Howard Gallaway Brown

NO. 17942  •  12 January 1928 – 22 September 1950

Killed in Action September 22, 1950 in Korea, aged 23 Years.

 

HOWARD GALLAWAY BROWN was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, on the 12th of January 1927, the third of four sons of Dr. and Mrs. George L. Brown. The days of his boyhood and youth were lived in his hometown, where he acquired the qualities of character and personality that made it a pleasure to know him as a man.

His high school days were spent at Tupelo in preparation for entrance to West Point. In High School he was an outstanding guard on the football team and played in the school band.

After high school he attended Mississippi State College for a year prior to entering the Military Academy in 1945.

He entered West Point determined to carry on the military tradition of his family. His grandfather fought with the Confederacy in the "War Between the States". His father fought in the Spanish American War and served as a medical officer in World War I. An uncle and two cousins are graduates of his Alma Mater.

Howard entered the Academy with the Class of 1949. His plebe days were interrupted when he received a knee injury playing football which resulted in his being awarded a large star to wear on his bathrobe. After a few months at home he joined the Class of 1950 as a member of Company L-2 In January 1947.

It was not long after his arrival in the company that Howard was tagged with the nicknames "Tupe" and "Brownie", both of which received equal usage. His sincere unselfness and friendliness, his sense of humor, and his winning smile immediately won the friendship of everyone in the company. Although those were the most apparent of his attributes, close association with him as a roommate for three years revealed his wholehearted application of effort to attain his goal of becoming a thoroughly competent officer.

His attitude was always wholesome, and he possesssed well-rounded capabilities of leadership. These attributes were bolstered by his steady personality and his knack for influencing others with good judgment and common sense. He never aspired to stars on his collar as a cadet, but he never lost sight of his goal of being the best officer possible, which might easily have resulted in his wearing stars on his shoulders as an officer.

The lighter side of his cadet days was devoted to frequent waving of the Confederate flag during discussions of whether or not the South would rise again. He played the harmonica both well and loud. He participated In intramural athletics, and was a sprinter on the Corps swimming team during his First Class year.

When graduation rolled around "Tupe" was commissioned in the Infantry.

His graduation leave was divided between home, a fishing trip to Canada, and a trip to Louisiana, before reporting to Camp Stoneman for shipment to Okinawa.

Instead of a boat to Okinawa, he took a plane to Japan and reached the front lines of Korea on September 3, 1950. He was assigned as 1st platoon leader of Company "A", 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Division. He joined his unit in the midst of a North Korean break-through during some of the roughest touch-and-go fighting of the Korean War. He weathered the last few days of the Pusan Perimeter, in which the enemy launched numerous attacks. In the allied offensive after the Inchon landing, he was killed by small arms fire on September 22 while attacking a heavily fortified enemy hill. Colonel Michaelis, his regimental commander, wrote his parents:

"As a member of this command your son was liked by all his associates. He was an excellent soldier performing all tasks assigned him in a cheerful and efficient manner, winning the commendation of his immediate superiors and the respect of his comrades. News of his death came as a real shock to all who knew him, and his loss will be felt keenly in the organization".

Details of his death were received in a letter from his Battalion Chaplain:

"You have every reason to be proud of your son. He died a hero's death. As platoon leader of the 1st platoon, Company "A", he gallantly led his men into action on the assigned mission of attacking a heavily fortified enemy hill. By his courageous personal example and the display of qualities of leadership in the finest traditions of the United States Army, the mission was successfully accomplished. Howard was instantly killed by enemy small arms fire. The few men left in Company "A" who were with him at the time still remember Howard as an exceptionally able officer and a very fine person. In the few days that he was a member of the company he succeeded in winning a warm place in the hearts of his comrades.

"Howard's body was brought by litter jeep to the regimental station where it was noted that his face had a reposed and peaceful appearance."

When his personal effects were sent home his class ring was not among his belongings. Months later his ring was found on the person of a dead North Korean and turned over to a classmate who sent it to his parents.

Howard now rests in the Tupelo Memorial Park Cemetery. In dedication to the memory of a gallant soldier, a chapel of the First Presbyterian Church in Tupelo has been named the Howard Gallaway Brown Memorial Chapel. Many of us who knew him may not have an opportunity to visit his memorial, but his friendship, his character, and his ability will be a living memorial in our hearts.

A fitting tribute to his memory is contained in something which Shakespeare wrote about another military leader:

"His life was gentle, and the elements
So mIx'd in him that nature might stand up
And say to all the world, This was a man".

 

- Alfred L. Griebling, First Lieut., C.E.

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

William F. Brandes

NO. 17359  •   15 January 1927 - 8 October 2007

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


William Frederick Brandes was born in the District of Columbia in 1927, the son of Dr. Elmer and Grace Brandes. His father was an internationally recognized expert in sugar plant pathology, the longtime head of the Department of Agriculture's sugar plant division, and an explorer of uncharted areas of the world, particularly New Guinea. Bill grew up in Chevy Chase, MD, and was an enthusiastic tennis player at the Chevy Chase Club.

Bill graduated from Wilson High School in Washington, DC, before enlisting in the Army in 1945. The war ended before he completed basic training, but he competed for and was awarded an appointment to West Point. Bill graduated with the Class of 1950 as a four-year "star man" in academics. During his time at West Point, he was an academic coach for the football team, helping to "pull through" several players on championship Army teams of the period. But the best part of this, Bill said, was the reward of being made statistician of the squad. The perks included drinking coffee and eating hot dogs in the press box while the Corps paraded onto the field in the rain. A momentous occasion for Bill was being selected for the 18-cadet group flown to Germany and Greece during their First Class summer to observe the Occupation in Germany and the Communist armed attempt to take over Greece. He described it as the most fascinating three weeks of his Cadet experience.

Upon graduation, Bill married Clarissa Alvord, vivacious daughter of E.S. and Gladys Alvord of Washington. "Rissa's" family ran Littlefield, Alvord Company, a Washington moving company whose warehouse occupied the site where the Kennedy Center later would be built. They would be married for 30 years and have two sons, Rick and John.

Bill enjoyed many far-flung assignments during his 24 years of commissioned service. His first assignment was to a bridge demolition battalion in Occupied Germany. After serving as a platoon leader and later battalion S-l, he returned to Ft. Belvoir, VA, as a company commander and also attended the Arctic Survival Course in Alaska, where minus 50 degrees F was par for the course. Bill then attended the University of Illinois for a master's degree in Structural Dynamics, with a heavy emphasis on nuclear blast generation. Then, after spending a year as a student at the Engineer Officer Advanced Course, where, ironically, Bill became the lead instructor for the classified nuclear warfare part of the program due to the departure of the instructor, he went to a construction assignment in Thule, Greenland, where the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System was being built.

After a Pentagon assignment, Bill spent two years at the Canadian Army Staff College in Kingston, Ontario. He thought it was interesting to see the differences between the U.S. Army and the British Commonwealth armies. Bill thought they knew better how to live in a peacetime army. The assignment often had the feel of a two-year cocktail party.

Then, after a year's seasoning under classmate Bill DeGraf, Bill became virtually the only staff officer in the War Plans Division, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, to cover Program I (Strategic Offensive Forces) for Joint Chiefs of Staff actions. This proved to be a fascinating experience for a junior officer, with nearly weekly meetings with the Chief, the Vice Chief, and/or the DCSOPS.

Bill left the Pentagon to take command of the 14th Engineer Combat Battalion in Viet Nam, operating at various times through seven provinces within the II Corps tactical zone. His battalion engaged in widespread airfield and road construction from Phan Thiet to Tuy Hoa and from Nha Trang to the Cambodian border.

After a year at the Army War College in 1969, and a year commanding the 1st Advanced Individual Training Brigade at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, Bill started his last, and best, assignment as Commander of the Nashville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, responsible for hydropower generation, river transportation, flood control, and recreation and land management on the major dam projects in the Cumberland River system in Tennessee, Alabama, and Kentucky. He supervised the completion of the Cordell Hull Lock and Dam at Carthage, TN, the Laurel River Dam in eastern Kentucky, land acquisition for the Big South Fork National River Recreation Area, and initiation of actual construction of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway after a 30-year delay. Additionally, at Bill's insistence, a policy was implemented limiting the development of shoreline on the Corps impoundments. He felt such a policy would reduce the environmental and esthetic impact of over development.

Bill was a life-long outdoorsman and a dedicated quail hunter who, after retirement from the Army in 1974, returned to college to receive a Ph.D. in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering from Vanderbilt University. He was an associate professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, while also director of the Water Resources Research Center there. Bill was a registered Professional Engineer and a Fellow of the National Society of Civil Engineers. He married Jan Lewis while at UT, Knoxville, and had two more sons, George and Avery. Bill settled in Nashville and was president of an engineering consulting firm there. His final marriage was to Sarah Hunter Green of Nashville. They had planned to live in Naples, FL, but a diagnosis of lung cancer came soon after their marriage in 2007. Bill faced his last months with quiet dignity and grace and died peacefully while in hospice care in Nashville.

