. An excerpt in his senior yearbook stated, "Jake Allen. The very name strikes fear in the hearts of all those who dabble in the pasteboards. But they are not alone—the Tactical and Academic Departments also quake at that name. Jake, the man of a thousand faces (Kings, Queens, and Jacks), is hereby voted the man most likely to upset all conventions and the only man who is reputed to have won Corporal stripes in a game of chance." He made many friends that he would hold dear throughout his lifetime.

After graduating with his class in 1950, Jake was off to Ft. Benning, GA, for the Infantry Officer Basic Course. Upon completion he reported to his 1st assignment with the 3rd Armored Division at Ft. Knox, KY. While there, Jake returned to Hollidaysburg to marry Eloise Smith. He often spoke of the "one glance" in which they both knew they would have a life together. Although knowing each other growing up in the same town, it wasn’t until their college years that they really discovered their connection. He and Eloise spent the next forty-eight years together. They had a son, Robert, and a daughter, Diane. Robert and his wife, Gail Taylor, have a son, Lance, and two daughters, Stephanie and Lindsay. Diane and her husband, Colonel (Ret) Robert Myers, have a daughter, Kimberly, and a son, Robert. Jack also enjoyed spending time with his great-grandkids.

From Ft. Knox, Jack was assigned to Far East Command Liaison Detachment, Korea. After initially serving as an advisor, he was reassigned to command the Tactical Liaison Office, an agent line crossing unit. He led approximately seventy-five missions dispatching and retrieving line crossing agents. He extended his tour and continued the same work on the island of Yodo.

His subsequent assignments took him to Ft. Benning, Ft. Holabird, Ft. Leavenworth, Ft. Riley, and USAREUR’s V Corps Headquarters. Following his assignment in Europe he attended the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School where he received his master’s degree in business administration in 1967. His follow-on assignment was to the ODCA at the Department of the Army in Washington, DC.

In 1969 he was assigned to the U.S. Military Assistance Command in Vietnam where he served in the J-3 office. After his tour in Vietnam he returned to the DC area where he was assigned to the Combat Development Command. His final assignment was as the Director of Evaluation with the Headquarters, CONFOR Group. Jack retired in 1972 as a lieutenant colonel after having served over 22 years of active duty.

Lieutenant Colonel Allen graduated from the Command and General Staff Officer Course and received numerous awards including the Combat Infantry Badge, WWII Victory Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with four Bronze Star service stars, RVN Commendation Medal with 60 Device, Joint Service Commendation Medal and two Legions of Merit. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Korean War Veterans Association, and a lifetime member of the Hollidaysburg American Legion.

Upon retiring, Jack and Eloise resided in Arlington, VA. They took every opportunity to travel, stayed active with classmates in the area, and participated in all Class of ’50 events. Jack started his own paper company and worked hard when he wasn’t following the sport of kings. He sold his company in 1989 and made golf his full-time passion. When not on the links he watched his St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Wizards, and Washington Redskins. Eloise passed away in 2000. After a few more years in the DC area, Jack joined Diane and her family in San Antonio, TX, in 2005. Dad brought a great deal to our family as he participated in all family activities on a daily basis. From birthdays to vacations, holidays to dinners out, Dad never passed up the opportunity for a teaching moment. He spent every Thanksgiving with his son’s family, keeping all grandkids, spouses, and great-grandkids in awe of his general knowledge while playing Trivial Pursuit. Christmas was spent in San Antonio with Diane’s family, wowing the grandkids, spouses, and great-grandkids with his incredible memory of his childhood and his jokes of the day.

Jack passed away while vacationing with Diane and her family in July 2010. His memory will live on for generations to come as we are reminded every day of things Dad said or did throughout his life. Very special to Dad was his ability to attend the 60th reunion of his class in May 2010. He will live on in our hearts forever.

— A loving family

Nathaniel A. Gallagher

NO. 17752•  17 September 1926 - 18 March 2011

Died in Chapel Hill, NC
Cremated. Interred in West Point Cemetery, NY

Nathaniel Ambrose “Nate” Gallagher was born Feb 22, 1927, in Malden, MA, the fourth child born to Dr. Nicholas and Anna Gallagher. After graduating from Malden High School, Nate entered the United States Military Academy, graduating in the Class of 1950. Nate married Eileen (Boe) Boehm in December 1950. Their son, Dr. Dale Gallagher, was born in 1952 with their daughter, Darra Das, joining the family in 1954. After living in Darien, CT, for 19 years, Boe and Nate moved to Chapel Hill, NC, in 1996. Sadly, Boe passed away in 1997, after losing her battle with cancer. Two years later, Nate was blessed anew by his marriage to another wonderful woman, Joan Haberer. It is no surprise that they met at a church function because Nate was a devout and practicing Catholic all his life.

Gregarious by nature, there were times when Nate’s true character was masked because he invariably greeted people with a suitable quip or feigned mockery. Soon afterward however, that façade faded quickly as his true charming character shone through. Nate’s generosity and sociability were ever present and unmistakable. He was always ready to help and pitch in. Some insist that Nate was generous to a fault. His roommate recalls a time when Nate offered to help a classmate with a calculus problem, even though Nate knew little about solving the problem. Fortunately another classmate was able to assist both of them!  Nate would readily admit that his closest lifelong friends were his fellow classmates. An enduring bond developed with several classmates and their wives. They shared a special camaraderie, humor, and genuine friendship on many alumni trips, dinners at the Army-Navy Club, and tail-gate gatherings. A personal favorite for Nate was having his friends visit Nate’s Broadview Farm in New Hampshire, property that his father had owned since he was a child.

During his days at the Academy, Nate was a leader recognized by his peers. He was a cadet lieutenant and, more noteworthy, the Chairman of the prestigious Honor Committee-elected to that position by fellow Committee members, themselves cadets of notable integrity. Upon graduation in 1950, Nate chose to enter pilot training with the U.S. Air Force. His years at West Point, coupled with his time served in the Air Force, had a resounding influence on his life. Nate would comment that those experiences taught him to be honest, trustworthy, and reliable.

Nate’s Air Force career focused primarily on aircrew duty, senior staff assignments, and Wing Command experience in the Strategic Air Command, with notable assignments in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. While at March AFB, Nate served through 1960 on aircrew and on the KC-97 and the B-47 in the 22nd Bomb Wing; he then held several staff assignments at 15th Air Force Headquarters until 1963. In 1964 Nate received his MBA in management from George Washington University. He served in the PACAF Headquarters during 1964-66. Nate volunteered for combat duty in Vietnam. Later, he had the opportunity to command the 8th Tactical Bomb Squadron, flying the B-57 out of Clark AFB, Philippines and Phan Rang AB, Vietnam, during 1966-67. His leadership and flying expertise were recognized with this tour, and Nate was awarded the Silver Star, five Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Bronze Star, fourteen Air Medals, and Presidential Unit citation. Nate had tours with Headquarters 13th Air Force, Clark AFB, the Office of the Director of Research and Development, Headquarters USAF, and the OJCS (J-5).  Nate served as Commander of three SAC B-52 Wings during a turbulent period for the Air Force and had the distinction of commanding the largest number of B-52s in the history of SAC. He was the Commander of the 19th Bomb Wing, Robins AFB, Georgia; the 72nd Strategic Wing (provisional); and the 410th Bomb Wing at Anderson AFB, Guam during 1972-74. In 1974 Nate was the Wing Commander of the 10th Bomb Wing at K.I. Sawyer AFB in northern Michigan. Nate’s final assignment was Chief of Staff of the Military Committee at the United Nations during 1975-77.

After 27 years of Military Service, Nate retired from the Air Force in 1977 with the rank of colonel. He then began a post-military career with Philip Morris as the Director of Corporate Security, which involved worldwide travel. After seven years, he retired from Philip Morris and then served a year on President Reagan’s Commission on Organized Crime until a final report was completed. Nate spent the next 15 years assisting his fellow Academy graduates with a placement service called Academy Graduates Executive Search, (AGES). Nate received many accolades for helping a large number of service members find meaningful employment after they retired from the military. Further, Nate remained very active in the Academy of Graduates (AOG). Nate served on the Board of Trustees (Class Trustee) from 1989-90, and he also served on several Alumni Support Committees of the AOG from 1989-05. Nate’s life portrays the illustrious career of a superb leader, courageous pilot, and devoted American. His unrelenting quest was to reach beyond the merely commonplace. He strived to be the very best that he could be. In this effort he never wavered. The words, “Duty, Honor, Country” meant more to Nate than a motto. They were a standard that he accepted, and it represented the way he lived his life. He always professed that “it was best to lead by example.” Nate was a highly decorated officer who made a difference. His services made an impact in a variety of significant and demanding Air Force assignments. To his family, he was the most loving and caring husband, father, grandfather, and step-father, and our warm memories of him and how he lived his life will help to sustain us in his absence.

