Clarence Q. Jones

NO. 17983  |  12 May 1926 - 30 Nov 1991

Died in Boynton Beach, FL
Interred in Palm Beach Memorial Park, Lantana, FL

 

Clarence Quentin "Zeke" Jones, Jr.was born to the Reverend Clarence Jones and Mrs. Lois Jones in Sullivan, KY. Prior to receiving an appointment to West Point, he attended Mercer University in Georgia and Northeastern College in Oklahoma.

As a cadet, Zeke was a member of several clubs, including the Railroad Club, French Club, and Weight Lifting Club. He also was a member of the Handball Club and the Radio Club. Classmates remember his cooperative spirit and unselfish attitude.

After graduation in 1950, Zeke was im­mediately sent to Korea. Upon his return to the States, he was assigned to the 469th Field Artillery Battalion in Ft. Sill, OK, In 1954, he was sent to the Ordnance Section of Headquarters, Seventh Army, Germany, as an assistant operations officer.

In 1957, Zeke was a student in the Advanced Officers Course in Ordnance in Aberdeen, MD. From 1958 to 1961, he served as the chief of the manufacturing branch at Watervliet Arsenal, NY. During this time, he was able to complete his masters degree in business at Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute.

From 1961 to 1962, Zeke returned to Germany, where he was a materials officer with Headquarters, 71st Ordnance Battalion, Stuttgart, Germany. Next, he was controller and as­sistant operations officer, Ordnance Section, Headquarters Seventh Army, Germany, until 1964, when he was assigned as an executive officer to the 701st Maintenance Battalion, Ft. Riley, KS. In 1966, Zeke went to Viet Nam as an ex­ecutive officer, Support Command, 1st Infantry Division. In April of that year, he received the Commendation Medal. On 29 Oct 1965 and 17 Sep 1966, Zeke was awarded the Bronze Star.

Zeke's last assignment before retiring was with the U.S./Federal Republic of Germany Main Battle Tank Program in Washington, DC, as chief of Plans and International Operations. On 31 May 1970, after 20 years of service, Zeke retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

In retirement, Zeke pursued other ca­reers. From 1970 to 1972, he served as the city manager of Boynton Beach, FL, where he continued to live the rest of his life. A few years later, he became an executive with Coulter Electronics, a company that developed medical equipment. He stayed with Coulter Electronics for ten years.

Zeke retired again, but not for long. He soon found that he loved teaching, so he then taught accounting at several local busi­ness colleges. He got along very well with his students and often invited them for weekends at his home on the lake. Both he and Betsy enjoyed this very much.

Zeke loved the Florida lifestyle. His home was on the water, enabling him to indulge his passion for fishing. He loved observing the stars and even made his own telescope. He was an avid camper and beach lover. Zeke was a member of the Palm Beach Biking club, but he was prob­ably best known as being a devout member of his church. It was the most important part of his life, and when he passed away, seven different pastors spoke at his funeral.

Zeke was a wonderful husband to Betsy and father to Jere, Julie, and Lois. In addition to his wife Betsy, he is survived by ten grand­children and four great-grandchildren.

At the time of his death, Zeke was near completion of his course work for his doc­torate in geology from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL.

He is greatly missed by his family and his community.

-- Jere White

Richard L. Johnson

NO. 17628  •  30 November 1924 – 17 August 1992

Plane disappeared in Alaska. Body never recovered.


BORN THE YOUNGEST son of Laura and Leslie Johnson in Omaha, NE, Richard Lee Johnson believed that nothing was worthwhile unless it was worth working and sacrificing for. School didn't come easy for Dick but, with his determination and perseverence, he got good grades. In high school, Dick excelled in every activity he entered. When he graduated, he had achieved every goal he had set for himself. He was an Eagle Scout, in the National Honor Society, was JROTC Cadet Captain, was named paper boy of the year for the Omaha World Herald, and had a senatorial appointment to the Naval Academy. He checked into the academy and all went well until the medical exam. The doctor declared he had a mild case of myopia.

He applied to Iowa State University to pursue a degree in engineering. Always hoping for a career in the service, he joined the Naval V‑12 program. He transferred to the University of Minnesota and joined the Delta Upsilon fraternity. He graduated in February 1946 with a bachelor of science in naval technology. While aboard ship, Dick received word that he had been offered an alternate appointment to the Military Academy from Congressman Howard Bufiet. Dick was given only three days to report to West Point. The captain diverted to Bermuda to let Dick make his reporting date. He resigned his Naval commission two days before graduation.