Bill loved his family, including his granddaughter Lauren, and lived his life true to the principles of West Point. He told me at the end that if anyone aspires to be a part of something glorious and unfading, let him be part of the Long Gray Line. Sorely missed, be at rest, father.

- Rick Brandes, son

Thomas Wesley Boydston

NO. 17480  •  26 April 1928 – 26 April 1951

Killed in Action April 26, 1951 in Korea, aged 23 Years.

 

THOMAS WESLEY BOYDSTON was born April 26, 1928 at Marquette, Kansas. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ray T. Boydston and moved with his family to McPherson, Kansas at the age of six. He received his elementary education in the McPherson Public Schools, graduating from McPherson High School in May 1946. He received his appointment to West Point in July of that year.

McPherson was proud that July morning when word went around that he had received his appointment. The discussion on Main Street was not of the wheat which was being harvested, but of the honor Tom had brought to his town and himself in receiving the appointment to the United States Military Academy. That evening the local paper carried a front page story of the event. Just four months before, Tom, as captain of his high school basketball team, had led that team to the finals of the State Tournament, where, with practically the entire town witnessing or listening by radio, his team lost by only one point in an overtime game.

As a boy in high school, Tom was everything a parent might dream his boy would be. In Junior High he received the American Legion Honor Award as the outstanding student. In Senior High he earned letters each year in football and basketball, and yet found time to devote to his studies so that he graduated us Valedictorian of his class. In his senior year his classmates elected him "Prince Charming", during the biggest event in the local community, the annual May Day celebration.

In his younger days Scouting was one of Tom's first loves. His Scoutmaster writes: "Tom entered into his scouting in a way that gave the leader a wealth of compensation for his service. He especially enjoyed "the full fellowship and comradeship that a boy finds in a good troop. Tom was the troop's first song leader, and I clearly recall the joy he had in singing the songs learned in camp, always wearing that infectious grin that we cannot, nor ever will forget. On October 4th, 1944, Tom was awarded the Eagle Badge by his wonderful mother who was ever his inspiration. Among his classmates, friends and townspeople it was the unanimous opinion that Eagle Scout Tom Boydston typified the ideal in American boyhood. Tall, handsome, and friendly, with all of the fine qualities in the out-of-doors or on the Athletic Field. He lived a clean, Christian life".

Concerning his life at West Point, Colonel John K. Waters, Commandant of Cadets, wrote Tom's parents: "Tom demonstrated from the early days of his plebe year, 1946 - 47, his ability to be outstanding among the select group of young cadets who were his contemporaries. He was neat and soldierly appearing; he was capable in practical matters such as drill, physical education and administration; he was well equipped intellectually for the academic work; and he was of good moral fiber and character to base a career as a military leader. Tom's approach to cadet life was balanced and mature.He was serious about his studies and he took an active interest in athletics and other extra-curricular activities. His graduation standing of 134 out of 670 speaks well for his academic and military efforts. In sports he won the Academy athletic monogram playing soccer in his third class year. He was an outstanding forward on the Army Basketball team, earning a monogram his third class year and a major "A" award in his second and first class year".

John Mauer, Tom's basketball coach, a man Tom greatly admired, wrote: "In my twenty-five years that I have coached, I have never had a boy who did as much to improve himself or work harder than Tom did while playing for me. He had every characteristic that a coach wants in a boy along with fine morale and warm spirit".

After graduation from West Point, Tom reported to Fort Riley on August 1, 1950 for his first assignment - the 91st Reconnaissance Squadron - where he was stationed until he received his overseas orders. He reported to Fort Lawton, Wash. on October 11th and was flown to Japan on the l4th, arriving in Korea in the latter part of October. Almost immediately he was at the front line, serving for a few weeks in an Infantry Division until he received his permanent assignment with Company A of the 70th Tank Battalion. He was promoted to First Lieutenant early in January 1951. On April 26th, 1951 - just one day after Tom had passed his twenty-third birthday, he was killed in action.

Captain O'Neal, Tom's immediate superior, wrote to his parents: "Tom's death was a blow to all of us here. He was a friend and ideal to the men of his platoon. They would, and have, followed him any place. Tom was one of the most promising young officers I have met in fourteen years of Army service. I have two sons and I hope they will be as good men and soldiers as your son. . . I can tell you a little of the action when Tom was killed. Our company, with the Infantry Regiment we are attached to, was ordered to Kapyong to plug a gap in the lines made by the Chinese in their spring push. On this particular day we had pushed several miles out in front of the Infantry, shooting up the enemy rear areas. We were moving up a valley, tank platoon leading, when we came under fire from about three hundred Chinese at close range. Tom's tank was hit by several bazooka rounds and a fragment hit him in the back of the head, killing him instantly. We withdrew shortly afterward and Tom's body was turned over to the Medics".

The news of Tom's death came as a terrible shock to his family and friends. He leaves his father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Ray T. Boydston of McPherson, Kansas, and his sister, Mrs. E. B. Sundahl with her husband and two small sons, Thomas and Kevin. We are grateful for the privilege of having known such a fine personality. We know that we are better for having had his fellowship. I sincerely believe he met the ideal of the poet who wrote:

"Four things a man must learn to do if he would make his record true:

To think without confusion clearly;

To love his fellow men sincerely;

To act from honest motives purely;

To trust in God and Heaven securely."

- Rice Brown, Jr.

Warner Turner Bonfoey, Jr.

NO. 17677  •  21 December 1927 – 29 October 1951

Killed in Action October 29, 1951 in Korea, aged 23 Years.

 

The tense, anxious days of waiting for Bud's next letter were over. The dreadful message came twenty four days from the date he had last written, October 17th.

Bud had been so faithful writing to us every week since his arrival in Korea, the first week of June 1951. He had written three or four letters each week. He treated the dangers of his being a forward observer very casually, and stressed the amusing little incidents that occurred among the men, and the beauty of a Korean sunset. . . Our local newspaper carried his picture with an account of his life and activities at school, on Monday, November 12. Then on Thursday, December 13, the following appeared in the newspaper: "Lt. W. T. Bonfoey Rites Tuesday. Memorial services for First Lt. Warner T. Bonfoey, Jr., 23, killed in action in Korea October 29th will be at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in the House of Hope Presbyterian Church, Summit and Avon.

"Born December 21, 1927 in St. Louis, Lt. Bonfoey came to St. Paul as a child with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Warner T. Bonfoey, 2146 Sargent Avenue. He was the only child. Lt. Bonfoey was graduuted from St. Paul Academy in 1946. He played on the academy football, hockey and baseball teams. He entered West Point, played hockey for four years, received three letters on the varsity squad, and stood above average in scholastic work. He was graduated with a bachelor of science degree. Assigned to Fort Bliss, Texas, he was ordered to Korea in April 1951, and was assigned to the First Cavalry Division, 61st Field Artillery Battalion as forward observer and for patrol work with the Infantry. He also had duty with the Republic of Korea troops and a company of U.S. armored tanks. He was wounded by an enemy grenade while on outpost duty for his own battalion and died before aid could reach him."

Bud's childhood was an unusually happy one. Our home movies show a lively, joyous little golden haired boy with laughing blue eyes. He was so loved - the joy and delight not only of his parents but of his grandparents, who adored him.

Of the many, many letters of tribute to Bud, the following seem to express the overwhelming grief and shock his loss meant. . .

"Of all the boys that I have had in the last forty-five years, Bud was one of the very rarest. His young friends and all of us older people felt just the same way about him - we loved him. It seemed as if when he was around, the sun was shining."

-John de Quedville Briggs, Rtd. Headmaster, St. Paul Academy.

 

"On Monday I announced it to the school as best I could, telling them that the flag would fly at half-mast In Bud's memory. The burden of my brief remarks was that Bud was one of the finest boys ever to graduate from this school - or any school. If there is any comfort to be had, perhaps it comes from our good fortune in havlng known and lived with, however briefly, a boy of Bud’s disposition and calibre. Certainly the Academy is a better school for his having been here."

-Edward M. Read, Headmaster, St. Paul Academy.

 

"My heart is at half-mast, just like the flag at the Academy. You have lost your dearest hope. We have lost the boy of whom we have been most proud for all those qualities that make a charming boy, a young man of true nobility.

Wherever the boys today and tomorrow are trying to do their best in all humility, with an untaltering step in spite of trials and difficulties, the spirit of Bud Bonfoey will be walking right along beside them to cheer them on and lend a helping hand."

-Bob Blampied, Master of French, St. Paul Academy.

 

The following appeared in the December issue of the St. Paul Academy paper, the Now and Then:

"Warner T. Bonfoey, Jr.

'Buddy' Bonfoey came up through the Junior School, graduated with the versatile and talented Class of 1946, and entered West Point. He graduated from the Military Academy in 1950, a Second Lieutenant, and was promoted to First Lieutenant this fall. The shocking news has come to us that he was killed in action in Korea on October 29th.