- Wife and classmates

LeRoy W. Henderson

NO. 17361  •  17 September 1926 - 16 December 2014 17

Died in Houston, TX
Cremated. Inurned.

LeRoy Walter Henderson was born in Augusta, ME. He was the son of Harry and Dorothy Henderson and the brother of Harry and Margaret. He graduated from Coney High School as the valedictorian of his class and spent two years at the University of Maine in Orono, where he played football and baseball while majoring in engineering. Roy entered West Point with the Class of 1950 by appointment from Representative (later Senator) Margaret Chase Smith. At West Point, he earned three stars in academics and was on the Brigade Staff. He was a member of the Choir, and he played a mean trumpet. Roy was sent to France as an ambassador of West Point.

At graduation, he married Nancy Day. Two months later they were stationed in Darmstadt, Germany, where they lived for three years with the 547th Engineering Battalion, which was busy building bridges. His first son, David LeRoy, was born in Virginia in 1954. Shortly thereafter, Roy resigned from the Army and went to work for Vulcan Rail and Construction Company, where he rose to the position of vice president. Two more sons, Andrew Day and Scott Merrill, were born while the family lived on Long Island, NY.

Roy was transferred to the office in Wheeling, WV in 1959, serving as Vice President and Plant Manager of the company. Two years later, their niece Carolyn joined the family. In 1962, Roy accepted a vice president position with Lunn Laminates, a fiberglass company in New York, and the family moved to Lloyd Harbor on Long Island. Roy and the family loved sailing, playing tennis, gardening on a large scale, and camping. He enjoyed leading his sons’ Boy Scout troops and Little League teams. Roy also took pleasure in singing in a barbershop quartet and playing bridge.

In 1968, Roy was transferred to Massachusetts, and the family moved to the town of Concord, where they built a house. They lived there until he took an early retirement in 1984. Roy and Nancy traveled the world in their RVs, seeing 33 countries and all 50 states, visiting many family and friends along the way. On one of their return trips to Germany, they watched the Berlin Wall come down. They stopped traveling in 2013 to settle down in Texas and to enjoy their children and eight grandchildren.

Roy died on December 16, 2014 in Houston, TX. He was given a military funeral. May he rest in peace.

— Nancy Henderson

Thomas D. Scofield

NO. 17684  •  22 Dec 1962

Died in Montgomery, AL
Interred in Peaceful Acres, Opp, AL

Thomas David Scofield grew up in a small town in the heart of Dixie known as Opp, AL and was the only son of John Dewey Scofield and Julia Carroll Tyson Scofield. David was also big brother to sisters Monica, Harriet, and Deborah.

From an early age, David had high aspirations for himself: he planned to attend the United States Military Academy with the ultimate goal of becoming a pilot in the United States Air Force. When the family determined that it would be extremely difficult for him to obtain an appointment to West Point through traditional means, David’s parents moved heaven and earth to send him to Marion Military Institute in order to improve his chances of admission. Following graduation from the accelerated program at Marion, David enrolled in the U.S. Navy V-5 Training Program, jointly run at Emory University and Georgia Tech, while he continued to pursue an appointment to West Point.

While at Emory, David was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. In the summer after his freshman year at Emory, he attended Navy training in both Brooklyn, NY and Great Lakes, IL. When word came of the appointment to West Point, David was overjoyed and more than happy to put his Navy experiences behind him. It was with great joy that he enrolled as a plebe at West Point in the summer of 1946.

David graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point on June 1, 1950 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Air Force. He completed pilot training in August of 1951 and was married shortly thereafter to the lovely Barbara Brooks Rushing of Samson, AL, who died in 2014. Three months into their marriage, David was deployed to a duty station in Korea. While in Korea, he shared his billet with best friend and classmate, William Slade.

During his short lifetime, David was the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Commendation Medal, the American Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.

David particularly enjoyed his assignment to England and RAF Chivener as squadron leader. In addition, General Thomas Gerrity was of significant influence on David and his family. David served as his aide de camp and was with General Gerrity in Oklahoma City, OK when Tinker Air Force Base opened. Following this assignment, David was transferred to Wright Patterson in order to pursue an MBA at Indiana University, Bloomington. During his time there, David began to experience seizures and was initially diagnosed with a seizure disorder. With this diagnosis David lost his flying privileges. This was one of the most difficult aspects of his illness since, other than family, flying was the great love of his life. David persevered through great physical challenges to obtain his MBA in management and to graduate with honors from IU. Shortly thereafter he achieved the rank of major.

Eventually, David was correctly diagnosed with a brain tumor and was retired from active duty in May of 1962 after being assigned to Patrick Air Force Base in Cape Canaveral, FL, where he worked on the Apollo Space Project. David’s hobbies included fly fishing and reading. Also, wherever they were stationed, he and his family were active in the Baptist Church. In his last posting, he enjoyed teaching young boys in the RA Program at Cocoa Baptist Church.

David underwent extensive treatment for his cancer at Walter Reed and Maxwell Air Force Base Hospitals, including surgery, and succumbed to his illness on December 22, 1962 at Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, AL. He was buried with full military honors at Peaceful Acres in his hometown of Opp, AL on December 24, 1962. He was survived by his three daughters: Bettye Kathryn Scofield, Cynthia Irene Scofield, and Julia Louise Scofield.

David’s legacy of love for Duty, Honor, Country has been a seminal influence in the lives of his daughters to this day.

Joseph Ross Franklin

NO. 17656 •  11 July 1928 – 18 July 2012

Died in Pensacola, FL, aged 84 years

Col. Joseph Ross Franklin, PhD, USA (Ret), 84, of Pensacola, FL, died Wednesday, July 18, 2012 at home. Col. Franklin was born July 11, 1928 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He attended and graduated from U. S. Military Academy at West Point in 1950. Col. Franklin served in Korea, where he was wounded, and three tours of duty in Vietnam. He was a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star and Purple Heart, retiring from the U. S. Army after thirty years of service. Col. Franklin received his PhD in Foreign Relations from the American University. He was a member of the Legion of Valor and an active member of Holy Spirit Catholic Church. He is survived by his wife, Nancy Franklin of Pensacola; son, Daniel Franklin of Pensacola; daughter, Jennifer Kellen and husband Joel of Corpus Christi, TX; granddaughter, Emmalee Noel Gough and sister, Dianne Payne.

Inurnment will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, August 03, 2012 at Barrancas National Cemetery with full military honors. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made for Masses at Holy Spirit Catholic Church for our wounded veterans and active duty men and women.

He received the Distinguished Service Cross because of his extraordinary heroism in Korea on the night of 6 July 1952. His platoon, occupying an outpost on a tactically important ridge, was subjected to an intense artillery and mortar bombardment immediately followed by a smashing hostile attack. With complete disregard for his personal safety, Lieutenant Franklin moved from position to position through heavy fire, encouraging his men and directing their efforts as they fought to hold back the charging enemy waves. Learning that the perimeter had been breached and that a number of enemy were in the outpost, he led a bayonet charge against the hostile troops. When the automatic rifles used by one of his men refused to function, he gave his carbine to the automatic rifleman, continuing to engage in the struggle with his pistol and grenades. As he led his men against the enemy, a hostile grenade hit him in the shoulder. Before the missile exploded, he pushed two comrades to the ground, enabling them to escape injury or death. When the first two friendly counterattacks failed to dislodge the foe, Lieutenant Franklin organized and led a third charge. Aggressively continuing to advance, even after the ammunition for his pistol had been expended, he killed three of the enemy with accurately hurled grenades. Under his leadership, his men succeeded in driving the hostile troops from the outpost and retained control of the tactically important position. The extraordinary heroism exhibited by Lieutenant Franklin throughout this action reflects great credit on himself and upholds the esteemed traditions of the military service.