Dick met Phyllis Holst while en route to Omaha on leave in 1948. Their relationship grew into a lifelong partnership. They were married in her hometown, Boone, IA, on 29 Dec 1950.

-Brother Grove


Life as an army wife is never dull and life with Dick was always an adventure. The years flew by with all the moves and assignments from Ft. Benning to Korea, to the Army Engineer School, to Iowa State University, to Michigan, to Germany, to Purdue University, to Vietnam, to Ft. Belvoir again, to Thailand, and, last, to San Francisco, where he retired as a colonel. Along the way, we had three children: Laura Elaine, Craig Steven, and Jennifer Lee.

After retirement in 1974, we moved to West Lafayette, IN. There, Dick enjoyed 20 years of a very active life. His dream was to build his own home which he did ‑  almost single handedIy.

He loved to travel and took many trips ‑ to South Korea and Western Europe where we traveled by motorcycle for three weeks, seeing the Alps of Germany, Austria, France and Italy. We went to Eastern Europe on two other motorcycle trips ‑ to Russia and Poland.  Czechoslovakia, Finland, and Yugoslavia followed. His final dream trip – Alaska ‑ to see the magnificent scenery. It was on this trip, while flying in a Beachcraft Bonanza with his brother- in‑law, Frank Roth USN Ret., that their plane was lost somewhere between Anchorage and White Horse.

Dick was an excellent husband and father, dependable, loving, and caring. When not serving in far off places, he was always available for family activities. We reminisce in the memories of all the good times and the bad, especially the ordinary, everyday things that comprise a successful life with no regrets.

Dick is survived by his wife Phyllis, daughter Laura Riecken, son Craig Johnson, daughter Jennifer Carpenter, five grandchildren, and two brothers, 1LT (Ret.) Lesly H. Johnson and LTC Grove C. Johnson.                                        

-Phyllis Johnson


Why, Brother, Why

Why have I been dreaming for some time. That I must jot down a bit of rhyme. To help cleanse a haunting memory of, to me, a recent catastrophe?

My mind flashes back to when I was five in ’24. When I heard a sharp cry behind the bedroom door. Surprised, I opened the door and what I saw was my baby brother, who could really bawl.

They gave him the name of Richard Lee. But to us all it was just "Dixie. "I bad mixed feelings, you might say, For I lost my status that very day.

I got the job of giving him fresh air. By pushing his buggy (it wasn’t fair). Around the block most every day. I resented it because I wanted to play.

I didn’t like him tbose first few years. At times I had it up to my ears. But when be started to talk and make good sense, My love for him became more intense.

While in the service, he aquired a wonderful wife. They had two girls, a brilliant son, an adventurous life. He was an engineer, a paratrooper, and more. He retired a colonel and hated war.

It was in our retirement years, That we became great pals; We would go skiing and fishing and loved to be with our gab. It was this past August in 92, that they radioed they were in an icy stew. They needed altitude – that was a clue. And that’s the last anyone knew!

Nothing was found on such desolate ground. Mountains, valleys, forests, deep snow all around. One could survive only a short time, I fear even with a soft landing and survival gear.

Dixie, to me, will always be my baby brother you see. Even though he was six‑feet‑four and had me towered by an inch or more.

While I no prophet be, This I know is truth; There will always be life eternity. To me, it's memories here on earth.

It’s love, genes, and cells that linger on. And a God who’s never gone. This stirs my thoughts and visions of

Our future fate. And those awaiting at life’s Golden Gate.

Why did it happen to such a wonderful guy? That’s a question of many, many whys.

He went as be came‑‑a great surprise!  Why? I guess ‑ just because ‑ tbe strife of life.  Cry!  Why?  God bless!

By brother, Les

Falkner Heard, Jr.