"In the Academy, Buddy made a fine scholastic record, and played on all three major teams; he played Plebe and Varsity Hockey at West Point. But it was neither his high scholarship nor his athletic prowess that made him one of the best loved boys ever to attend the Academy. When he was in the Prep Form, one of his small classmates was heard to remark that Buddy 'had the best disposition of anyone in the class'. He might truthfully have said 'anyone in the world'. He took everything in stride, unperturbed, with a smile. and did his job, as he must have done it to the end. When I visited him at West Point, on a miserable, cold, dark winter day, most of the cadets there looked strained, unhappy and depressed, When Buddy appeared to have dinner with me at the Hotel Thayer, it was as if the sun had burst through the clouds. Just to know him made the grim world a happier place. That combination of strength with sweetness and gentleness is a rare and precious thing.

"The English poet Henry Newbolt, in a poem 'Clifton Chapel', refers to a memorial tablet on the chapel wall, in that old English school:

"'Qui procul hine' the legend's writ- The frontier grave is far away

"Qui ante diem perlit: Sed miles, sed pro Patria"

'Who died In a far off land, before his time, but as a soldier should, in the service of his Country.' No brass tablet Is needed to keep alive the memory of Buddy Bonfoey. He will live and be loved forever in the hearts of those whose lives he touched."

-John de Quedville Briggs.

 

There has been a scholarship set up at the St. Paul Academy in memory of Bud, and an Inter-city Hockey trophy, called "The Bonfoey Hockey Trophy".

From the boys he had grown up with:

"I cannot express to you how I share your grief. Bud was such a grand friend and such a wonderful boy, and I always admired him to the utmost. His loss is a shock that will stay with me as long as I live."

-Dick Quinn.

 

"It was with a great feeling of shock that I just heard of the loss of Buddy. He had always been one of the best friends that I ever made at school and on all counts was certainly one of the finest and most respected boys that St. Paul Academy ever turned out. You can take great pride In Buddy's entire life, as I and his friends can feel proud that we just knew such an outstanding person."

-Jay Levine.

 

"The news about Bud left me with a feeling I shall never forget. It’s still difficult for me to believe that it's all actually true.

"Bud was one of the finest men I have ever known. We spent some wonderful times together; from guarding the defensive left flank of the Academy (St. Paul) team to double dating on Saturday nights. I shall always consider him among the very best of my friends. He was liked by everyone. Bud was just that kind of a guy. His pleasant personality, his good natured disposition, his conscientious way of accomplishing every task, are just a few of the many qualities about him which appealed to everyone with whom he came in contact. His memory will dwell in all of our hearts forever."

-Arnie Bockstruck.

 

From West Point classmates:

"Most of my contacts with Bud were with the hockey team. I shall never forget them. The assist he made in scoring the winning goal over Yale in 1948-49, the winning goal over Royal Military College in '49. Every now and then he would stop in the room for hockey business or to see Mike. Believe me, it was fun, every minute of it. It was a pleasure to have known Bud. We shall all miss him very much."

-(Lt.) Richard Trefry.

 

"I was very close to Bud from the time we both reported for duty at Ft. Bliss in August 1950 until April 1951 when he left for Korea. We were roommates from the time Tony (Lt.) de Jenuary married until April when Bud left. I realize that nothing I can say will help to ease your grief of losing him. Bud was undoubtedly the most clean-cut boy I've ever known in my life and as devoted a friend as anyone could ask for. His whole outlook on life was so wholesome, and he saw so little evil in both people and environment around him, that I often felt that I and others were cheating ourselves inasmuch as we couldn't appreciate life as completely as he did. So I hope and pray that, despite the fact that his life was cut so short, he gained something from life that I shall never be able to gain as long as I may live.

"If I told you I felt some of your grief, it would probably sound like a meaningless platitude, but I can assure you I feel his death deeply. I only wish I could make you understand how much he was loved by all who came in contact with him."

- (Lt.) Bill Jones. (Lt. Jones (Wm. R. D.) was Bud's Military Escort when Bud was laid to rest at West Point.)

 

"It was a great shock to me to read in the Army-Navy Journal of Bud’s death. Although my association with Bud lasted only a few months, we were very close friends and I was anxiously looking forward to the day when I might be stationed with him again.

"Bud, with his happy outlook on life, was the type who made friends easily and then kept them due to his cheerful spirit, kindness, unselfishness and other desirable traits of character. It is these things and many other attributes that are hard to describe which cause myself and his other associates to feel that we have lost a fine friend.

"While my connections with Bud have always been on an off-duty status, I do know that he established an outstanding record as an officer at Fort Bliss and that, although only a second lieutenant, was highly respected by the other officers and men of his battalion. With Bud's courage and devotion to duty I am confident that his superior record was continued in Korea. He definitely had a promising career ahead of him, and the Army has suffered an irreplaceable loss.

"It seems such a short time ago that I received a letter from Bud saying that he had received his overseas orders that very day. It is hard to believe that he is gone. Knowing how much Bud thought of his parents, I know that his loss is quite a blow to you. Yet I do want you to know that your loss is shared by many people upon whom Bud made a lasting Impression."

-Richard C. Tuck (Capt.), U.S.M.A. '46

 

"I enjoyed so much my last visit with Bud at El Paso. I shall always remember the sparkle in his bright eyes, his winning smile and the feeling I had while I was with him and since, that here was a young man destined for great things if he could be spared the scars of war. I am sure I knew Bud much better than he realized. I was deeply interested in him and his future. I admired his intellect, his courage and his manliness. I have often thought how happy I would have been had I the good fortune to have had a son like your Bud.

I know how proud both of you have been of him, and with such right to have been proud. He has now given his life on the battlefield for us all. May I be so bold to hope that in the knowledge that you have of his devotion to his country in making the supreme sacrifice, will in some measure allay your grief on his passing."

-James E. Kelley.

 

The usual letters of sympathy came from the General, and Bud's Commanding Officer;

"I cannot begin to tell you how deeply sorry I am to hear of Bud's death. It was a shock to me, as well as to my classmates. General Ridgway has asked me to convey to you as much information as I can concerning Bud.

"Here is the exact account of Bud's death extracted from the Adjutant General Casualty Branch here In Tokyo, Japan, as received from Bud's outfit:

"Bud was forward observer on hill of unnown number near Yanjimal, when an incoming rifle grenade landed ten feet from Bud; flying shrapnel hit him in the lower legs, and from loss of blood and shock Bud died.

"I believe Bud was the most congenial, affable person I have ever come in contact with. Never once did Bud pass a disparagIng remark to or of anyone. I know that consolation or sympathy could never bring Bud back, but I do want you to know that I thought a great deal of him."

-Arnold A. Galiffa (1st Lt.)

 

From Walter Reed Hospital, Washington, D. C., came the following:

"I learned a few days ago, of the loss of your son. It came as a terrible shock. Bud and I met that first day of July, 1946, as we were about the same height. We were close friends for the following four years. This past October we met unexpectedly in Korea. Our forward observer had broken down with battlefield fatigue. Bud had volunteered to take his place. He joined us one evening and aided us considerably in saving another company and a part of our company with covering artillery fire. This job was typical of Bud’s fine work while he worked with my company.

"On October l7th I was hit, with our objective in sight. I was happy to think that Bud had come through all right. He had the respect of all of us who worked with him. Then I read the bad news in Assembly.

"I saw your son when the going was tough - and he had in his constitution what you will find in the makings of a fine officer and gentleman. I know I speak for all his classmates when I say we are proud to have known him."

-Joseph T. Griffin, Jr. (Lt.).

 

A letter from young Sgt. Steve Kolstad, who was constantly and closely associated with Bud during June through part of October, on observation duty, states; "I have recelved a letter from Paul Welsh (radio operator on duty near the front the day Bud was killed). As you can see Bud was liked by everyone. I am proud to say that I served with him in Korea".

At the Memorial Service, our minister. Dr. Irving West, spoke simply and factually of Bud's life.

"Bud was one of the first acolytes of this church. He was always the finest example of young Christian manhood in the life of the church and community. Bud graduated from the St. Paul Academy in 1946, then he went into West Point, where he received his commission in 1950. Always his Christian faith shone from his life. This was very evident during his service in the Armed Forces. Words, always so feeble at best, can never convey the grace and strength and beauty of his life. Like Cyrano de Bergerac, he has crossed over with his 'white plume unsullied'.

"'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."'

A few days after the bright cold day of the Memorial Service, came the following:

"I can think of no surer evidence that no life is incomplete than that great church filled with people who came - both to share your sorrow and to show reverence to the glory of your son's sacrifice. So I shall never again hear 'Glory, Glory, Hallelujiah' that I do not think of that beautiful boy of yours and be grateful to him."

-Elizabeth Kennedy (Mrs. Walter) and Walter Kennedy.

 

On Monday morning, March third, Bud was laid to rest In the cemetery at West Point. Chaplain Pulley read the simple sermon, as cadets from Bud's Company L-2 acted as guards of honor, and Lt. Wm. R. D. Jones was present as Bud's Military Escort. The dark gray day and the sad tones of the muffled drums seemed to reflect the deep grief In our hearts.

We are thankful to have had Bud with us for the twenty-three years, and we shall think of him as just "being away."