During his US Army career he has received 13 individual valor awards from the US Army and 5 from the government of Vietnam. He is the most decorated officer in his West Point class of 1950, receiving every award for valor awarded by the US Army except one. He commanded every unit from a Ranger platoon of 25 men to an airborne brigade of 7,000 men in 48 months of combat in two wars. He was wounded twice. In Vietnam, COL Franklin served as Battalion Commander of the 1/505 PIR 82nd Airborne Division, followed by assignments as 173rd Airborne Brigade Deputy Commander and SOG Deputy Chief. He is airborne and ranger qualified, as well as being a rated Army aviator. He was the deputy of the Peers Commission who investigated the My Lai massacre and was responsible for writing the report that went to the President of the United States and other senior officials.

In the book of Pulitzer Prize winner Seymour Hirsh, COVER UP, about the Peers Commission Hirsh writes that General Peers called Colonel Franklin, “the most qualified officer in the United States Army for the job”, in testimony before a secret sub committee session of Congress. Franklin was given less than 12 hours to leave the Congo (Brazzaville), a communist oriented country, when the Prime Minister complained to the US ambassador about his alleged activities attempting to bring down the government. He is a member of the Legion of Valor, an organization of those who hold one of the two highest US awards for valor. He was a student at the French War College (Ecole Superiure de Guerre) in Paris for two years. This school is essential in the French Army to become a general. He was featured in a newspaper article for a charitable project he worked on in the mid ’80’s.

Col Franklin, PhD (doctorate in African studies) lived in a Roman Catholic Monastery for seven years, 1995-2002. His principle duty in the monastery was raising funds through various business ventures for charitable purpose. He professed poverty, obedience and chastity in the monastery. He was a principal in a 60 Minutes documentary TV program where he was a protagonist against a senior officer he had relieved in combat who falsely accused him of war crimes. It was the longest segment produced to that time and won the Emmy award that year. CBS was sued for 60 million USD as a result of this program and Franklin was their principle witness. CBS won the suit, after an evidentiary dispute went to the US Supreme Court.

 

Citations

Distinguished Service Cross
Awarded for actions during the Korean War

The President of the United States of America, under the provisions of the Act of Congress approved July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to First Lieutenant (Infantry) Joseph Ross Franklin (ASN: 0-62893), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving as Platoon Leader with an Infantry Company of the 7th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division. First Lieutenant Franklin distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Sangwan-ni, Korea, on 6 July 1952. Late on that night, Lieutenant Franklin’s platoon, occupying an outpost position on a tactically important ridge, was subjected to an intense artillery and mortar bombardment immediately followed by a smashing hostile attack. With complete disregard for his personal safety, Lieutenant Franklin moved from position to position through heavy fire, encouraging his men and directing their efforts as they fought to hold back the charging enemy waves. Learning that the perimeter had been breached and that a number of the enemy were in the outpost, he led a bayonet charge against the hostile troops. When the automatic rifle used by one of his men refused to function, he gave his carbine to the automatic rifleman, continuing to engage in the struggle with his pistol and grenades. As he led his men against the enemy, a hostile grenade hit him in the shoulder. Before the missile exploded, he pushed two comrades to the ground, enabling them to escape injury or death. When the first two friendly counterattacks failed to dislodge the foe, Lieutenant Franklin organized and led a third charge. Aggressively continuing to advance, even after the ammunition for his pistol had been expended, he killed three of the enemy with accurately hurled grenades. Under his leadership, his men succeeded in driving the hostile troops from the outpost and retained control of the tactically important position. The extraordinary heroism exhibited by Lieutenant Franklin throughout this action reflects great credit upon himself and upholds the esteemed traditions of the military service.

General Orders: Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea: General Orders No. 141 (January 24, 1953)

Action Date: 6-Jul-52
Rank: First Lieutenant
Company: Infantry Company
Regiment: 7th Infantry Regiment
Division: 3d Infantry Division

 

Silver Star
Awarded for actions during the Vietnam War

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Colonel (Infantry) Joseph Ross Franklin (ASN: 0-62893), United States Army, for gallantry in action on 25 May 1972, while serving as Senior Advisor, 21st Infantry Division, Army of the Republic of Vietnam. On this date during the campaign to clear Highway 13 to relieve An Loc, Colonel Franklin, on one of his frequent visits to the area of greatest enemy resistance, moved to the 1st Battalion, 32d Regiment. The battalion was the lead element facing two NVA battalions and was under intense automatic weapons, B-40 wire-guided missile, 122-mm. rocket and 120-mm mortar fire when he arrived. A rocket struck ten feet from him wounding the battalion advisor who had been directing air strikes against the enemy. Colonel Franklin without regard for his own safety under fire moved immediately to render first aid to the advisor until an ARVN medic arrived. He then took over direction of Air Strikes, remaining in an exposed position to best observe the nearby enemy fortifications and direct the strikes. After requesting a helicopter to evacuate the wounded advisor, he selected a landing zone and guided the helicopter’s approach. A few seconds after the aircraft touched down an enemy mortar impacted 15 feet from it. Remaining on the landing zone, exposed to the enemy fire, Colonel Franklin attempted to load a stretcher bearing an ARVN soldier onto the helicopter while it was ascending. As the aircraft rose from the landing zone, the helpless wounded ARVN soldier fell from the helicopter and would have been re-injured but Colonel Franklin caught him breaking his fall. He then moved the wounded soldier to a more secure area while intense mortar and rocket fire continued. Colonel Franklin’s conspicuous gallantry in action was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Army and reflects great credit upon himself and the military service.

General Orders: Headquarters, III Regional Assistance Command, General Orders No. 120 (June 4, 1972)

Action Date: 25-May-72
Service: Army
Rank: Colonel
Company: Advisory Team 51
Division: IV Corps

 

Soldier’s Medal
Awarded for actions during the Vietnam War

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting the Soldier’s Medal to Colonel (Infantry) Joseph Ross Franklin (ASN: 0-62893), United States Army, for heroism at the risk of life not involving conflict with an armed enemy. Colonel Franklin distinguished himself by heroic action on 16 April 1972, while serving as Senior Advisor, Advisory Team 51, United States Military Assistance Command, Republic of Vietnam. On this date, at approximately 1245 hours, an enemy 122-mm. rocket hit the Lai Khe ammunition dump containing seven hundred tons of artillery ammunition resulting in continuous series of up to 80 explosions per minute for several hours of 155-mm. shells which were hurled over 1,000 meters. Realizing the essentiality of preserving the POL point located 100 meters from the ammunition dump and vitally needed for relief of An Loc and support of friendly troops engaged against elements of three North Vietnamese Army divisions, Colonel Franklin voluntarily led a PA&E fire truck to the POL point despite the constantly exploding shells and fragments. Placing himself several feet between 100,000 gallons of POL behind a parapet he watched with fire fighting equipment for burning fragments around the POL. He was continually showered by shell fragments which covered the ground for literally thousands of square feet. Despite the imminent danger of one of the fragments or shells hitting the POL tanks which could have resulted in his being instantly incinerated, Colonel Franklin continued his fire watch until the explosion subsided and he was replaced by ARVN soldiers. Under fire resembling a heavy artillery concentration for several hours, Colonel Franklin’s heroic actions at great risk of loss of his own life helped preserve a vital POL point at a critical time in the battle for An Loc and contributed significantly to the results achieved. Colonel Franklin’s heroic actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

General Orders: Headquarters, III Regional Assistance Command, General Orders (July 8, 1972)
Action Date: 16-Apr-72
Service: Army
Rank: Colonel
Company: Advisory Team 51

- This memorial first appeared on the 82nd Airborne Division (Vietnam) Golden Brigade website at http://yorkovich.net/gbc/?p=227

The Carmelite Prayer

The Carmelite Prayer from the back of Louis Genuario's memorial cards:

Death is nothing at all. I have only slipped away into the next room. Whatsoever we were to each other, that we are still. Call me by my old familiar name, speak to me in the easy way which you always used to. Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together. Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. Let my name be the household word that it always was. Let it be spoken without effort. Life means all that it has ever meant. It is the same as it ever was, there is absolutely unbroken continuity. Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just around the corner. All is well. Nothing is past, nothing is lost. One brief moment and all will be as it was before, only better, infinitely happier and forever -- we will be one together with Christ.

