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| Robert Andrew Hetz, Jr.
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| NO. 17556 •
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Died 31 March 1980 in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, aged 52 years
Interment: Gethsemane Cemetery, Laureldale, Pennsylvania
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BOB HETZ. A few classmates knew him by the nickname
"Zeus" ‑ in mythology ‑ the god of social values. The
notoriety which some in the illustrious Class of 1950 were to enjoy passed Bob
and, indeed, most of us, by. But, assuredly, he was a distinguished and proud
marcher in the long gray line of those who have now gone to peace. To be sure,
there were never enough like him. Bob Hetz. A name that quickly revives many
fond memories of a cadet who was academically outstanding and personally
appealing.
Bob was fiercely loyal to friends and causes, and his
days as a cadet revolved as much around his avid support of the New York
Yankees and his skill as a bridge player as his official duties. Though not
indifferent, he was not thirsty for pure academic knowledge. Bob Hetz. Yes,
this is the same cadet who nodded off to sleep in class ‑ even while the
P was giving a somewhat long‑winded answer to a question posed by Bob
himself!
Who among his friends can forget Bob's frequent forays
to the library and the many books he brought back to his room. Interestingly,
it seemed as if these trips were more frequent around WGR time. Not, as you
might believe, to bone up for exams, but simply to help Bob bide his time while
others studied.
Bob's education did not stop upon graduation. In 1966 he
was awarded an MS in personnel administration from George Washington
University, in Washington, D.C., and he earned an MS in education from Alfred
University, Alfred, New York, in 1973. In addition Bob graduated from the
Command and General Staff College in 1964.
A keen student of military history, Bob often expressed
deep pride in his Germanic heritage and was even combative in extolling the
successes of the Prussians. Oh how he took great joy in needling his Southern
friends by insisting Robert E. Lee was but a lieutenant colonel, his highest
rank in the U.S. Army.
Born 19 November 1927 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Bob
acquired an interest in West Point early in his childhood when his family
vacationed nearby and annually visited the Plain. Bob's father was an officer
in a savings and loan association in Scranton who delighted in taking his wife
and four children to Orange Lake from which they often toured West Point.
His quest for a military career yielded him first an
appointment to the Naval Academy, which he declined. The following year he
obtained his coveted appointment to West Point and eagerly joined the Class of
1950. For Bob Hetz, then, what became his Alma Mater was ever near to his
heart.
On 1 September 1951, Bob and his favorite drag at West
Point, Rose, were married. Together they had six children, including a son who
graduated from USMA in the Class of 1975. Other sons graduated from the U.S.
Merchant Marine Academy. He has two daughters, one a school teacher and the
other a registered nurse. Bob loved ‑ and thoroughly enjoyed ‑ his
large family. Shortly before he died Bob fulfilled a longtime ambition of
exploring Alaska. In the summer of 1979 he, his wife and two youngest sons
motored from Pennsylvania to Homer, Alaska in a most memorable odyssey.
During his military career Bob saw service overseas in
such areas as Japan, Korea, Germany, Iran and Vietnam. A proud paratrooper and
infantryman, Bob had a career in the Army that spanned 26 years. In early days
he was connected with combat units but later his duties were in the area of
personnel administration and training. Notable among his interesting
assignments was as action officer in Berlin for President Kennedy's celebrated
visit to Europe and the Iron Curtain in the early 1960's.
Among his varied duties on behalf of the United States
Army, Bob was operations officer ‑ Berlin Brigade; schools and training
advisor to the Imperial Iranian General Forces; staff officer in an infantry
brigade in Vietnam; and Professor of Military Science at Alfred University. He
also served in the ROTC training unit at Rutgers University. Bob's final
military assignment was as post commander, Fulda Military Post, West Germany.
Following his retirement in 1976, Bob was employed as
area director, Eastem Area, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. In that
role he was responsible for disaster planning and operations in a twenty county
area.
It was on 31 March 1980 when Bob succumbed to a sudden
heart attack. Easily could this memorial be ended now by merely quoting that
nostalgic refrain that his work on earth is done. But not so, however, for Bob
Hetz. His family counts as the great legacy; he bequeathed them his strength of
character and his integrity. As classmates, that realization by his family
comes as absolutely no surprise to us. For we are kindred legatees of those
attributes in our memories of Bob Hetz.
Edward J. Reidy, Class of 1950
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USMA 1950