- His Parents

Edmund J. Boyle

NO. 17391  •  7 May 1928 – 15 July 2002

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

 

A few years ago, Ed was invited to West Point to make the presentation of the award annually given to the outstanding "B" Squad football player. In his remarks at the football team banquet, Ed told the cadets what a great privilege and honor it had been for him to attend West Point and play "B" Squad football. He told them that thefriends they would make as cadets would always remain their closest friends. Ed was right. No one in the Class of '50 had morefriends than Eddie Boyle. 

Edmund James Boyle was born in Providence, RI, to Arthur E. and Olga V. Boyle, the ninth of ten children. With two brothers and a brother-in-law in the Army during WW II, military matters were prominent in home life. Ed was an outstanding athlete and student. At Classical High School, Ed played football on two undefeated teams, competed in track, baseball, and basketball, and graduated magna cum laude. 

In 1945, Ed attended Brown University and played varsity football at age 17, and then worked in his father's foundry until entering West Point in 1946. Ed earned his numerals on "C" Squad football, and played three years as starting halfback on" B " Squad. During those years, the junior varsity only lost once. He also was L-1 cadet company commander. His proudest moment as a cadet came in the winter of 1950, when he played on the L-1 Company basketball team that won the brigade championship - a feat unheard of for a "runt" company! 

In the fall of his First Class year, Ed met Alice Muendell on a blind date after a parade in New York City. They were married in the Catholic Chapel at West Point in 1953 when Ed returned from overseas. 

Commissioned in the Air Force, Ed's early career saw him stationed at Lackland AFB, TX, and Lowry AFB, CO. In 1952, he was assigned to Misawa, Japan, with a fighter-bomber wing. Later, Ed joined the 51st fighter Interceptor Group at Suwon, Korea, where he served as group armament officer. Returning to the States, Ed attended M.I.T and, in 1955, was awarded a masters' degree in instrumentation engineering and elected to the scientific honor society, Sigma Nu. 

In 1955, Ed was assigned to Patrick AFB near Cape Canaveral, FL The ballistic missile and space program was in its initial phase, and Ed was in on the ground floor. He spent the next three years planning and establishing instrumentation sites throughout the Caribbean and the South Atlantic. In 1958, he joined the Thor/Delta launch team, and his expertise was key to the successful deployment of the first satellites for communications, navigation, and meteorology. During those years, Alice and Ed added their three children to the family: George, Susan, and Bob. 

Ed attended the University of Michigan prior to being assigned to the Department of Ordnance Engineering at the Military Academy in 1963. That three-year teaching tour was followed by selection to attend the Air War College. Ed was named a distinguished graduate at the completion of his course in 1967. For the next two years, he was a professor and head of the Avionics Engineering Department at the Pakistan College of Aeronautical Engineering in Karachi. Within a year of his arrival, President Ayub Khan was deposed. Anti-government demonstrations, rioting, and overall instability marked Ed's tour in Pakistan; when his immediate superior was forced to leave the country to save his life, Ed temporarily became head of the college. 

Returning to the States, he joined the Defense Communications Agency staff in Washington, DC, and then completed his military service as the chief of the management systems division on the Air War College Faculty. While there, he earned his master's in business administration from Auburn University. Ed retired from the Air Force with the rank of colonel in 1974. 

In retirement, Ed worked for Amtrak in Philadelphia and then for the Navy, designing computerized information distribution systems. Ed's final civilian position was the director of systems engineering at Analytics, Inc., where he was involved in the design of computers for the Army's Apache helicopter. 

In 1984, Alice died of Leukemia. In 1986, Ed married a family friend of long standing, Jean Galloway; Ed and Alice had been godparents to Jean's son, Michael, in 1963. 

After retirement, Ed continued to give of himself always more than he needed to, because service was a personal obligation. He was active in the local West Point Society and was a catechist for his church. In the last years of his life, Ed spent countless hours tutoring and mentoring inner city children in Philadelphia. 

Will Rogers once said, "I never met a man I didn't like." He must have been talking about Eddie Boyle. Ed had those qualities that we all envy; He was calm, quiet, never ruffled. He was brilliant and a strong leader. He was unassuming and modest, and he could laugh at himseIf. 

While teaching at West Point in the 1960s, Ed volunteered to coach the lightweight football freshman team. Eric "Red" Tipton was the head coach. No games were scheduled for the plebes, but at the end of the season Ed decided to hold an intra-squad game. All season long, he had told Coach Tipton that he had two really outstanding quarterbacks on his plebe team, offensive geniuses who could pass and run. So, Coach Tipton agreed to come to the intra-squad game and see for himself. 

It turned out to be a mortifying afternoon, and while it wasn't funny at the time, 30 years later Ed still laughed about it. While Coach Tipton watched with an increasingly jaundiced eye, the two great plebe quarterbacks battled to a
2-2 tie! Both teams scored one safety, and that was it! 

Ed Boyle truly was blessed. He came from a close-knit and loving family; he was fortunate in marrying two lovey ladies who shared almost 40 years of his life. Ed is survived by Jean; sons George "Butch" and Bob; stepson Mike; daughter Susan; and stepdaughter Sharon; and three grandchildren. 

He was a credit to his alma mater, to his class, and to his country. Throughout his life he was a leader; he volunteered when others couldn't or wouldn't; he was compassionate and caring; he truly was a lovely man. This nation is the poorer for his passing. 

All of us remember the great happiness and pleasure he gave everyone who knew him - as a husband, a brother, father, grandfather, and as a staunch and loyal friend and West Point classmate.

The' 50 Howitzer has the final word: "In short, no matter what the task, Ed Boyle was a man for anyone's team." 

- MJH

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.

William Herbert Bloss, Jr.

NO. 18003  •  18 July 1928 - 12 May 1985

Died 12 May 1985 In San Antonio, Texas, aged 56 years.
Interment: Muncie, Indiana

 

READING "BE THOU AT PEACE" and "The Last Roll Call" in the ASSEMBLY is very hard, because we remember old friends, in the prime of their youth at West Point and later in the service of their country; finding Bill's name on that role of honor was a little different - heart‑breaking but accompanied with a warm feeling. Though many of us received those late night phone calls starting with, "This is your old buddy, Bill" and knew he was not well, it was hard to believe he was gone. Anyone who knew him, knows how hard he tried to do his best, for his family, for his friends, and for "Duty, Honor, and Country." What more can a man do? Yes, he was gone, but it was ‑ and is ‑ impossible not to smile.

Born on 18 July 1928 in Indiana, he was a baby‑faced, very old 17 on 1 July 1946. If anyone of the entering Class of' 1950 looked less like a future general than William Herbert Bloss, who could it have been? He said his nickname was "Slats," back in West Lafayette, Indiana (“Home of Purdue University, sir," he would quickly add to any firstie who asked where he was from.) At 142 pounds and six‑feet‑one, he was certainly not considered intimidating by the opposing football players of A‑I (nor M‑1 either, for that matter) during intramural football.

Nevertheless, he was called "The General" by all the upperclassmen during Beast Barracks and the rest of plebe year as well; our classmates even picked it up. Ed Reidy thinks our classmate, Leroy Shreve, was the first to use the affectionate term. But many of us can probably still remember Bud Vockel collaring Bill every day after lunch and running him back to First Company's piece of old South Area, all the while yelling, "Faster, General, faster; more yetl"

True, he didn't look like what we thought a budding general should look like (Jack Murphy, Bill Todd, Al Crawford, Bill Aman, George Vlisides, or Bill DeGraf maybe, but "Mr. Bloss" ‑ no way!)  But no one could deny his spirit, sense of humor, persistence, or good, old‑fashioned guts. He just would not give up. How many others remember watching, for what seemed an eternity, while he attacked that 10‑foot high wooden wall on the obstacle course? Bill was convinced that the prime ingredient of success was speed. With those long, thin legs and that unconquerable heart, he sailed into the wall; he was all horizontal with no vertical vector. He tried over and over again. Finally, a firstie took him by the shoulder and forcibly led him around and past the wall; the General was not about to quit.

Bad things seemed to happen to Bill in Beast Barracks; four of us (including Bill) couldn't seem to get him to formations on time and in the right uniform. His troubles didn't end with the plebe hike. Someone came racing by to tell him that inspection for guard duty was right now. He had his M‑1 in pieces on the blanket we used for a floor and was dutifully cleaning everything. We all grabbed parts, passed them to him quickly, while he snatched up others, fitted them all together, and took off running ‑ dragging the edge of the blanket, which he tore away from the chamber as he ran. He arrived at the formation late, but was prepared when his turn came to present his piece for inspection. He snapped the M‑1 up smartly, slammed the hammer back, and looked resolutely into the eyes of the inspecting officer ‑ as pieces of the M‑1's innards began to pop up into the air. The rifle fell apart in Bill's hands.

Plebe year was a little more relaxed for "the General," although at best, he was only an adequate scholar. He did collect more than his fair share of demerits, it's true, but walked the appropriate number of tours, insisting ‑  especially when the demerits were awarded for returning late from dates ‑ that the crime had been worth the punishment.