-- Adapted from Henry Scott Holland's 1910 sermon, "Death the King of Terrors".

Robert R. Werner

NO. 17426 .  1 Jun 1925 - 6 May2014

Died in Chagrin Falls, Ohio 

 

ROBERT REHM WERNER, age 88, of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, died May 6, 2014, after a brief illness. He was born June 1, 1925 to Minerva (Rehm) and Louis Wolf Werner and grew up in Yonkers, New York. He was their only child. His parents lived frugally on his dad's teaching salary so that the family could travel. By the time he graduated high school he had traveled with his parents to all the states (48 at the time), Canada, Mexico and Europe. He kept this love of travel to the final days of his life. In the last two years he traveled with one or another of his children to France, Italy, Scotland, Egypt, Turkey and Central America. Two months before he died he was zip lining in Honduras.

After graduating high school he enlisted in the Army in 1943 and went to Europe with the 86th Infantry Division and was wounded in combat in Germany. He won an appointment to West Point (signed by General Eisenhower). Graduating in 1950, he was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers. He married his high school sweetheart, Leila (Wilson) Werner on June 7 at West Point following graduation. He made the Inchon Landing with the 62nd Engineer Construction Batallion in the Korean War, and later served in Japan, Germany/France, Greenland, and Korea again after the Pueblo Incident. In 1964 he was assigned to the Office of Chief of Engineers and returned for a second tour, focusing on water resources and environmental impact in planning. He held a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Texas A & M, was a registered professional engineer in the state of Texas, and was awarded a PhD in Economics from South Dakota State University.

He retired from the Army as a full Colonel in 1973, and wanting to test some of his ideas in civilian life, joined Dalton Dalton Little and Newport, consulting engineers, to head up their Planning and Environmental Systems Group. In 1982 he left Dalton and founded SEMCOR, Inc. a strategy consulting firm, and later SEMCOR, Europe.

Throughout his life he was a good synthesizer, able to bring multiple disciplines and viewpoints to solve problems. Over his many decades he had a continuing interest in engineering, planning, strategy, peace and religion. His book, Designing Strategy: The Art of Scenario Analysis, 2010, reflected his vision and perspective. He was an avid tennis and Bridge player, and achieved Bronze Life Master in Bridge. After his children were grown, he became the patriarch of the family in the best sense of that word. He kept a far-flung family together through summer reunions, daughter winter getaways, guys' golf, holidays and adventures. Everyone willingly came not only because it was great fun, but because the Colonel said so. The interest, love and acceptance he consistently showed to each member of his large extended family made him a role model for all of us.

He is survived by his loving wife, Leila of 63 years; his adoring children, Jacqueline Werner-Gavrin and her husband, Marc, Robert R. Werner, Jr. and his wife, Teri, Mary C. Smith and her husband, Chris and Judith L. Werner and her husband, Dan Borden; and his devoted grandchildren, Anneka, Elizabeth and Ari Werner-Gavrin; Suzanne Werner; Aaron and Kevin Smith; Paul, Garrett and Ryan Nugent. A Memorial Mass will be held at The Church of the Resurrection in Solon, Ohio on Monday, May 19 at 11:00 a.m. A Full Military Honors Funeral will be held at West Point on Tuesday, June 3 at 10:00 a.m. Memorial Gifts may be made to Covenant House, 461 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY, 10001.

Published in The Plain Dealer on May 14, 2014

James F. Workman

NO. 17477  .  15 Dec 1927 - 30 Oct 1995

Died in Fredericksburg, VA 
Inurned in West Point Post Cemetery, West Point, NY


James Frederick Workman's lifelong dream was to be a West Point graduate just like his father, James Henry (Harry) Workman, who graduated in the Class of 1923. Jim's dream materialized in 1946 when he received a presidential appointment to the Academy, and it was fully realized when he graduated in 1950. The same year, he met, fell in love with, and married Ellen Clyburn, daughter of Army COL and Mrs. James Clyburn (Class of 1924), making 1950 a double milestone year.

Jim's first assignment took him to Ft. Sill, OK where he had been born when his dad was stationed there. In 1951, at Ft. Sill, Jim and Ellen were blessed with the arrival of their first child, Martha Lynn. Daughter number two, Ann Louise, was born one year later, while Ellen was in Chicago. Jim had already moved to Stuttgart, Germany, where he was setting up the household for his growing family. The family soon followed, and by the time the young couple returned to the States, their little family had doubled in size to include daughters Ellen Susan and Nancy Jean. Back at Ft. Sill in 1956, daughter number five, Barbara Kay, arrived.

The next three years found the Workman clan back at Jim's beloved West Point, where he taught algebra geometry, trigonometry, and calculus as an assistant professor in the Math Department. From there, Jim went back to school himself, earning a master of science in electrical engineering as a "ramblin' wreck" from Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Daughter number six, Mary Catherine, made her appearance at this time. Jim referred to her as his little "Georgia peach."

From July 1961 to July 1964, Jim used his newly acquired electrical engineering skills as a test officer on the Nike Zeus anti-missile system program at the White Sands Missile Range, just north of Ft. Bliss, TX. It was an assignment that he enjoyed immensely.

While at the Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, KS, Jim's seventh and last (finally!) daughter, Kim Jannette, was born. He never expressed any regrets about not having a son; he loved his little harem!

From October 1965 to October 1966, Jim served as an advisor to the social services department of the Republic of South Viet Nam Armed Forces. He was extremely proud of the work he and others were doing to build schools, hospitals, and orphanages for the people of Viet Nam.

He spent the remaining five years of his military service working once again with missile defense systems, first at the Pentagon, then back in Germany, and finally at Ft. Bliss, TX. Jim retired in 1971 after 25 years of faithful service.

Jim Workman had two great loves in his life: the Army and his family. He spent the remaining years of his life concentrating on his family. He cared for his aging parents until they passed away and then was kept busy with 14 grandchildren. After a paralyzing stroke in 1989, Jim moved in with his daughter Susan, her husband, and five children near Fredericksburg, VA. It was there he passed away quietly in his sleep in the fall of 1995.

At the foot of his bed was a large picture of the Academy at West Point, and it may have been the final thing he saw before he closed his eyes for the last time. Jim Workman was a dedicated soldier, faithful husband, loving father, and a genuinely honorable man. He leaves behind seven daughters, fourteen grandchildren, and six great grandchildren.

- Ellen S. Peppers

Stuart Wood, Jr.

NO. 17620  •  3 February 1929 – 17 June 1997

Died 17 June 1997 in Lake Wylie, SC.
Cremated, ashes scattered in the Atlantic Ocean

 

STUART WOOD, JR., was born at Ft. Bragg, NC, on his father's birthday. He traveled with his father, Stuart '27, and mother Mary, as they were posted from Ft. Bragg to Hawaii, where a brother (ex-'56) joined the family, before the family went on to move to various other military stations.

As a youngster, a potential military career was nearly cut short at Ft. Sill when a dud exploded, shattering five-year ­old Stuart's right arm. His arm was shortened by an inch, with extensive ligament damage, creating a lifelong problem in maintaining a proper saluting posture with his right hand. Even with his injured arm, Stuart was presented with the opportunity to attend West Point, in part as a result of his father being a Japanese POW during WW II. He chose to do so, and took a short sojourn from Fishburne Military School to attend Sullies to prepare for the entrance exam. He was successful, and entered West Point with the Class of ‘50 in 1946.

Academics at West Point were challenging, but Stu, as he was known, managed to graduate in the top third of his class. While a cadet, he was a four-year member of the swim team, played lacrosse, was on the track team, and was in the 100th Night Show.

Stu's first assignment was with a tank battalion in Germany. After two years, he transfered to the Corps of Engineers, his desired branch. A year's service as aide-de-­camp in Stuttgart brought him back to Ft. Bragg and the 82d Airborne Division, where he earned his airborne wings before heading for Korea. Serving two years combined as a company commander in the 82d Division in Korea was among the top assignments of Stu’s career.

Upon return stateside, Stu  met the love of his life. Four months after reporting to Ft. Belvoir, he married Patricia Meredith, whom he had met at Ft. Bragg. They lived and loved for 40 years with four great children to complete their family.