NO. 17903  •  31 October 1927 – 20 August 1999

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

John S. Harrold

NO. 17999  •  30 Jun 1926 - 9 May 1990

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

- His family and friends

Charles W. Hammond

NO. 17499  •  9 September 1926 – 31 May 1991

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kenton Cooley ‘50

Albert Gustav Breitwieser, III

NO. 17706  •  18 May 1928 - 19 April 1990

Died 19 April 1990 in Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii, aged 61 years
Interment: Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii

 

ALL ALBERT GUSTAV Breitwieser, III ever wanted was to be an officer in the Army. In his early childhood in Susanville, California ‑  where he was born 18 May 1928, son of Albert II and deForrest ‑ he framed with pride his father's certificate of service in the Tank Corps of World War I, an "Uncle Sam Wants You" poster, and one of West Point. Interest in the military was more fully evidenced when, at about 10 years of age, Al organized his own corps of youthfuI workers to handle his household responsibilities. In this young Army, each job merited points which could lead up to promotion to major. This regimentation prepared him well. While at Lasson Union High School, young Al served as commander of California High School Cadets. He further demonstrated leadership capabilities as president of the student body.

Entering West Point in July 1946. Al was assigned to Company F‑ 1. While at the Academy, he continued his interests in art (serving as club president) and became deeply involved in photography. Whenever possible, Al enjoyed visits to the ski slopes.

Upon his graduation in 1950, he was assigned to the 1st Division Artillery in Germany. This suited Al well in that, besides his work with that fine unit, he was able to engage in outside activities such as skiing, mountain climbing, and the pursuit of the lovely Judy, who eventually became his wife. While on that initial three‑year tour, Al encountered the first of his several bouts with cancer. This resulted in his medical evacuation to the US in 1952 for treatment. Always the fighter, Al licked that setback, brought Judy to the US and was married that year.

The conflict in Korea took Al to the 24th Division in 1953. From there he took an intertheater transfer and brought Judy to Japan. Upon return, Al attended Engineer School at Fort Belvoir and continued his studies at Texas A&M, where he gained a master's degree in engineering and a son. Heading overseas again, Al took his growing family (with adopted daughter Petra and son Albert IV) first to France and then to Holland, where he was able to utilize his engineering degree as an Area Engineer. In 1961, Al was assigned to work with the Ballistic Missile Construction Office in South Dakota. It was there that his second son, David, was bom. A second tour in Germany came in 1963.

When he reported for the first of his tours in Southeast Asia in 1966, Al left his family in his hometown of Susanville. Then, when he was assigned to CINCPAC in 1967, the family reassembled in Hawaii, which he was to call home. Life in the islands was enjoyable; so when Al returned to South Vietnam, Judy and he bought their house in Kailua, where Judy still lives. Completion of his second tour in Southeast Asia brought Al back to Hawaii for duty with the Support Command. After his retirement in 1975, Al immediately began a new career with the state of Hawaii as a nuclear protection planner for civil defense. Here he worked until poor health forced his retirement in 1989. Al fought the cancer attacking him. He had beaten it before, but this time it was too much and took his life in April 1990.

His military awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Joint Staff Commendation Medal, and the Commendation Medal.

Never one to be idle, Al enjoyed a wide variety of hobbies and activities. From his childhood days, he was an avid skier and mountain climber. Later, the warm waters of Hawaii led him to acquire a 28‑foot sailboat. This, in turn, brought him to several sailing cruises as well as serving as crew on a TransPacific crossing from Hawaii to California.

With so much clear  water, Al truly enjoyed scuba diving - from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean to the Pacific. He raced go‑carts in Holland, built scale model airplanes and railroads, photographed, cycled. and lived life to the fullest. He was a dedicated family man, giving his wife and children endless love and devotion. To his friends, he gave his unselfish friendship and a continuous smile. Of all of his many achievements. one of his most notable was the donation of two of his aircraft paintings to the US Air Force Historical Arts Society. One of these paintings he determinedly completed and presented during his last illness.

So it was with Al. Always active, doing for others, a friend to all, and well loved. We shall miss him.

- A Classmate

Donald L. Bohn

NO. 17813  •  March 1927 - 30 June 1996

Died in Ft. Collins , CO 
Interred in Grandview Cemetery , Ft Collins, CO

 

Donald Lee Bohn was born in Bishop, CA, but grew up in Merced, CA, where he graduated from Merced Union High School. Since childhood, Don aspired to join the Long Gray Line at West Point.

Don graduated from New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, NM, before receiving his appointment to West Point. Although his NMMI experience helped ease the transition to Academy life, Plebe year still had plenty of unexpected traumas. Academics were not always easy for Don, but through commitment and tenacity, he passed all his subjects. At worst, he was disciplined for studying after "Taps." Don excelled with the Tactical Department, though, and his uniform, rifle, and other equipment always passed inspection.