At intramural athletics, whatever the sport, he was in there working. Softball was probably his favorite, because, though he sometimes looked awkward, he was loose and really quite coordinated. He fielded and hit well. Opponents in intramural football smiled, shook their heads in disbelief at his eager, aggressive style, but came by after each game to shake his hand and compliment him for his efforts.

With graduation came marriage to a lovely young woman – Gretchen ‑ an assignment to the Infantry and Korea. Bill was assigned to the 2nd Infantry, and later awarded the Bronze Star. He went to war willingly, probably

enthusiastically, because he always fought for what he believed. One former roommate still bears a scar attesting to the depth of Bill's feelings, because, in yearling year the classmate failed once to show the proper respect for Bill's hero, Ted Williams, and got a split lip to show for it.

Assignments after Korea included Headquarters, 77th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, 1954‑56, the Infantry School from 1956-­57, and G‑3, Division Headquarters, Communications Zone (APO NY) in 1957.

In 1960 in San Antonio, Bill was assigned as Assistant Professor, Military Science and Tactics to Texas Military Institute, and he described his Korea combat, particularly the long, late night patrols in the narrow strip of land that separated the United Nations and North Korean forces. He had returned ‑ a 200 pound, no‑nonsense, combat infantry officer­ convinced that he had met the challenge of manhood well. He had volunteered to lead patrols at every opportunity and was confident that lie had "taken care of the troops." Unfortunately, the overseas assignment and separation had been too much for the young marriage. As usual, however, he picked up the pieces, forged ahead with his career, met a fine military nurse, married again and fathered two children‑a boy and a girl ‑ whom he loved very much.

His assignments, thereafter, were probably not unlike those of many of his Army peers. He received the Commendation Medal following a tour with the 1st Special Forces Group (1964), a second award after his 1968‑69 years with I Corps in Korea, and the Legion of Merit while at Headquarters Army Communications Command, Fort Huachuca, AZ 1970‑71.

Bill was retired in 1971 as a lieutenant colonel, with major disabilities, the result of a parachute jump in Vietnam. He had landed in a rice paddy, bordered with a brick wall, and was slammed against the wall when his chute caugh a heavy gust of air, just after he hit the water. His back was damaged severely and Bill's health became a major problem from that point on. For the next several years, he was in and out of hospitals, being near death more than once but always coming back for one more round. While he seemed to be in pain frequently, his greatest regret with the permanent disability was that he was unable to smash a golf ball as far as he could when he was healthy.

After retirement, Bill decided to live in Texas where he returned to school and earned a master of science degree in business administration at Trinity University. He finally settled in San Antonio where he pursued several business ventures, one in the solar energy field. He died at the Veterans Administration Hospital, not able to answer the bell in the last round.

Bill remained as close to his old friends and the Army as his infirmities, the telephone, great distances, and funds would allow. He journeyed to the Washington area frequently and headed west to California to see his old buddies – probably really to see the Dodgers play, because he didn’t miss a game in the 1977 playoffs.

What else can be said? Perhaps that our country and its Armed Forces call on many, that most answer that call with honor and distinction, and only a few reach the top and become generals, the envy of many  who tried and fell short. Bill was one of the many; nevertheless, he spoke often, with pride, of the classmates “who had made it”, of wonderful commanders he had served with and great admiration and respect, and of how much the Army had meant to him. Perhaps, without the dedication and courage of the many unsung heroes like Bill Bloss, “the General”, the path upward would have been much more difficult for those who did succeed.”

Medon Armin Bitzer

NO. 17778  •  5 June 1927 – 8 January 1952

Killed in Action January 8, 1952 in Korea, aged 24 Years.

 

For those of us who knew Don, there is nothing that might be said which could tell us more; and for those who did not know him, these words can never express our sorrow at his passing nor give any measure to the depth of his friendship.

Don was born 5 June 1927, in New York City. His childhood and elementary school days were spent in Johnson City, Tennessee; then for high school, Don first put on a military uniform at Tennessee Military Institute. In 1945 he graduated from Castle Heights Military Academy and became a member of the Army Air Force. When he received his appointment to the Military Academy, Don was transferred to the USMA Preparatory School, then at Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts. On 1 July 1946, Don put on his grays and was sworn in at Battle Monument with the Class of 1950.

The military aspects of his life as a cadet were nothing new to Don - and he fast became a friend in need and in deed to those of us who found the rigid beast barracks life difficult. Plebe Russian and the other academic pitfalls gave Don his share of late Iights--but, somehow he managed to find time for trips with the varsity boxing team - as its lightest contender. For four years Don represented West Point in the Eastern Inter-Collegiates only to be out-pointed late in the eliminations on each occasion. In his "cow" year, he was a corporal; and in his First Class year Don carried the Supply Sergeant's saber and shouldered the additional job of being the Duty Committee Representative for Company E-2.

We had a fine company when Don was a First Classman, and it was due in no small measure to Don's hard work, level head, friendly smile, and common sense. Don's exemplary character and devotion to duty left a lasting mark on his classmates, upperclassmen, and underclassmen. In four years of close association at school, during times when nerves were especially on edge, never was there ever anything said of Don which was less than complimentary . . . Don was a standard of fine American manhood.

Upon graduation Don chose the Air Force and was assigned to Goodfellow Air Force Buse, San Angelo, Texas, for basic flying school. Basic was completed in January of 1951, and Don elected to become a conventional engine fighter pilot. For the next six months flying the F-51 Mustang, and hazing our classmates in the multi-engine and jet aircraft were Don's primary considerations. On 4 August 1951, at Craig Air Force Base, Selina, Alabama, Don received his wings and orders to Korea. There was a pleasant leave at home in Johnson City; then a happy three months in Combat Crew Training School at Luke Air Force Base, Phoenix, Arizona. Another visit at home preceded the trip to Camp Stoneman, Hawaii, Wake Island, Tokyo, and Korea.

Once in the Far East Air Force, Don was assigned to the famed 18th Fighter Bomber Group ... the last operational fighter group flying F-51's. He was among friends in Korea, for seventeen of his USMA classmates and most of his flying school classmates were also assigned to the Mustang group at WonJu, Korea. Combat check-out and missions came slowly because of the lack of airplanes and the presence of bad weather.

The 67th Fighter Bomber Squadron, to which Don was assigned, had a streak of heavy losses; and prior to his fifteenth mission Don saw two of his classmates and four of his friends from flying school killed or taken prisoner by the Communists. On 8 January 1952, Don was on his 15th mission, a dual purpose, two target, fighter strike in North Korea. Don dropped his bombs on the railroad deep in enemy territory; then on the return trip to his base, hit an important secondary target of supplies and personnel near the front lines, with his rockets and machine gun fire. As he broke away from the target after firing his first rocket, he and his aircraft were hit by enemy automatic weapons antiaircraft fire. Because he was hit personally and was at a low altitude, he was unable to abandon his burning aircraft and crashed into the target area.

Don, like his older brother, Conrad, who was killed in World War II in Germany, in 1945, found a "soldier's resting place beneath a soldier's blow" . . . part of the heavy price we have paid for our participation in two recent wars. As a soldier, Don would have been the last to expect combat without casualties; and as a Christian, he would be the last to have us mourn his death . No finer soldier has graduated from West Point; and Don was as fine a Christian as a soldier. He was never one to parade his beliefs, but no one was ever more sincere or devout. To know him was to realize that he was a sound Christian with the deepest kind of practical religion.

Medon Armin Bitzer, First Lieutenant, United States Air Force, Purple Heart, Air Medal, is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. M. A. Bitzer of Johnson City, Tennessee; his sister, Edith; and brother, Carl Wilfrid.

No words can express how deep is our sorrow or how great our loss at the death of this young soldier - airman . . . a soldier by even Kipling's rugged standards; but our personal loss cannot compare with the loss to the United States and to the Christian world of so promising a leader and citizen as Don.

- W.H.B and R.W.S.

Aubrey Lee Benson

NO. 17971  •  13 December 1927 - 1 August 1950

Died August 1, 1950, at Colorado City, Texas aged 22 years

 

AUBREY LEE BENSON was born December 13, 1927 in Colorado City,Texas. He was the elder son of Mr. and Mrs. Aubrey C. Benson.

His life followed the usual pattern of a small‑town boy, except that he was unusually serious of purpose and deeply interested in learning. He was one of the honor students when graduated from grammar school, and also when graduated from Colorado City High School in May 1945. Immediately following graduation, he enrolled in the University of Texas and remained there until June 1946.

During his school years he gave much time and attention to Scouting and earned numerous merit badges. He was enthusiastic about all phases of school activities, and was popular with students and teachers because of his dependability, efficiency, and good fellowship. He loved athletic sports so much that he gave them the time they required; then put out of his mind all else and became completely absorbed in his studies as he had been in football, basketball, or tennis. One of his most admirable characteristics was his ability to do whatever task was his in the best possible manner, never being satisfied with anything half done, whether it be study, a game, or wrapping a Christmas package.

Through Congressman George Mahon of the Nineteenth District, Texas, Aubrey Lee was granted the privilege of taking the entrance examinations for West Point and entered the Academy in July 1946. He received the appointment with great humility and wrote his parents saying, "The credit is yours for my having this chance to realize an earnest desire and ambition to attend West Point. I am grateful for the  training I have had through the years. The thought of the responsibility that is mine almost frightens me. I shall give the best that is in me to be worthy of this honor".