Advance coursework led to Stu earning a masters degree at Texas A&M,  where his first child was born. This was followed by a three-year tour in Alaska, where Stu was able to pursue several of his favorite pastimes - hunting, fishing, bowling, and skiing. A second child joined the family in Alaska. His next assignment brought the family back to Ft. Bragg, XVIII Airborne Corps, for two years, where a third child joined the family at Ft. Bragg before they headed overseas to Europe for three years. Working with NATO construction for that tour was very satisfying for Stu. His fourth child joined the family in Heidelberg, Germany.

Upon returning stateside once again, he brought the family to Colorado, where Stu taught civil engineering to USAF cadets. The family loved that assignment, and anchored in Colorado Springs.­

Stu had two tours in southeast Asia, one as Commander, 27th Engineer Battalion, and the other as Chief of Operations, 18th Engineer Brigade. Upon his return to the U.S., Stu joined his family in Colorado Springs, where he became the NORAD Engineer, monitoring the expansion of the underground headquarters at Cheyenne Mountain. He became more closely involved when he was assigned as the Area Engineer responsible for the actual construction of that project.

In addition to his military attributes, Stu was a gregarious host. One was always welcomed by his "bear hug" greeting.  While stationed at the Air Force Academy, Stu and Pat formed a gourmet club. Friends and classmates enjoyed many memorable evenings enhanced by his culinary efforts. While in Viet Nam, he hosted numerous dinner parties for fellow officers in his quarters. On one such occasion, a classmate visited him to renew their friendship, catch up on families and friends, and enjoy Stu’s cooking.  Unfortunately, the enemy began shelling the compound. Dinner and drinks continued, however, while both huddled under Stu’s trailer.

Stu and Pat sailed with friends, classmates, and relatives in many parts of the world. He was at home in the galley, as well as on deck. Once, when  he was short of butter for an evening meal he was preparing, Stu swam  to a near-by anchored cruise.  He got the butter and swam the side stroke back-holding the prize high-and-dry to the cheers of the cruiseship passengers and the delight of the shipmates.

Retirement in 1975 meant changing the color of the clothes he wore to work, as Stu moved immediatelv into the construction field. Construction took him all over the west before finally settling him in North Carolina. After nine years of following large-scale construction, Stu moved to a community college where he was a professor heading the Civil Engineering and Surveying Department. He enjoyed working with young people tremendously before his health forced his retirement in 1994. Back fusion, a knee replacement, and prostate and bone cancer rather limited his activities.

His military service was, recognized with numerous awards and decorations, including two Legions of Merit, a Bronze Star, a Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medals, Army and Air Force Commendation Medals, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.  During his limited spare time, he authored two civil engineering texts, and edited his father’s memoirs of Japanese prison camp for publication.

Besides writing, Stu’s activities took him from SCUBA diving and sailing to golf and tennis, while his health still enabled him to participate. As a sideline, he oversaw the construction of numerous personal real estate projects.

After fighting cancer for more than four years, Stu - ever the officer and gentleman - joined his father and brother in the Long Gray Line. 

Gail Francis Wilson

NO. 17807  •  21 May 1928 – 3 September 1967

Died 3 September 1967 in Vietnam, aged 39 years.
Interment: Forest Park West Cemetery, Houston, Texas


WEST OF PLEIKU near the Cambodian border, a helicopter crash on 1 September 1967 resulted in  the death of Lieutenant Colonel Gail Francis Wilson. Gail had been in Vietnam less than a  month on his second tour when the accident occurred. As his brigade commander wrote: "When I reached him (after the crash), he was standing in full control of himself and evidenced no concern for his own injuries. He explained very quickly where the other men were, for it was very difficult to find people in the tall grass. He must have spent much of his energy determining the conditions of the other men and may have assisted in dragging them free of the fire. None of the others could have done so… When we put him aboard the medical evacuation ship, he protested that he was less injured then the rest." Gail died two days later from burns received in the crash. Thus ended the life of a man so respected for his character, integrity, dedication, loyalty and selflessness.

Gail's life was full, exciting, and rewarding. Born at Fort Sam Houston 21 May 1928, Gail lived a happy childhood life as an Army Brat. As Gail accompanied his family from post to post, lifelong interests were building. Foremost was his love of the Army. He loved everything about it, mostly the people but also the customs, traditions, discipline and way of life. As an Army youngster he soon realized how important it was to make strong and lasting friendships. He cherished these friendships, and as he grew older, he appreciated the opportunity to form more and lasting friendships as he moved throughout the Army.

During the years of World War II, Gail lived in San Antonio, Texas, awaiting the return of his father, Colonel O. O. Wilson '24, who had been captured on Bataan. He graduated from Central Catholic High School where he distinguished himself as a cadet lieutenant colonel, a class officer and a budding athlete. After his graduation he attended Rice University in Houston, Texas, while preparing for his lifelong ambition, his admittance to West Point in July 1946.

Duty, Honor, and Country were no strangers to him. These were ideals learned as a child and nurtured during his four years at West Point. The HOWITZER notes ". . . his indomitable spirit, pleasing personality, and ... many friends." He excelled in track and cross country and later used these talents as a member of the U.S. Army's Modern Pentathalon Team. He participated in the Pan American games of 1951 and was manager of the team at the Olympics in 1952. Those who knew Gail knew that his athletic success was due more to his perseverance, and dedication, than to his athletic prowess.

Shortly after graduation Ardath Kersta came into Gail's life, and they were wed in May 1952 at West Point. This was the start of Gail's happy family life which was blessed with six wonderful children. As a husband and father Gail excelled. How proud he was, and how he enjoyed their closeness. His annual Christmas letters to friends were always full of humor relating to the Wilsons’ latest adventures.

It was the Army, though, around which the life of the G. F. Wilsons revolved. Gail was an Infantryman, a ranger, a master parachutist and a perfectionist in his career. His assignment included a previous tour in Vietnam as an advisor, an ROTC assignment at Wisconsin University and troop duty with four different infantry divisions. One of his most cherished assignments was with the 1st British Brigade in England where he and Ardath made so many close friends. His last assignment was commanding the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry, of which he was justly proud.

Extracts from letters received since his death attest to his character. From a division commander: "Whenever I had a tough job to be done, I tossed it to Gail and forgot about it. I knew it would be done and done well. As well as being a competent soldier, Gail was a leader in the community and did many things to make the lives of others more pleasant." From a friend: " . . . in Kontum, Vietnam, in 1957-­58, he won the admiration, trust and respect of all his Vietnamese counterparts. He was a good American in the best possible meaning of that expression..." From his brigade commander: "He died in the manner in which he had lived, with the primary thought to his duty and with selfless attention to others."

The letters come from afar and pay tribute to this soldier. His family cherishes these letters and memories Gail has left them. They remember his devotion to God, his country and to them. They take comfort knowing Gail died doing what he loved, for something in which he believed. We'll miss him ...

WELL DONE, Be thou at Peace."

- J.C W.

Robert A. Williams

NO. 17795  •  20 Jul 1926 - 1 Oct 1952

Killed in Air Accident in South Korea - Remains not recovered


The small village of Celina, TX, located north of Dallas, had a population increase of one as Mr. and Mrs. Joe Lee Williams welcomed their second child, Robert Allen Williams, into their household. At an early age, Bob was entertained by riding in the family buggy, delivering food and cool drinks to the workers in the field. At the age of five, he learned to drive the buggy and then learned to ride the horse. He dreamed of becoming a cowboy when he grew up.

And grow up Bob did. His family moved to Malvern, AR, where his father operated a hardware store. Bob displayed his independence when he ran away from home to a nearby farm that had horses in pursuit of his desire to be a cowboy. He was returned to his family but his independent spirit remained with him throughout his life.

Bob attended Malvern High School, where he was active in student government and athletics, earning letters in track and gymnastics. While in high school, he developed an interest in attending West Point and with sought an opportunity to do so by attending Marion Institute. He eventually earned an appointment to the Academy in July 1945. After successfully completing "Beast Barracks," Bob was ready for the academic challenge and despite his best effort, was un-able to master the rules of analytic geometry and was and "turned back."

His indomitable spirit led him to try one more time for re-admission to the Academy by attending Sullivan’s Preparatory School in Washington, DC, for further academic tutoring. While there, he befriended two "ex" plebes, William G. Fuller and Gene A. Dennis, who experienced the same setback, and coincidently became his roommates during all four years at the Academy. Their friendship lasted throughout their careers.