After Beast Barracks, Don and Bob Shade asked John Vanston to join them as their roommate in M 1 Company. They shared a second floor room facing the South Area. John remembers how opening the window when they went to bed was one of their continuing disagreements. John favored a small opening while Don and Bob favored a complete opening. Since it was two against one, the window stayed wide open, and they often found snow in the room when they got up in the morning.

Although Don was a fine athlete, he faced a great challenge passing the five minute swim test. Many hours during Plebe year were spent as a member of the Special Swimming Squad. Although Don had excellent form and good endurance, he suffered from negative buoyancy as he continually ended up at the pool's bottom. He eventually passed the swimming test and thought it most funny when, the following summer, he reassured reluctant plebes taking the swimming test.

Don was an exceptional softball player. His roommate, John, remembers a particular demonstration of Don's ability. "At the Academy, plebes sat at one end of the tables on the last four inches of their chairs with their eyes focused on their plates. Typically, when an upper classman wanted a drink refill, they would bang their glass on the table and throw the glass to the plebe at the other end of the table. Occasionally as a lark, an upperclassman would throw the glass well over the plebe's head to an upperclassman standing on a chair behind the plebe. The plebe was then admonished for not catching the glass. One time, around the middle of Plebe year, an upperclassman tried this trick on Don. As Don saw the glass flying over his head, he leaped to his feet, tipped the glass, catching it as he returned to his seat. Don then calmly asked, 'Do you care for water or tea, sir?"

Upon graduation, Don was assigned as a platoon leader in the 11th Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion, Ft. Lewis. In December 1951, after completing radar school at Ft. Bliss, Don was assigned to the 14th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, 2d Armored Division, Germany, as a counter radar mortar officer and battery executive officer. He was reunited in Germany with John Vanston, who remembers Don as smart, funny, honest, friendly, and dedicated.

Upon hearing that the caserne could send one team to a Seventh Army tennis tournament in Garmisch, the pair requested permission to attend. To their surprise, the commander said yes. The tandem’s play, unrefined and unorthodox, confused their opponents as they won the first two games. Then, however, their opponents adjusted to their awkward style and dispatched them without fanfare.

Don was challenged by his work with mortar suppression radar. For many months he toiled to make the system work, with little or no success. After endless attempts, he finally got an accurate reading on a mortar site. It was his greatest triumph since the five minute swim test.

In 1955, CAPT Bohn transferred to Ft. Sill, OK, where he commanded the 2d "Honest John" Battery, and attended the Advanced Course, after which he became a battery commander with the 451st AAA Battalion "Sky Sweepers," March Air Force Base, CA. In 1957, he attended the Guided Missile Staff Officers Course at Ft. Bliss, after which he was assigned as a battery commander with the 4th Missile Battalion, 56th Artillery Regiment, Swansea, MA.

After Don graduated in 1962 with a degree in nuclear physics from the Navy Postgraduate School in California, he went to the Chemical School at Ft. McClellan, AL, as an instructor. The following year, he married Jean Dwenger.
Don attended CGSC in 1964 and then returned to the Chemical School. In 1965, he went to Viet Nam, returning the following year to Washington, DC. In 1969, he was sent to Hawaii, where he served on the CINCPAC staff. With his health fading, LTC Bohn retired in 1971.

After retiring, the family moved to Ft. Collins, CO, where Don spent the rest of his life. There he spent time as a real estate agent, property appraiser, chief deputy assessor for Latimer County and was on the state's Division of Property Taxation staff. In 1986, Don had heart bypass surgery and fully retired.

Don loved books and history and researched and authored several manuscripts. He was a student and frequent traveler of the Oregon, Mormon, and Santa Fe Trails and the route of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Don also studied and documented his family’s genealogy. He collected clocks, cameras, books, and, later in life, motorcycles. He greeted many days with an early morning ride into the mountains.

Don was an individualist, guided always by his unwavering sense of right and wrong. Above all else, he valued honesty. To the end, Don was a student of life and had great adoration and affection for his children and grandchildren and an unwavering love for his wife of 32 years. He was a role model for all who knew him.

His wife and four children survive him.

Richard George Bastar, Jr.