Aubrey Lee was serious and conscientious, and adjusted himself to the discipline maintained at the Academy because he knew that every part of it would be helpful in the years ahead. He knew that being a good soldier meant more than drilling, and marching and fighting. It meant living in a man's world as men should live.

Upon graduation on June 6, 1950, Lee was assigned to the 11th Airborne Division at Ft. Campbell. Ky., and was to have reported August 5, 1950 to Ft. Benning, Ga., for parachute jump training, after a sixty day leave with his family in Texas.

During his vacation at home, much of Lee's time was spent with the young men who had been his friends since his first grade in school. They laughed and talked of the fun they had had through the years and speculated on the future. Often their conversation was about the world situation, Army life, and life in general.

It was July 26, 1950 when the fatal automobile accident occurred that took Aubrey Lee from us. His mother and father were with him at the time. They and Don, his brother, were constantly at his bedside in the hospital until his death on the morning of August 1st. The very best medical and nursing care were given him. Captain Pheil, neuro‑surgeon of the General Hospital at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, came by plane and operated within a few hours after the accident, but the injury was so serious that it could not be overcome.

Lee's funeral was in Colorado City, Texas, in the First Baptist Church of which he had been a member since he was fifteen. Rev. R.Y. Bradford officiated. The church was filled with flowers and with the friends he loved so much. Honorary pall‑bearers were the boys from his high school graduating class. With military honors he was laid to rest in the Colorado City Cemetery. His grave is on a little knoll which overlooks the town and from which can be seen the tall poplar trees that grow near his home.

We can hardly believe that Lee is not still with us. We all feel a deep personal loss. His slow smile, his good humor, his kindness, and his seriousness of purpose endeared him to those with whom he came in contact. He was devoted to his family and their happiness was uppermost in his mind. His love for his mother was often expressed in little notes of appreciation which he would write at night after he finished studying. She would read them the next morning as she went about her work. The deep affection Lee and Don had for each other was unusual and beautiful. Lee was vitally interested in Don's every activity, and Don idolized "Buddy". The relationship between Lee and his Dad was more than that of a father and son. They were comrades and friends.

Aubrey Lee's life cannot be measured by the number of years that were allotted to him but by the things which were accomplished in that brief span. As we watched him unfold the pattern of his life, we were never disappointed, because he achieved at every turn what he set out to do.

One of his close friends who is now in the Army wrote this to his mother and dad, "I think about Lee quite a lot. When the going gets rough, I try to think as he did about it. No doubt there were times when he, too, was discouraged, but I know he decided to give it his very best, as he did everything. I would like to be the kind of soldier he was. Maybe he knows how hard I'm trying. I can't hope to do as well as he did. I am probably just an average G.I, but I'm trying..."

Aubrey Lee as a soldier felt that he personally was a guardian of American Freedom and could have sincerely said the words of Frederick S. Wilson: "Let each and everyone of us remember that Liberty is a gift not lightly given: that we within ourselves, must preserve for generations yet unborn, a vision of brotherhood among men, until one day all the world shall be ready to share it."

- Written by N. H. White, Jr. and Lena V. White

C. Edward Bell, Jr.

NO. 17950  •  10 June 1928 - 12 January 1988

Died 12 January 1988 In Norwalk, Connecticut, aged 59 years
Interment: Lakeview Cemetery, New Canaan, Connecticut


C. EDWARD BELL, JR. of New Canaan, a West Point graduate who founded his own investment firm, died 12 January 1988 in Norwalk Hospital. He was 59.

Mr. Bell was born 10 June 1928 in New York City, son of the late Charles Edward and Loretta Tagg Bell, Sr. He lived on Brookwood Lane and was a resident of New Canaan for 24 years.

Mr. Bell attended the All Hallows grammar and high schools in New York City. He attended Manhattan College and was appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point on 1 July 1946, and graduated in 1950. He was assigned to Fort Lewis in Tacoma, Washington, and then to Fort Benning, Georgia. He was later stationed as a first lieutenant in Frankfurt, Germany, in the 4th Division Signal Battalion.

He was first employed by New York Telephone, then Gulf Oil and then the Wall Street investment firm of Harriman & Ripley. He was then appointed manager of the investment department of Kidder Peabody, where he remained until 1966. He then was portfolio manager at Fairfield County Trust. He was an active member of the New York Stock Exchange, and in 1968, the C.E. Bell & Co. investment firm.

He was a member of the St. Aloysius Parish in New Canaan. Prior to that he was a member of St. Boniface Parish in Sea Cliff, New York, where he was an active member of the Legion of Mary.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara Bell of New Canaan; a son, Edward F. Bell of New Canaan; four daughters, Barbara Beaulieu of Brattleboro, Vermont, Ann Bell‑Cox of Yakima, Washington, Mary Saccary of Westport and Christine Bell of New Canaan.

A mass of Christian Burial was scheduled for 15 January at St. Aloysius Parish in New Canaan.

Walter H. Baxter

NO. 17597 • 26 Jul 1926 - 10 May 2004  

Died in Fair Oaks Ranch, TX
Interred in Air Force Academy Cemetery, Colorado Springs, CO

 

Walter "Buz" Hope Baxter III spent almost 50 years as a pilot. With his "hand upon an aircraft throttle and his eye upon the wild blue yonder," no other career could have suited him better or made him happier.

Buz was born in San Benito, TX, to Walter and Olga (Arnold) Baxter. Buz grew up in nearby Weslaco, graduating from high school in 1943. He participated in sports, lettering in football his senior year. He attended the University of Texas, Arlington, until he reported to Keesler Field in Biloxi, MS, for basic training in January 1945.

Buz had always dreamed of becoming a military fighter pilot, but first he served as a fighter aircraft crew chief at Luke Field, AZ, and then he was sent to Scott Field, IL, for training as a B 29 bomber radio operator. Buz was a second alternate for an appointment to West Point and went to Amherst College to better prepare for West Point academics. He studied there until November 1945 when he was released from active duty but retained in the Reserves.

Returning to Weslaco, Buz invested his mustering out pay for part ownership of a vintage military trainer aircraft and flying lessons. He had achieved about 75 hours of flying time when he was informed of his West Point appointment (the principal appointee and first alternate had declined to attend).

On arrival at West Point he found he was well prepared for the military and athletic aspects and appreciated the value of his preparation at Amherst. What surprised him most was the awe in which other new cadets held him. Buz was a pilot who had flown solo and had been on active duty already. His classmates liked him, and Buz soon became a leader in the Class of '50.

During his cadet days Buz ran track one year, lettered in squash three years, and lettered in tennis as manager his final year. Upon graduation, Buz's class standing was high enough for him to select duty in the Air Force, the service that "flies and fights."

His first assignment was to James Connally AFB, TX, for basic flying training. Because of his previous civilian flying experience, he breezed through basic and picked Craig AFB, AL, for advanced flying training. He wanted a chance to fly the best of the WWII fighters, the P 51 Mustang.

Leaving Craig with silver wings, Buz completed gunnery school in Arizona and then was sent to Korea, where he completed 87 combat missions in the P 51 (now F 51). His operational assignments showed continued advancement and increased responsibilities on return to the States. At Clovis AFB, NM, he upgraded to jet aircraft, flying the F 86. Later, as a captain flying the F 100, he became a flight commander, assistant operations officer, and wing gunnery and bombing officer during a tour in England.

From 1958 to 1961 he taught military studies at the Air Force Academy. Buz then spent a year as a student at the Air Command and Staff College. Then it was back to flying duties in Training Command as a major-wing executive officer, director of plans, section commander always jobs of increasing importance. These assignments led to more duty overseas as a lieutenant colonel, with Buz becoming commander of the 22nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, a combat ready (F 4) unit in Germany. Next came a year at the Army War College.

In 1970, COL Baxter was back in combat, flying F 4s as vice commander of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing in Thailand. He flew 125 combat missions over Viet Nam. Back in the States he continued flying as commander of the 64th Flying Training Wing at Reese AFB, TX. In 1975 he picked up his first star as vice commander of Keesler Technical Training Center before duty called him back to Thailand to close American bases left over from the Viet Nam conflict. Duty followed on Okinawa, where Buz commanded the 313th Air Division and the 18th Tactical Fighter Wing, the unit in which he first had seen combat in Korea.

Back in the States as a major general, Buz became commander of the 24th North American Air Defense Command and 24th Aerospace Defense Command at Malmstrom. AFB, MT. After a year, he went back to Europe as air deputy, NATO Allied Forces Northern Europe, still flying fighters. His final assignment, as commander of the Third Air Force at RAF Mildenhall, England, was a fitting end to what he called a "dream career."

During his career he received many awards including the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, three Legions of Merit, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, and ten Air Medals.

Buz flew a total of 8000 hours about 6000 in military aircraft with combat time totaling about 580 hours. During his career he flew 20 different military aircraft, the majority of them tactical fighters and trainers, and had spent more than 13 years overseas. When asked how he survived more than 30 years of military flying, Buz replied, "I was blessed with reliable airplanes, outstanding wingmen, and rotten (enemy) gunners."