As a cadet, Bob compiled an envious record. He achieved the rank of cadet lieutenant, became intercollegiate gymnastic champion in the "flying rings," and earned fourth place in that event in the National Gymnastic Championship, for which he was awarded his Major "A."

The future held much promise for Bob when he entered Basic Flight Training at Randolph AFB, TX. At the outset, flying seemed natural to him, almost like riding a horse. He was one of a few to solo early, a happy event. That accomplishment was overshadowed by another event, however, when he was introduced to Miss Peggy Jackson by Bill Fuller's fiance, Miss Lee Grebe. A wonderful courtship began, followed by marriage to Peggy. When assigned to advanced jet fighter training at Williams AFB, Bob joined both his roommates, who were taking the same training. His world now was perfect - Bob was with those he loved, embarking on a career he loved. He was even happier after experiencing the thrill of his first jet flight in the T-33 jet trainer. He knew he had made the correct career and life choices.

Bob soon learned that the T-33 aircraft was a different machine from the T-6 basic trainer. The transition proved to be a challenge, as he had difficulty staying abreast with the others in meeting the standards. Consequently, he was moved back to another group for additional training. Bob finally graduated from the advanced flight training and Peggy pinned the wings of an Air Force pilot on to his uniform.

After graduation, the Williams family traveled to Luke AFB, AZ, where Bob entered the F-84 Combat Crew Training Course and joined his two roommates who were nearing completion of their training. That reunion ended when they departed for their assignments to Johnson AFB in Japan. The additional flying time and experience Bob acquired at Williams AFB proved beneficial as he became the top student pilot in aerial gunnery. From there, he followed his roommates to Johnson AFB, arriving in time to bid them farewell as they departed to join F-84 units in Korea.

After completing indoctrination training at Johnson, Bob was assigned to the 474th Fighter Bomber Group, an F-84 unit in Korea, where he was reunited with Gene A. Dennis. His first few weeks in Korea were spent undergoing theatre indoctrination learning the rules of engagement, the procedure involved understanding the tactical air control system, plus training flights to the tactical gunnery range. All were necessary steps before flying combat missions. Bob was cleared to fly combat and scheduled to fly a combat familiarization flight in the number four aircraft in a flight of four aircraft.

Shortly after takeoff and during the climb to altitude, the flight experienced weather conditions. When the flight broke into the clear, Bob's aircraft was not sighted nor did he check in by radio. The other flight members never sighted his aircraft during the flight through weather or join up. Subsequent search flights over the area were unable to locate the downed aircraft or pilot.

It was assumed Bob experienced vertigo during the climb through the weather and was unable to stay with the flight during instrument conditions, lost control, and crashed. He was declared killed in air accident 1 Oct 1952. His widow, Peggy, survives Bob.

His will be done. "Be thou at peace."

- Classmate and wingman Bill Curry

Robert D. Willerford

NO. 17565 • 8 Mar 1925 - 24 Sep 1956  

Died in Tallahasee, FL.
Interred in West Point Cemetery, West Point NY

 

On 24 Sep 1956, a hurricane glanced off the Louisiana and Alabama gulf coasts and struck northwest Florida with full force, blasting Panama City and nearby coastal towns with 100 mile per hour winds. CPT Bob Willerford and his wingman were ordered to evacuate two training aircraft from Tyndall AFB near Panama City. Initial orders were to evacuate the aircraft to the Midwest. Orders then changed, and CPT Willerford and his colleague were diverted to West Palm Beach. Bob's wife Mary remembers his rushing home and then heading back to the flight line, leaving his wallet on the dresser. After driving to the runway and watching while a sergeant ran out to return the wallet to him, she saw Bob wave vigorously to her and take off. Tragically, Bob and the wingman collided in the severe weather and crashed near Tallahassee. His wingman ejected safely and survived. Bob died in the crash and was buried with honors at West Point on 28 Sep 1956, just 6 years and 3 months after his graduation.

Bob left behind his young wife and three young children, family he treasured. He also left behind a father, mother, two sisters, and a brother he cared for deeply. He left behind a profession he loved. Flying was his passion. He left behind classmates and colleagues who greatly valued his friendship. Though long years have dimmed memories, we remember a fine, ebullient man with a brilliant smile, who had been a friend to all.

Robert Dale Willerford was born to Fred and Lillian Willerford in Chicago, IL, on 8 Mar 1925. They soon moved to Van Nuys, CA. He grew up there, the oldest of four children, with siblings Ruth, Beverly, and Fred. He attended Van Nuys High School, participating in sports and other activities. Upon graduation in 1942, Bob attended a preparatory school and then went into the Army in September 1943. He was assigned to the Army Special Training Program for continued education at Lafayette College, PA, and, subsequently, Amherst College, MA. With his leadership qualities evident, Bob was selected for OCS in April 1945 and graduated in December 1945 as a second lieutenant of Infantry. He was ordered back to Amherst College, this time to the USMA Prep School. Future classmate Tyler Goodman, at Amherst, remembers that many of the enlisted men regarded Bob as a model officer, whom they one day hoped to emulate. A final brief tour at Ft. Benning was interrupted by orders to join the Class of 1950 at West Point in July 1946.

Bob successfully negotiated the rigors of Beast Barracks, helping many classmates along the way. Company mate Fred Hoham recalled that Bob won a prize during Beast Barracks for rapidly field stripping and reassembling his M 1 rifle. In September, he joined Company E 1, his home until graduation. During his years at West Point, Bob was an 'A' Squad fencer, a mainstay of the saber team. His skill and sheer determination earned him a place on the 1950 Eastern Intercollegiate Championship Saber Team. He also participated in several clubs and served as a baseball manager. Again, his excellent leadership qualities were recognized with his appointment as a cadet lieutenant and platoon leader during First Class year. He was remembered by company commander Bill Aman as having had a steadying influence on the company.

While at West Point, Bob had the good fortune to meet his "OAO," Mary Bemis, of Spencer, MA. They were wed on 24 Jun 1950 during graduation leave and immediately went on to a first duty station at Randolph AFB, TX, with residence in New Braunfels. Upon completion of basic flight training, he and Mary moved on to Williams AFB, where he completed advanced training Over the next few years, their three children, Beth, Susie, and Bobbie, were born.
Following additional postings for continued training, Bob went to Korea in September 1952. After 23 combat missions in Korea with the 474th Fighter Bomber Wing, Bob was reassigned to the 9th Fighter Bomber Squadron in Nagoya, Japan, in December 1952. There, he joined a special group of about 30 pilots to train for a classified mission. It was some months later that Mary and the children joined him in Japan.

Bob was a tinkerer. For his family, every move was another chance to fiddle. He made furniture, painted, put up wallpaper, built shelves and cupboards, made folding patterns for linens, and created playrooms out of closets. While stationed in Nagoya, Mary remembers his stenciling balloons and children’s characters onto material he had found somewhere, making curtains for the children’s rooms. He tinkered sometimes with official permission, sometimes without.

More than his family benefited from his tinkering. In Korea, Bob and his colleagues underwent special mission training. It required careful weapon preparation, precise weapon settings, and intricate installation of devices on board the F84G aircraft. The procedure involved the use of several test instruments that were not particularly well arranged. Bob designed a consolidated configuration for the test instruments on a dolly, greatly contributing to the speed and efficiency of preflight operations. The training required dangerous long range flights over Korea in overloaded aircraft and a return to base with minimal fuel in reserve. Fortunately, the armistice in 1953 obviated the need for execution of the special weapons missions.

Upon return to the States in 1954, the family traveled to Tyndall AFB, FL, where Bob served as a flight instructor until the tragic day in September 1956 when his plane crashed in Florida. During his short but distinguished service, Bob was recognized with the Air Medal and Commendation Medal.

Bob Willerford is remembered by family, friends, classmates, and colleagues as a man who loved and cared for his family with great dedication, who was a stalwart friend, and who served his nation proudly and with distinction.

- His Family and Classmates

Francis W. White, Jr.