NO. 17543  •  28 August 1927 - 24 October 1997

Died 15 December 1981 in Birmingham, Alabama, aged 53 years
Interment: Elmwood Cemetery, Birmingham, Alabama

 

RICHARD GEORGE BASTAR, JR. (Dick) was born in Birmingham, Alabama on 25 December 1927, the son of Jennie Abbott Bastar and Richard George Bastar. Dick attended grammar school in Birmingham, and also Ramsay High School where he was president of the senior class. He was Alabama State Track Champion in 1945. Prior to his appointment to the Military Academy, Dick attended Marion Military Institute at Marion, Alabama, where he was a letter man in track and football.

While a cadet at West Point, although academically high, Dick was recognized primarily for his athletic prowess which established him as Army's best pole vaulter for four years. He was captain of the track team and was invited to the Olympics. Graduating in 1950, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in Armor.

After graduation Dick served in Japan and had twelve months of combat duty in Korea, where he distinguished himself as a tank commander, receiving the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. Upon his return from Korea, Dick served as aide-­de-camp to General Henry Hodes, who was then Commandant of the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. While at Fort Leavenworth, Dick married Alice Marie Nettles of Mobile, Alabama. They had their first child, a daughter, Ruth Abbott Bastar during his tour of duty  there. Their second child, Richard George Bastar, III, was born in 1956 after their return to Birmingham. Dick remained at Fort Leavenworth until his resignation from active military service in June 1954.

Returning to Birmingham, Dick served in the Army Reserve until June of 1978 when health problems precluded Congressional confirmation of his recommended promotion to brigadier general, At the time of his retirement, Dick was a colonel and was Commander of the Support Command of the 87th Maneuver Area Command of Birmingham. Although actively engaged in the business and civic affairs of his native Birmingham, Dick remained always close to the military, and he gave freely of his time and talents, which were many.

Dick returned to Birmingham as a mortgage banker for Protective Life Insurance Company, later joining Realty Mortgage Company in 1964 as the executive vice president. In 1969 he became a partner of Engel Realty Company, specializing in commerical-industrial real estate. Active in all phases of the real estate business in the Birmingham area, Dick was highly regarded as a real estate appraiser and consultant. He was a member and past president of the Birmingharn Chapter of the American Institute of Real Estate Appraisers, The American Society of Real Estate Counselors, and the Mortgage Bankers Association. Dick was an outstanding citizen of his community, serving on the board of the Arthritis Foundation, the Executive Committee of United Way, the Camp Fire Council, and as a past Senior Warden of St. Luke's Episcopal Church.

Dick Bastar's achievements and honors were many, but above all he was dedicated in his life, and the living of it, to the principles of Duty, Honor, and Country. He never swerved from these - he was a devoted husband, father, and friend to all who had the privilege of knowing him, and I count it a distinct honor to have been his wife.

Dick is survived by his wife, Alice Marie; daughter, Ruth Bastar Jones; son Richard George Bastar, III; and his sister, Mrs. Robert O. Harris, III.

- His wife

Grady H. Banister, Jr.

NO. 17539  •  23 Jan 1927 – 1 Nov 1999

Died 1 November 1999 in Sierra Vista, AZ
Interment: Mother Theresa Columbarium, Our Lady Of The Mountains, Sierra Vista, AZ

 

Grady Huger Banister, Jr. was a man for his time.  It was his destiny to be born at the dawn of the "Computer Age," and he was in that vanguard of computer engineers who helped shape and advance that technology. Grady, a native of Anniston, AL, took the path to West Point via Marion Military Institute, located in the western reaches of his home state. While at Marion, Grady set his goal to enter West Point. His father, Grady H. Banister, a captain in the Army at the time, played a major role in helping him achieve that goal.       

While at West Point, Grady's major extracurricular activity was photography, where he excelled and was selected to work as a photographer on the Howitzer. During the summer following his second year at the Academy, Grady and another cadet conducted a pho­tographic assignment documenting the weekend life of a cadet. The model Grady and his friend posed with during the photo documentary  was Ms. Bess Fritz, a civilian employee at West Point. It wasn’t long after their meeting that Grady fell in love with Bess and, upon graduation, they married.

Grady received his commission and was assigned to the 97th Signal Battalion, Seventh Army, in Boeblingen, Germany, In 1953, he returned to the States to attend the Signal School at Ft. Monmouth and became the aide-de-camp to BG Wesley Guest, Commandant, U.S. Army Signal School. In 1954, CPT Banister was selected to attend graduate school at Stanford University, where he earned two master's degrees in industrial and electrical engineering with a specialty in digital computers. After Stanford, Grady was Chief of the Au­tomatic Data Processing Division at the Army Signal Supply Agency in Philadelphia, PA, where he was first able to apply his knowledge in the emerging computer technology.