Another reason for Buz’s long and successful career was his wife, Lila. In spite of his early preference for tall Texas girls, he met a not so tall young lady from Alabama, Lila Waldrop, and married her on 12 Jun 1954. Somehow she turned him into a "happy warrior with a contented smile" and made a family man out of a fighter. They were together for almost 50 years and raised two boys and two girls in a close knit family.

Buz retired in 1982 and went back to Weslaco, TX, to ease his father's workload at the Walter Baxter Seed Company. Six months later, after his father died, Buz became the head of a successful seed business. He sold the company in 1995 because he wanted the freedom and time to play golf, hunt, fly fish, travel, and fly.
Buz, old buddy, you did us proud!

- His Family and Classmates

Thurston Richard Baxter

NO. 17722  •  9 December 1928 - 31 December 1952

Missing in action. Changed to: killed in action 31 December 1952, aged 24 years.

 

DICK BAXTER was born 9 December 1928 at Fort Sam Houston Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. His parents, Lieutenant Thurston H. Baxter and Mina O'Bryan Baxter were stationed at Brooks Field, Texas where his father was assigned as a flying instructor. Dick's childhood was spent at various Army Air Corps stations until, in 1939, his father was assigned to the office of the chief of the Air Corps, and Dick became a Washingtonian. There he reached the senior rank in scouting, Eagle Scout, in only two years, and in 1946 he graduated from St. Alban's School.

This background had several effects on Dick's future life. First of all, not yet 18 when he entered, lie was one of the youngest members of the Class of 1950, a class that had a large number of older and experienced veterans. If, in the competitive environment of cadet life, this put him at some disadvantage, his background also gave him two offsetting advantages. One was an excellent academic preparation, so that was never a serious problem to him. The second, and more important, advantage was his driving determination that he would fly as an officer in the Air Force.

An intensely private person, only his roommates really came close to knowing him. They recall his keenly competitive nature, a puckish sense of humor, and a determination to be himself. One roommate recalls his competitive nature in a situation which arose as to who should have the right to pursue the affections of a blonde model who had attracted their attention. The matter was settled by a race over the obstacle course in the gym. Dick won by a few seconds, but it soon turned out that Dick hadn't been that interested in the young lady to begin with.

Then there was the time he returned from leave with a stuffed teddy bear, which he decreed would be displayed on the mantlepiece as his mascot. The Tac, however, on an inspection when Dick was not room orderly, made it clear that there was a penalty associated with this display of individuality. His roommates, especially the one who had absorbed the gig, negotiated a treaty with him that the mascot would occupy its place of honor only when Dick was room orderly. Thereafter, with some circumspection as to when the Tac was likely to be around, the mascot continued to hold its post during Dick's turns as room orderly.

After graduation, Dick achieved his lifetime ambition, entering the Air Force, completing basic flight training, and going on to advanced training in F-51 Mustangs at Craig Air Force Base in Selma, Alabama. While at Craig, he met and married Anne Jo Ross. After only a month of married life he left for Korea and duty with the 39th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 18th Fighter Wing. There, on 21 December 1951, on a dive­bombing mission, his aircraft impacted the ground, presumably as a result of ground fire, in a crash that he was unlikely to have survived. No report of him as a prisoner of war was ever received, and no remains were returned. He was declared dead on 31 December 1952.

His memorial is a plaque in the Chapel of St. Alban's School. Its inscription reads:

"They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old.

"Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

"At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

"We will remember them."

The thought that can be added to that is that Dick Baxter died in the achievement of his life's ambition.

- Frank King

John Olin Bates, Jr.

NO. 17690  •  11 August 1926 – 12 June 1952

Killed in Action June 12, 1952, in Korea, Aged 25 Years.

 

On the plaque by J.O. Bates, Jr.'s crypt In the Hillcrest Mausoleum at Dallas, Texas, is inscribed, "ln grateful memory of 1st Lt. John Olin Bates, Jr., killed in action in Korea on 12 June 1952, while in command of Company "A", 180th Infantry Regiment, 4th Division in the assault of T-Bone Hill." These words express well the quiet dignified nature of the man himself. The strength of his conviction in dedicating himself to the service of his country was unrelenting and there was no moment in his manhood when J.O. doubted the magnificence of the goal he had set before himself.

Born 11 August 1926, the son of Mr. and Mrs. J.O. Bates, J.O. attended public school in Fort Worth, Texas. During those years he played on the high school golf team and was twice winner of the Texas Junior Trapshooting Championship. J.O. had a great love for his home and family and it was through close association with his father, on fishing and hunting trips together, and in their mutual interests in trapshooting and gun collecting, that J.O. developed his enthusiasm for numerous sports and his excellent skill in the use of firearms.

J.O. was descended from a Southern family which was very proud of its affiliation with the Confederacy. It was only natural upon graduation from High School that J.O. entered the Virginia Military Institute. While there, he joined the Army Air Forces, leaving V.M.I. in October 1944 when called into the Service. Shortly thereafter he transferred to the Infantry and attended the Infantry Officers' Candidate School, graduating in 1945. His convictions concerning the Army, and particularly the Infantry, were confirmed during that time.

In July 1946, J.O. joined the ranks of the Corps of Cadets at West Point. His calm assured manner in the face of the challenges of Plebe year marked him even then as a man who entertained no doubts concerning his dedication to the service of his country. His athletic ability soon evidenced itself in the countless sports that he engaged in at the Academy, but most particularly, he established himself us a skeet shooting enthusiast, with golf following close behind. As a tribute to both his shooting ability and to his fine character he was elected Captain of the Skeet team that won the Eastern Collegiate Skeet Championship in 1960. Only a year before he had won the Eastern Collegiate Individual Skeet Championship match. He won 3 varsity letters in golf, in addition to intramural awards in soccer and volley ball. The sportsmanship he displayed in every competition won him the highest esteem of his friends and acquaintances: His success In athletics, and his magnificent attributes of leadership while at the Academy were indicative of the tremendous potential of this man. He, perhaps more than any I have known, was destined for the top in the career he had chosen. J.O. was soft spoken but confident, quiet but aggressive, and he had the wonderful sense of humor so essential to a successful troop leader. All who knew J.O. admired him for his strength of character and the friendly disposition which he displayed in his relationship with everyone.

So it was with the mark of success implanted upon J.O. that we watched him graduate from the Military Academy. He had chosen the Airborne School as his first assignment and it was with a great deal of enthusiasm that he looked forward to this tour of duty. It was this enthusiastic attitude and natural quality of leadership that caused many in his cadet company at West Point to accompany him in this stern test of determination. During his tour with the Airborne, he qualified for his senior paratrooper wings, making a total of 34 jumps, further demonstrating the spirit of determination inherent in his attitude toward his career.

On 2 February 1952, J.O. married Nell Jane Sosebee of Fort Worth, a graduate of Mary Washington, University of Virginia. Although J.O. had initially been assigned to Germany shortly before his marriage, he requested duty in Korea, and had only a short period of a few months with Nell prior to leaving for Korea. The same spirit of determination and devotion to the service of his country that he had displayed at West Point once again forbade his accepting the easy path.

In June 1952, J.O. was killed in an attack on an enemy-held hill. For conspicuous heroism, J.O. was awarded (posthumously) the Silver Star, his citation for which reads in part:

"First Lieutenant John Olin Bates, Jr. is cited for gallantry in action against an armed enemy near Karhyon-ni, Korea. Company "G" was counterattacking the bitterly contested Hills 191 and 183 and the company was being subjected to a bitter barrage of enemy artillery and mortar fire on the slopes of the hills. When the company commander was wounded, Lieutenant Bates reorganized the men and continued to the objective. While assaulting Hill 191 a severe barrage of enemy fire was placed on one of the advancing platoons, causing numerous casualties. Lieutenant Bates hurried to the platoon's position under heavy enemy fire and organized the evacuation of the wounded and the dead. He directed litter teams through the exploding shells to where the wounded lay, comforting and inspiring the men until they could be evacuated. While fearlessly moving from person to person, disregarding his safety to give aid and comfort to his men, Lieutenant Bates was hit by enemy fire and fatally wounded."

That was J.O. He was a Texan and proud of his State. He was an officer and proud of his Army. He gave his life in devotion to his country, and I offer these words to J.O. for his parents, his sister, his wife, and myself:

“SACRIFICE

He fell today upon a hill in far Korea and he will not come again unto this land he loved so well, as he had planned.

He fought my fight and gave his all to stem the tide and to forestall the threat to freedoms that I prize.

Pray God that I may realize this sacrifice in this grim war and live life worth his dying for.”
— By Julien C. Ilyer

And to Jane Olin, the daughter born after J.O.'s death, I want to say that your father was my greatest friend, and the finest person I shall ever know. He gave his life leading men in combat. And I feel strongly that if he had to die,he would not have had it happen any other way had he had a choice.