NO. 17990 . 8 Dec 1925 - 12 May 2001  

Died in Scottsdale, AZ
Inurned in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA


Francis "Buddy" Wilford White, Jr, was born. in his father's hometown of Plymouth, MA, the second of five children born to Frank and Katherine Agnes White. The family moved around New England, then to Cleveland, and back to New England while Buddy was growing up. He had a particular fondness for a period spent in Northfield, VT, where he could ski to school. He graduated high school from LaSalle Academy in Providence, RI in 1944, and then entered Providence College for a year before he joined the Army during WWII. He had always wanted to go to West Point, and his father encouraged and supported Buddy’s goal. Buddy used to say that because his dad had always believed he would be successful, he finally came to believe it himself. He was eventually selected for the USMAPS program, went to Amherst College, took the exams for West Point, and joined the Class of '50.

Life during the following four years was filled with relentless studying, singing in the choir, and serving as an acolyte at Catholic services. His hockey career was cut short by a knee injury, thus confining his extracurricular interests to the camera club. Buddy’s father sent him flashlight batteries so he could cram after "lights out" on his Russian studies. He met and fell in love with Ann Gilson of Passaic, NJ, while at USMA, and they married in September 1950. Ann shared his life for 51 years, and together they raised their two children, Christine and Francis 111.

As a lieutenant in the Signal Corps, he was posted to Ft. Lewis for a short time and was then sent to Germany, assigned to Hanau and Pirmasens. An ROTC assignment at the University of Illinois followed and hatched his interest in "the business of government." Next came a tour in Korea with the Eighth Army, 304th Signal Battalion, and then two years at the Harvard Business School, acquiring an MBA degree in 1961.

Following Harvard, Buddy was assigned to Ft. Huachuca, AZ, as a contracting officer in the Electronic Proving Ground Procurement Office. There he became highly experienced in negotiating with major contractors. He considered his tour at EPG, in what was then a somewhat isolated location, a highlight in his Army career. He and Ann particularly enjoyed the picnics and other outings in the beautiful Arizona mountains and desert with three other classmates and their families, experiences that formed lifelong bonds.

Buddy was next posted to CGSC at Ft. Leavenworth, and then to the Joint Communications Agency, NATO, in Fontainebleau, France, as comptroller. There his horizons expanded to include personnel and budget responsibilities for the North Atlantic Council. He moved to the Netherlands as director of the communications operations of the JCA. During this period, he was stricken with Crohn’s disease. An operation in Orleans was successful, and he recovered fully enough to be posted to Viet Nam, commanding the 521d Signal Battalion at Can Tho during 1967-68 and receiving the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and an Air Medal.

Buddy next was posted to the office of the secretary of defense in the Pentagon, joining a study group examining reform of the military pay system and being chosen to draft the compensation section of the DOD's proposal for a volunteer military force. Following much debate in Congress, his basic plan was accepted and remained virtually unchanged for many years.

His Crohn’s disease and his and Ann’s desire to settle down prompted him to accept a disability retirement in 1972. He began a 14year career in the Civil Service, first at the General Accounting Office as an assistant director and then the more challenging posting as senior political advisor at the Office of Management and Budget. Over the next eight years,
he rose to super grade status reporting to David Stockman. While the pressure was intense, he liked the small staff and the significant impact it had. Then, in 1984, Buddy took a position as regional director in the Census Bureau in Los Angeles, supervising a staff of 55 fulltime and 300 part-time employees.

In 1986, the Harvard Business School selected him as one of ten 1961 graduates who exemplified the professional achievements of that accomplished class, profiling him in the October 1986 Bulletin. It was also the year he retired from the Civil Service and returned to Arizona for good, building a home in Scottsdale. Not content to sit around and play golf (he once made a hole-in-one on the 17th hole of the Ancala Country Club course in Scottsdale), he joined Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Phoenix, putting his analytical and planning gifts to work once again, this time as an instructor in management and accounting. These part-time duties kept him constantly learning.

His last years in Scottsdale were very pleasant. Buddy and Ann enjoyed visiting and being visited by their children, grandchildren, and friends, and their annual month in Coronado, CA, every September. Then, in spring 2001, Buddy was diagnosed with terminal cancer and died two months later.

Buddy possessed a disciplined, inquisitive mind that he put to work in a life of balanced commitments. He was a quiet and thoughtful man who appreciated the gifts of all peoples and cultures, good food, and good wine. He loved celebrations, bringing a cannon to a family Bicentennial costume party and firing it, he was a faithful Catholic and a faithful servant of our country; he was a loving and generous brother, husband, father, and friend; and no one was more ready to share a laugh at the absurdities of life. In short, he was a fine example of a West Point graduate, the embodiment of the spirit of "Duty, Honor, Country." Rest in peace, Buddy White.

-- His family and a classmate

Warren Webster, III

NO. 18012  •  

Killed in Action, February 21, 1953 in Korea. Aged 25 Years.


The news of Warren Webster's death came as a shock to all who knew him as a cheerful friend and a superior soldier and officer. Just prior to the time of his death on 21 February 1953 he was Aide-de-Camp to Brigadier General Dewey at IX Corps and could have remained in this position of comparative safety except for his intense desire to lead troops on the line as he had done before receiving the position as aide. Early in February 1953 his wish was granted and he assumed command of a rifle company in the 3d Division. Shortly, thereafter, he was killed by a sniper's bullet while leading his company on patrol.

Throughout the six years that I knew Web he was always happy and easy going. If there was a piano nearby he was ready with a song. And, if times were hard and others were unhappy, Web was always ready with a joke. What he lacked in the classroom he made up for with common sense. It is no secret that he held the Academic Department in complete contempt, preferring to spend his time talking and dreaming of the time he would marry his high school sweetheart, Joan Gidley.

I shall never forget, nor will many others, the wonderful parties Joan and Web had during weekends in Philadelphia. Web would be at his best with all the Ivy League songs, while everybody else would try to sing louder than he.

There was never a thing Web could not or would not do for anybody. His generosity and friendliness were open to all. I have never heard a person who knew him say that he was not among his best of friends.

Just as he played hard so did he work hard. Upon graduation he went to Parachute School and served with the 82d Airborne Division for a year before departing for Korea. While in Korea he received the Silver Star for gallantry while leading a patrol, and the Bronze Star for meritorious service.  His sense of duty was as keen as his sense of humor.

Web realized his dream -  shortly after graduation when he married Joan at a beautiful ceremony in Philadelphia. After he went overseas she went back to her home in Drexel Park, Pennsylvania, where their son, Warren Webster IV, was born.

Little Web had a wonderful father who has fulfilled his duty to his country and family. 

- Charles R. Smith

Robert I. Weber

NO. 17766  •  18 Sep 1928 24 May 2001

Died in Flagstaff, AZ 
Cremated and interred in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.


Robert Irven Weber was born in Fosston, MN, and raised in Minneapolis. His father Irven Frank Weber died when Bob was 14 years old. His mother Myra Adeline was a school teacher and disciplinarian who taught Bob and his brother Jack William the core values that he would demonstrate as a leader throughout his life.

Bob's record of achievements started when he won the 1939 Minnesota State Yo-Yo Championship. He was a Boy Scout and reached the rank of star scout. He was a three sport letter winner (football, basketball, baseball) during his junior and senior years and was a starting guard on the Patrick Henry High School basketball team, winning the 1945 Minnesota State Championship. His first place finish on the West Point entrance exam earned him an appointment from Senator Shipstead.

At the Academy, Bob was in the middle of the class academically. His athletic ability was confirmed by his earning Numerals in baseball and football, but an even more impressive sports accomplishment was in hockey: he earned Numerals, Monogram, and Major "A." The consensus of his company classmates was that Bob was one fine individual who enriched their lives and made living in the restrictions of the Academy a little easier. During branch selection night, Bob chose the Air Force as he desired to be "The World's Greatest Fighter Pilot."

Approximately half of Bob's Air Force career was spent in his beloved fighter organizations. Upon graduation from West Point, Bob was commissioned in the Air Force and assigned to basic pilot training at Randolph AFB. He took his advanced pilot training at Williams AFB and fighter crew training at Nellis AFB. His first operational unit was the 80th Bomb Squadron in the 8th Fighter Bomb Wing (F 80s) in Korea. While with the 80th in combat, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and three Air Medals (1951-52).