In 1959, Grady was assigned to Ft. Huachuca as Operations Officer in the Automatic Data Department, Electronic Proving Ground, with the mission to apply computers to the Army Tactical Systems. Regret­tably, the Army chose not to continue his preferred career path in computer-related fields. He felt strongly that his computer systems knowledge and education were a rare commodity at that time. Therefore, Grady resigned his commission in 1960 and Beckman Instru­ments employed him in Fullerton, CA.

Grady was a member of one of the teams that devel­oped COBOL, an early computer compiler. Using com­puters to automate test equipment, he was instrumen­tal in testing the Apollo and Saturn projects for NASA. Among his vast accomplishments, he also developed a digital computer for Beckman Instruments; however, the company elected not to compete with IBM in the emerging computer industry.

Realizing the vast potential of that new technology, Grady left Beckman and formed his own software company. He later sold that company and moved on to become Pharos Systems and Planning Research Corporation Vice President of Operations. In l972, his former classmate, MG Al Crawford, contacted him to work as Chief Engineer for the Army Tactical Data Systems project at Fort Monmouth, NJ.

In 1978, the Banister family relocated to the place they had always longed to return, Sierra Vista, AZ. Grady was promoted to Electronic Proving Ground Technical Director at Fort Huachuca. During his 16-year tenure at EPG, he was instrumental in the design and development of new data collection techniques that greatly enhanced the Army’s movement into the Computer Age. For his leadership and high accomplishments, Grady was twice presented the Superior Civilian Ser­vice Award and the Meritorious Service Medal.

Grady served several years as the Army’s senior rep­resentative in the DOD Reliance Panel, responsible for streamlining test capabilities by eliminating dupli­cation. He was the primary author on a number of studies, including a review and recommendation for the future of electronic warfare testing. As a result of his efforts,  several sub-panels were formed and still are active today in conformance with the original guid­ance he set forth.

In retirement, Grady continued to serve his com­munity with the same zeal and passion he demonstrated throughout his military and civilian career. He devoted his time and energy to many groups and or­ganizations including: Our Lady of the Mountain Catholic Parish, the Huachuca Museum Society, the Friends of San Pedro River, the Fry Fire Department, and the Ramsey Canyon Nature Conservancy. Grady personified service by serving others. He assisted other seniors with their income tax preparations; he was a Boy Scout and 4-H leader and a volunteer fireman.

On 9 Feb 2001, a most fitting tribute was made to Grady when the headquarters building of the Elec­tronic Proving Ground was dedicated in his name. Grady's family and many friends attended the dedica­tion ceremonies to honor his exemplary service and leadership in the development of information tech­nology.  As keynote speaker COL Keyner said, "We owe Grady Banister our gratitude for who he was and what he stood for. Dedicating our headquarters build­ing is a small token of recognition for all he did for the Army and this nation."

Those who knew and worked with Grady will re­call with pride his truly significant accomplishments. Grady  leaves a rich legacy of love and devotion to his wife, Bess, and their seven children. He also left a legacy of service to others.

Grady truly was a pioneer in the evolution and  development of computer technology. We salute this honored member of the Long Gray Line. "Be thou at peace.”

- Norm Smedes and friends of Grady

Bert B. Aton

NO. 17668  •  28 August 1927 - 24 October 1997

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

 

BERT BENTON ATON was the son of Zelma Dora Benton and William Frank Aton from Louisville, KY. His family was modest in material wealth but abundantly blessed with important values for nurturing traits that held Bert to high aspirations. His parents encouraged Bert and his brother William to study diligently and actively pursue extracurricular programs. He became a class officer and, on the gridiron, he played on the Varsity football team for the Brook and Breckrenridge High School in Louisville.

He was selected for academic and athletic scholarships to 12 major universities, including the United States Naval Academy, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Georgia, and Tennessee. Bert elected to attend Georgia Institute of Technology and study engineering.  At the end of his freshman year, he was drafted and entered the U.S. Army at Ft. Bragg. He was trained as a 105mm howitzer gunner, but this fledgling career was interrupted by an offer to attend USMA and play football. Entering West Point in 1946, Bert played on the illustrious Army team on both offense and defense as either tackle or end. He shared the field with Army’s most famous teams under the legendary Coach Red Blaik. He also played during the last year of "Mr. Inside" - Felix "Doc" Blanchard, and "Mr. Outside" - Glen Davis. The Army team during 1944-46  was the consensus National Champion. Bert's outstanding athletic ability was recognized by the professional New York Giants, who offered him a tryout but instead, he committed to service in the military after graduation.

