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| Nelson Fred Ritter
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| NO. 17959 • 11 Novernber 1926 – 16 December, 1987
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Died 16 December, 1987 in Arlington, Virginia, aged 61 years
Interment: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia
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AS WE WOUND through Arlington National Cemetery following the caisson carrying
Nels "Tex" Ritter, we thought, "Wish we could have spent more
time with him." Husband, father, classmate, and friend, he made everyone
feel that way.
Nelson Fred Ritter was born 11 Novernber 1926 in Baltimore, Maryland, to
Minna and Fred Ritter. As a young child, he was certain that the flags and
parades that attended Armistice Day were in his honor. And, when he established
a home of his own, the flag flew in front on every national holiday.
Influenced by his father in the Army Reserves,
Nels dreamed of serving in the Army as long as he could remember. Until he graduated from Baltimore
City College High School in 1944, he was a member of the Victory Corps,
becoming Commandant in his senior year. In 1945 he enlisted in the Army,
serving a year as an enlisted man at Fort McClelIan, Alabama. Failing in his
first bid for an appointment to West Point, he persisted to win a principal
appointment from the late Senator Tydings of Maryland. He was assigned to the
USMA Preparatory
School at Amherst, Massachusetts, where he
became "Tex" to many of us (after the cowboy star of the time - Tex
Ritter).
Of Nels, as a cadet, one classmate, said, Tex was always the solid
citizen, cool under fire, very practical, and one whom we could always count on
both at the Academy and during our military careers." From that proud day
we shared on 6 June 1950, he took with him the first of his life's goals,a
commission in the United States Army, and the affection and respect of us who
graduated with him.
Shortly, he achieved the second major goal, a beloved partner. He had met
Marjorie Jean Corke in 1944. After a six-year courtship, during which
Marge completed nurses training, they were married in Baltimore on 10 June
1950.
The newlyweds reported to Fort Knox for their first station, the first of
14 moves, After Iess than a year as a training officer, however, Nels was sent
to the Basic Officers Course at Fort Benning en route to Korea.
In Korea, Nels commanded an agent
line-crossing unit in the 8240 Army Unit, where he handled Korean scouts
and patrols, briefing and debriefing them and coordinating their movements
through United Nations units. A classmate describes how he performed his
duties: "I went with Tex once as he took a patrol out to the release point far beyond our forward units. As they
disappeared into the gloom, I said, 'Okay, let's get out of here while we still
can. Tex just knelt there waiting for nearly 30 minutes to make sure that the
job was done right, then slowly led us back to our lines. That was typical
of him." Similarly, Nels extended to support a special operation, during
which he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.
After 16 months in Korea he reported to Fort Benning with Marge and his
two young daughters: Carol Jean, who was born in June 1951,and Elise Dawn, born
in August 1952, while Nels was in Korea. At Fort Benning, after attending the
Associate Infantry Officer Course , in 1953 he was selected to be aide-de-camp
to General Aubrey Newman, commanding general of the Infantry School, and
subsequently, to General Ernest A. Barlow, his successor.
ln 1956 Nels reported to Loyola ColIege, Baltimore, Maryland, as
assistant professor of military science. Also, in 1956, Nels started his long
fight as an insulin-dependent diabetic. The Army's immediate reaction was
to retire him medically. Nels, however, waged a determined battle of letters,
interviews, and medical reviews to convince the medical board that there were
many jobs he could fill. He won.
In 1959, he directed his career toward fiscal management, starting with
the master of business administration program at the United States Army
Comptroller School at Syracuse University. When he graduated in 1960, he and
his family moved to Fort Monroe, Virginia, where Nels was named post
comptroller.
Here, as in all new homes, Nels nourished his family with excitement,
tolerance, curiosity, and devotion. Expeditions to local sights and scenes
erased the strangeness and strengthened family bonds. Doting on his daughters,
he included all their friends and enjoyed extended discussions with them around
the dinner table. Later, be openly basked in the special position as
grandparent to Evan Ritter Thorn, Christopher Ritter Gibson, and Julia Marjorie
Thorn.
In 1963, Nels was
selected for CGSC at Fort Leavenworth. His common sense and practical approach made him a valuable
member of study groups, and his warm loyalty cemented strong bonds with his
associates.
At the end of the year, the Ritters flew to Europe, where Nels became
budget officer, Headquarters Seventh Army, and, after two years as action
officer in the comptroller's office, USAREUR. After three years in Germany, he
returned to Fort Leavenworth, where he became administrative officer and
instructor at the CGSC. In 1969, despite his diabetes, he volunteered for
Vietnam and served with distinction as deputy comptroller, USMACV at the height
of United States operations.
Returning to CONUS, he spent the year
1974-71 as deputy comptroller, Headquarters Fifth Army at Fort
Sheridan, Illinois. Then he and his family returned to the East and
Fort Belvoir, Virginia where he became comptroller, then chief of staff of the United States Army Computer Systems Command.
By this time, the diabetes which he had held off by will and courage
began to sap Nels' stamina, but not his drive. In 1974 he retired from the Army
he loved. The Ritters bought their first home in 1974 in Arlington. For the
next 12 years, Nels worked for Northrop, Computer Sciences, and National
Systems Management Corporations. In addition to a heavy full-time
workload, he served for more than 11 years as a director of the Fort Belvoir
Credit Union.
Finally, in 1986 his failing health forced
him to retire completely. The Ritters had settled in 1981 into their
final home in Arlington, Virginia, where Nels died 16 December 1987, ending his
struggle with the many complications of diabetes. Throughout his career and
during his struggle with diabetes, Nels drew support, encouragement, and
strength from his beloved one and only, Marge.
After a funeral service in Fort Myer Chapel on 22 December 1987, he was
interred in Arlington National Cemetery overlooking his beloved Washington and
the revolving tower in Crystal City, where Nels and Marge had made their final
decision in 1971 to retire nearby.
His West Point ring remained on his finger every day of his life.
Classmates knew that they could count on him to stand firm with high standards
and strong convictions and lend assistance whenever he saw need. He will always
remain in the hearts of his family as a devoted and loving husband and father.
We regret he could not stay a while longer, but we understand and are
grateful for the richness he added to
our lives.
-His Family and Classmates
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USMA 1950