After Korea, he was assigned duty as a line pilot with Air Defense Command, O'Hare Field. He had a tour of duty at ADC Headquarters, Ent AFB, before he was assigned as the U.S. representative on the Four Powers Coordination Board in the Berlin Air Safety Center. He served in this crucial position during the crisis created by the construction of the wall separating East and West Berlin. He also served as a staff officer in Weisbaden. After Germany, he attended the Air Command and Staff College (ACSC) at Maxwell AFB. Upon graduation, he was assigned as operations staff officer, J 3, Headquarters Strike Command, MacDill AFB. During his fighter days, he flew in the F 80, F 86, and F104.

His assignmentas the commander of the T 39 "Scatbacks" Squadron in Saigon, Viet Nam, broke the fighter organization chain of assignments. During this tour he earned the Bronze Star, the Republic of Viet Nam Gallantry Cross and the Republic of Viet Nam Campaign Medal (1967-68). Upon his return to the States, he served as a command pilot at Norton AFB. He moved to Headquarters Military Airlift Command (MAC), Scott AFB, as chief of the programming division and was selected two years later to be the base commander and deputy wing commander at McGuire AFB. He returned to HQ MAC, as director of aircrew training and resource management. His last assignment was as commander, Pacific Airlift Center, Hickam AFB. He flew T 39s and C 141s while assigned to MAC.

Bob's 30 years of distinguished service included attendance at Squadron Officer School and ACSC, and the award of a master's in business administration from George Washington University.

Bob began his civilian career as senior vice president and director of planned giving for Scripps Foundation of Medicine and Science in San Diego. During his tenure, he raised more than $220 million in estate gifts for the foundation. For this work, he was honored a number of times.

In 1988, he received a first place award for excellence in planned giving from the National Association for hospital development. In 1996, he was the first inductee to the Hall of Fame of the Planned Giving Roundtable of San Diego and honored as the Fundraiser of the Year. In 1997, he received the Planned Giving Professional of the Year Award, given to the individual who deserves national recognition for "excellence in character, achievement, and leadership."

During Christmas leave 1950, Bob married Ann Vaage, who, although not the girl next door, lived in the same block, attended the same church, and had been his high school sweetheart. Ann's father was the minister at Victory Lutheran and performed the wedding ceremony. Ann and Bob had five children: Robert, Jr., was born at Nellis AFB; Wayne and Beth were born at O'Hare Field; William joined the family in Berlin; and Kurt completed the family in Weisbaden. Ann died in 1975.

In 1976 Bob married Sue Skinner, formerly of Wichita, KS. They were a loving couple and fierce competitors on the golf course. They enjoyed the final years of Bob's military service and his second career in San Diego before moving to Flagstaff. Although retired, Bob took on consulting work for Scripps Hospital and Northern Arizona University. Their combined family included the five Weber children plus two stepdaughters, Randi Schuyler and Terri Schuyler; stepson Mark Schuyler; and 21 grandchildren.

Bob carried the values that his mother and West Point had instilled in him throughout his military and civilian service. A prevailing theme of his life was his wonderful sense of humor. He managed to entertain and inspire those associated with him, even during a lengthy bout with colon cancer. He never gave up, playing a round of golf two weeks before his death. His family, extended family, and many West Point classmates and comrades said Au Revoir to Bob at his burial with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on 3 Aug 2001.

Gene Mechling said it for all of us, "Robert I. Weber was one fine man, officer, father, and friend ... I can only smile and say thanks partner, for your friendship and for the special memories of those years. And for God's sake, pass the puck!"

John Lonergan Weaver

NO. 17694  •  

Died 6 September 1952 in Korea (KIA), aged 25 years.
Interment: West Point Cemetery, West Point, New York.


John Weaver and I were classmates at the Academy and in the same company (F­1); later, we roomed together as bachelors at Fort Bragg and Fort Benning, and I grew to know him even better - as a fellow officer and a true friend.

Twenty-five years were all that were given to John before he was killed in action in Korea on 6 September 1952. Such a brief lifespan does not provide opportunities for homeric achievements, but the promise of what might have been was evident to those who knew him.

How best to describe John? Whenever I hear West Point's motto proclaimed, John comes to mind. He truly lived by the words "Duty, Honor, Country." This image of John was evident to others as well. A friend who knew him in high school and at West Point wrote, "My strongest recollection of him is his sense of personal responsibility - his sense of duty. John didn't talk much; he just did, and did well, and without question." Other images are still vivid in my memory. John, the staunch Catholic, living his faith quietly but with conviction; his unwillingness to compromise his principies or cut corners, his absolute integrity. An incident from long ago comes to mind and was so characteristic of John. Soon after being assigned to our first platoons, we were to report 100% completion of certain mandatory training. Under the circumstances at that time, this was impossible to accomplish, so the accepted practice was to tender a false report. John's refusal to do so gave me the will to follow his lead.

It would be wrong, however, if one were to get the impression John was aloof and humorless or rigid and unbending, or overzealous and self-righteous. Not so. He was a spirited, funloving, personable fellow with a quick, dry wit. He was highly regarded not only by his friends but by his associates. A fellow officer who served with him remembered, "John was one of the few persons I have known who had the admiration of all his superiors, associates and subordinates. Everyone who knew him respected him for his adherence to his high standards and ideals."

John was destined for West Point and the Army. His father was a Regular Army officer. He grew up in a military environment. Just prior to entering the Military Academy, he lived in wartime San Antonio, Texas. A number of his friends there – “Army Brats” like himself – would later attend the Point with him. His older sister Mary Jo married a graduate of the Class of 1943. His older brother Bud preceded him at West Point, graduating in 1945, and his younger brother Tom graduated in 1955.

In San Antonio, John attended Central Catholic High School, where he was "Mr. Everything." He captained the varsity football team and was appointed cadet colonel of the ROTC unit his senior year. The school yearbook states, "Cadet Colonel John Weaver, military leader and outstanding athlete. As head of Central's military organization, he is in charge of four-fifths of the student body." His leadership was evident even at this stage of his life.

Following his graduation from high school and a year at Sullivan's Preparatory School, John gained a presidential appointment and entered West Point in July 1946. As a cadet, he was an achiever in all things that were important to him. He attained the rank of cadet sergeant in the Corps, was a faithful member of the Catholic Chapel squad and was active in athletics. He played plebe football and was a member of the varsity lacrosse squad.

John loved West Point. He gained much intellectually and professionalIy during his four years there. He was also strengthened and inspired by the tradition of the institution and those associated with it. Upon reflecting on his West Point experience, he wrote down his thoughts as he approached graduation. He made the point, with sincere eloquence, that he drew inspiration from the officers serving as instructors and staff. He had great respect for the example they set and the standards and ideals by which they lived.

Upon graduation, John went through the rigors of airborne training and was assigned as a platoon leader in the 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment. This regiment soon moved from Fort Bragg to Fort Benning to assume the role of "School Troops" when the Third Division departed for Korea. In the summer of 1951 he was assigned to the reactivated 508th Airborne Infantry Regiment. John arrived in Korea in July 1952 and was assigned as a platoon leader in Company, B, 27th Infantry, 25th Division. By the time he came on line with the regiment, the fighting had settled into attacks and counterattacks to seize key terrain. Typical of this fighting was the enemy's assault on an outpost called "Sandbag Castle" on the night of 6 September. The position was critical, as it provided clear observation for the occupier into the "Punch Bowl" area. The assault was preceded by a tremendous barrage of mortar and artillery fire into the 27th Infantry positions, particularly severe in the 1st Battalion sector. Company A, occupying the "Castle" was surprised and overrun during the night. For the remainder of the night and well into the next day, the battle continued for control of the ridge line where the “Castle” was situated. Every company in the 1st Battalion was engaged in the fight. It was into this inferno that John led his platoon in a counterattack. Later accounts of the battle described it as being vicious, savage and, at times, hand-to-hand. Casualities were high. A member of the staff later wrote, "The only thing that dulled the brunt of their (Chinese) assault and finally stopped it was men like John who bought time with their lives... his final actions were an inspiration to the men around him ......”

To close the final chapter of his life by writing "John made the supreme sacrifice" would overlook the significance of his life. Though he stayed the course but briefly, John epitomized all that is noble and good in mankind. His legacy is the inspiration gained from the exemplary way he lived his life day-­by-day  -  the influence for good that his memory exerts on all whose lives he touched. John, we salute you as you stand tall and straight in the ghostly ranks of the "Long Gray Line."

- A classmate and a brother