Being ranked first in the class in EngIish early identified Bert as an inquiring and articulate intellectual whose pursuits in later years would reflect this attribute. Bert enjoyed music and participated in the Cadet Chapel Choir, the Glee Club, and the 100th Nite Show - he played the headmistress at Skidmore, a New England women’s college.  As a new yearling at Camp Buckner, he and a few classmates stealthily and nocturnally transported the "Reveille" g­un from its usual location at headquarters to a water-locked emplacement on Lake Popolopen - this is still a secret to protect unnamed participants.

At graduation, Bert chose to enter the newly-created Air Force. After finishing flight school in August 1951, he became a flight instructor for the T­33 T-Bird and its sister ship, the F-80 ShootingStar. Following this tour of duty, he embarked on a long career as a fighter pilot, achieving distinction as the first pilot to break the sound barrier in the F-86H "Saberjet," and during level flight in the F-100D. He flew the F-41 Phantom II and also qualified as a special weapons pilot. Tours of duty in Korea, Japan, and Thailand included Bert's participation in the Korean War and the Viet Nam War, flying numerous combat missions.

Bert's early physical challenges on the gridiron developed his strength of body and will that helped him cope with an injury in Jungle Survival School in 1968 that led to many years of back and leg pain and ultimately, to partial paralysis of both his legs. Yet, after an operation provided temporary relief, he returned to his interrupted jungle training to finish the course, return to flight status, and fly 22 combat missions in the F-4D in Viet Nam and 12 more with forward air control aircraft.

Bert’s academic interests continued throughout his life. He was selected to teach military history to First Classmen at USMA where, just before the 1962 Army-Navy game, he was called upon to give an inspiring address in Washington Hall to the Corps on "The Spirit of the Champion." Graduate studies in history at Columbia University, a master of engineering administration from George Washington University, and further study with GWU and the University of Louisville, KY, rounded out a diverse educational endeavor that Bert used in his creative work - in and after USAF service. Military studies were included in his Air Force training, culminating in Bert's selection as a distinguished graduate of the Air War College at the Air University, Montgomery, AL.

Honors included the Bronze Star, the Air Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal. He was made an honorary member of the Royal Thai Air Force after having assisted them in special training. The state governor appointed him a Kentucky Colonel. Listed in Jane’s Who’s Who in Aviation and Aerospace, as well as in the International Who’s Who of Intellectuals, he also was recognized as a member of Mensa, a society for those with a high IQ.

After retiring from the USAF in 1973 for medical disability, Bert began a civilian career that found him working in technical aviation related enterprises, such as Sperry Flight Simulation Systems, Gould Electronics, and Oracle Complex Systems Corporation. Ultimately, he became a freelance writer and editor, giving his endeavor the name "Cyrano."

Bert's many fine qualities endeared him to his family, classmates, football teammates, and co-workers. Intelligence, common sense, and leadership stand out founded on his keen awareness of loyalty, integrity, and responsibility. Threaded through these attributes were a wonderful sense of humor and a ready chuckle, giving him an ease of approach in life that made relationships a pleasure. Perhaps, Bert portrayed the "Flanker" spirit of his cadet Company M-2.

In 1991, Bert was diagnosed with lung cancer that he fought like the iron man that he was, only to have it claim his life in 1997. Bert is survived by his wife Mary; his two daughters, Jennifer and Kim; and two grandchildren.

- Family, George Lear and Classmates

Charles E. Allbaugh

NO. 17395  •  16 February 1927 - 23 October 1999

Died in Ft. Worth, TX 
Interred in West Point Post Cemetery, West Point, NY

 

Charles Edgar Allbaugh, better known as "Ed," was the only Allbaugh to have ever graduated from West Point. He was born the youngest of four children in Richland, KS, a small town just south of Topeka.

Like his father, he was a farmer, but at the tender age of 12, Ed read an article about West Point in a magazine. From that moment, and with no other West Point association of family or friends, it became his passion to join the Long Gray Line.

After graduating from high school, Ed still needed a nomination, but since the United States was still at war, he enlisted in the Navy. He was sent to the Navy Preparatory School in Bainbridge, MD. When it was time to take a state senatorial exam, Ed scored high enough to receive two nominations: one to Annapolis and the other to West Point. He chose West Point and became a member of the Class of '50.

Ed came to West Point with two years of academic seasoning, and excelled in academics and athletics. As a plebe, his fame spread throughout the Corps as the man who could achieve the more‑than‑perfect brace‑ramrod straight from the back of his head to his heels, chest fully expanded, and chin pulled in to such a degree that he was known, when bracing, as "the man with no chin at all." Many classmates suffered by comparison when urged by the upperclassmen to emulate Ed's posture.

Academically, Ed was a pacesetter, standing high in his class all four years and graduating well inside the top ten percent. A well‑rounded athlete, he participated in corps squad boxing and cross‑country, and was a standout in his company in intramural competition. Militarily, he ranked number two in his company as a first classman. The respect his classmates had for him is evident in his election as company representative to the Honor Committee for his last two years at the Point.

Upon graduation from West Point, Ed elected to enter the Air Force and was assigned to Perrin Air Force Base, TX. Anyone from the class who chose the Air Force needed to physically qualify for pilot training. Unfortunately, for both him and the Air Force, he was disqualified prior to soloing. The Korean War had broken out while Ed was on graduation leave. Looking with disfavor on an Air Force career as a non‑pilot, Ed went to Washington to convince the Air Force and the Army that he should be transferred from the former to the latter. Unfortunately for the Army, he was unable to bring it off. The Air Force assigned him to special‑weapons training, which he performed with dedication and excellence for the rest of his Air Force career. Although CPT Allbaugh resigned from the Air Force in 1957, Ed thought his military service was a great experience.

Ed met Leni on a blind date in January during First Class year and dated her through June week but broke up due to religious differences. Nevertheless, they stayed in touch. After his tour at Parrin Air Force Base, he returned to New York and renewed her acquaintance. They were married in March 1951, and had three daughters: Sandy (1954), Robin (1957), and Patti (1959). Sandy graduated magna cum laude from the University of West Virginia. Robin was a cheerleader and a world‑class swimmer during her high‑school years, competing in the AAU Swimming Nationals. After graduating from the University of Northern Colorado, Robin married and gave birth to Ed's first grandchild in July 1979. Their youngest, Patti, was a cheerleader, figure skater, and a member of her high school band. She graduated in 1980 from the University of Georgia with a degree in business administration. Leni and Ed, meanwhile, became avid square and round dancers, traveling distances on weekends to dance at large affairs.

After resigning from the Air Force, Ed became a senior construction engineer for Bettis Atomic Power Lab of Westinghouse in Pittsburgh, a part of the U.S. Navy nuclear program. Under the umbrella of Admiral Hyman Rickover, he worked on aircraft carriers Enterprise and Nimitz, the cruiser Long Beach, and various Polaris‑type submarines. After several other assignments with Westinghouse, Ed and family returned to Pittsburgh in 1978, where Ed became involved with the procurement of nuclear power equipment for the Nuclear Service Division. In 1982, Ed switched to civilian reactors, working on the completion of units one and two of the Comanche Peak reactors in Glen Rose, TX.

In 1986, the first of two tragedies hit Ed and Leni. They lost their youngest daughter Patti, then 26, to a malignant brain tumor. Only those who have lost children in the prime of their life can understand the anguish parents suffer. Patti was buried at West Point. In Ed's words, they "remained strengthened by the embodied memories of classmates and the privilege of four years at West Point."

In 1987, Ed formally retired. When he was working as a consultant for Texas Utilities, he had his first bout with cancer. After a year of treatment and several years in remission, Leni and Ed thought that he had it licked. But it recurred early in 1999 and Ed was given ten months to live. Ed and Leni made it to the 45th reunion in 1995, and it was Ed's great desire to live to make the 50th in 2000. But that was not God's will.

Ed was the best example of a devoted husband, beloved father to his three children, and doting grandfather to two granddaughters and one grandson. Ed and Leni spent 48 and a half years together and will be remembered for the love they shared and their devotion to their children. Ed always had a positive attitude and served with distinction both in and out of the service. The key to Ed's life was service, and he will be missed by all his company mates and classmates in the Class of '50.

Ed now rests with his youngest daughter at West Point, where his heart and soul were rooted from his early youth to his final hour. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. May they rest in peace.