- Kenneth E. Murphy, Class of 1950

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

Boyd T. Bashore

NO. 17712  •  7 June 1925 - 17 May 2001

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


Boyd Truman Bashore truly was a man for all seasons a soldier, student, author, family man, jovial companion. He enjoyed tennis, golf, handball, skiing, scuba diving, and especially boating. His soldiers and contemporaries from the 2d Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, where he'd commanded their renowned 2d Battalion "Wolfhounds" in Viet Nam, admired LTC Bashore as a "bon vivant, host extraordinaire, tactician, and theoretician," and respected his leadership as he distinguished himself in battle and by his penetrating analysis of those actions.

Born in Washington, DC, the son of a career Army officer, Boyd had happy reminiscences of Maine, Hawaii, and Kentucky. Graduating in 1943 from Manlius High School in Syracuse, NY, he enlisted in the Army, attended Officer Candidate School, and became a member of the 42d "Rainbow' Division. While at Amherst Prep School, he won a presidential appointment to the Academy.

Called "BT” or "Tiger," he soon made himself known. Roommate Ken Moll notes, "Boyd had been a paratrooper second lieutenant before becoming a plebe. He loved to get up on a table and yell 'Geronimo!, then jump off and do that shoulder roll thing. The rest of us cadets were in awe of him."

Ken was startled when Plebe Boyd left the Academy without permission. "He had a problem with a girl in New England and felt it necessary to visit her. As soon as BT got to his destination, he sent a telegram to the Commandant saying he had not deserted ... In a few days, Boyd came back ready to face the music. He walked the area in all types of weather for six months but never complained."

Two months before graduation, BT met Vassar student Judy Campbell of Billings, MT. Judy soon learned of his Plebe year troubles and adds, "That girl's father did not want his daughter to wait four years and marry into the military. Her loss was certainly our gain."

After his initial assignment to the 505th and 508th Regimental Combat Team, they married in September 1951. Boyd and Judy trekked to Ft. Benning and then to Mainz, Germany, where he commanded a company in the 42d Armored Infantry Battalion. Two sons, Brian and Steve, were born there. Boyd and Judy enjoyed many good times in the popular Wiesbaden Air Force Club, singing along as classmate Matt Henrikson played the piano for the group. BT`s roommate, Bolo Brunson, sometimes visited from Belgium.

Returning to Ft. Benning, Boyd commanded a tank company and attended the Advanced Course. Daughter Betsy arrived. Paul Braim recollected, "Boyd has a certain distinction among our group; he had written a story on airborne which was made into an RKO short subject, and also a much praised article, 'Sword of Silk,' about the father of airborne operations, German general Kurt Student."

BT foresaw international communist assaults in Southeast Asia and the need for American assistance. During 1956-58, he was aide to MG Joseph Harper, chief of MAAG Philippines. There, Judy and Boyd enjoyed the friendship of classmate Eddie Ramos, later president of the Philippines, and his wife, Ming. Sloshing through paddies and jungles with Filipino troops, BT developed a model for counter insurgency campaigns. His resultant article, "Dual Strategy for Limited War," appeared in Military Review, May 1960, and was republished in Franklin Osanka’s book, Modern Guerilla Warfare.

BT attended CGSC in 1959, and daughter Laura joined the family. He then joined the MAAG in Saigon to advise Vietnamese airborne forces and train infantry. He helped develop America’s first counter insurgency plan for the Vietnamese. Assigned to the Academy’s history department during 1960-64, BT wrote “Soldiers in Tennis Shoes.” It put a human face on the enemy in Viet Nam, as did his popular elective course, "Revolutionary Warfare." The birth of their youngest son, Charles, completed the family.

In 1964, the family went to Hawaii, where Boyd served with Headquarters, USARPAC, then joined the 25th Division in Viet Nam. Boyd entered combat in Viet Nam in 1966, earning a Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars, and five Air Medals. Headquarters, 25th Infantry Division, was in a Cu Chi field, the same place used by Vietnamese airborne as a drop zone into which Boyd jumped as an advisor in 1961. The area contained a great network of tunnels and a VC headquarters. BT’s classmate, Andy Rutherford, recalls: "I worked very closely with Boyd in Viet Nam. As the Hau Nghia province advisor, I accompanied Boyd on all his operations in the province. I was mouth agape witnessing him direct the operation, like playing a perfect piece on the piano." Upon his return from Viet Nam, Boyd served with Headquarters, CINCPAC.

Boyd returned in 1967 as a colonel to the Army War College, then to Pentagon duty with Army Research & Development, and later with the Chief of Staff’s office. His expertise was in demand, but he found time to begin writing a comprehensive private manuscript on the Viet Nam War. Though never published, it became a treasure of facts and a strong rebuttal against leftist fictions. Boyd retired in July 1971, receiving a second Legion of Merit. The seven Bashores then boarded their classic 72 foot yacht, Wampeter, for a wonderful six week trip to the Bahamas.

BT subsequently worked as a volunteer with the Counsel on DC Affairs, Chesapeake Bay Yacht Club Association, and Southwest Waterfront Redevelopment. BT joined the office of classmate Jack Murphy, chairman of the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee, and also worked on the Coast Guard and Maritime Subcommittee, and later with the Office of Coastal Zone Management, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.

Around 1981, Boyd began to suffer from Binswanger’s Disease, beginning 20 years of advancing debilitation. He endured this rare illness with his trademark patience and good humor. Throughout his distinguished career and adventurous life, he was a fun loving, kind, and wonderful husband and father. Family gatherings still feel his presence. Judy sums it up: "We had it all."

- Judy with classmates

Courtenay Leonard Barrett, Jr.

NO. 17856  •  

Killed in Action September 27, 1950, in Korea, Aged 23 Years.

 

Bo has been gone almost four years now. Because of his death there will always be a certain emptiness in the lives of those who knew and loved him. He left behind many wonderful memories of a boy and a man full of fun and life, but with high ideals which he not only lived up to himself, but which he instilled into many other people.

As a boy Bo showed the qualities which were so evident all through his life. He was a leader with a great imagination and the ability to carry out his ideas. He organized our childhood gangs, as well as many other activities, ranging from a neighborhood newspaper to a lemonade stand In the summer. He liked sports and regularly attended meetings at the YMCA, as well as playing baseball and football at school. He was a good student and always enjoyed reading. As he grew up he collected books until he had a good-sized library of Poe, Shakespeare, De Maupassant, and other authors. Besides all his activItles, Bo had something he displayed throughout his life-a kind and loving personality. He enjoyed people-all people - and because he liked them he invariably brought out their good qualities. He seemed to gain something from each person he know, and in turn gave part of himself to them. He was completely unselfish and would do almost anything for a friend. When we were small he took it upon himself to be my guardian-Bo walked with me to and from school, and many times gave up his own play to see that I was safe. As we grew up he was more than just a big brothor-he was a confidante, adviser, teacher, and disciplinarian. Our grandparents, who raised us after our mother died, set an example for Bo by their unselfish devotion and generosity. He loved them deeply and always tried to live up to the bright dreams they had for him. There were times of course when he required a little discipline, for he was a normal boy with ideas and inventions, which once in a while were very impractical. On the whole, however, our family was very close-each enjoying and loving the others very much.

Bo went away to Kentucky Military Institute for high school, and for the first time our group was broken up. However, these school years were filled with many letters and wonderful summer vacations. During high school Bo found that the combination of his uniform and what he called his "charming personality" made him popular with the girls. So throughout these years there was a succession of love affairs -each one 'being "IT", but only for a short while. After his graduation from KMI, as a Cadet Captain, he was drafted and soon was sent to France as a member of the Army of Occupation. After serving a year in France and Germany, he received his appointment to West Point.

The following fall he passed his entrance examinations after a hard preparatory course at Amherst. His first year was the usual difficult one. He spent many hours on his first vacation astounding his friends and family, telling them of the hardship of a plebe. During this year however, a wonderful thing happened to Bo; he met Jacqueline Lowry, the daughter of Colonel Lowry, and this time he really fell in love. The next years went by swiftly and in his senior year he and Jackie became engaged. He made many good friends at the Point whom he regretted leaving, but at the same time he was anxious to be married and start his career. On the evening of his graduation, he and Jackie were married in the chapel at Fort Hamilton, New York where she lived. It was a lovely wedding and they were very very happy. They spent several weeks of their honeymoon with our family and several weeks with Jackie's family.

Just after graduation the Korean war broke out and orders came for Bo to leave immediately for Fort Lewis, Washington. When he left Bo was cheerful and determined. I'll always remember his telling us not to worry; that It was his job to help clear up the war quickly, and that he would be back soon. That was the middle of July. On September 27, 1950, he was killed in action. He spared us the terrible hardships in his letters, but we later learned that only two men from his company survived those battles.

After he was gone we were bitter for a long time. Why did he have to be killed when he had so much ahead of him- We asked ourselves this question a million times. We never received a direct answer but somehow we've come to know deeply that his death was not in vain. Sometimes only through the sacrifices of great and wonderful people in the name of freedom do we at home realize how precious our liberty is. God must have taken Bo because his job here was done. He instilled his leadership, his wisdom and his kindness into many people. To him we can give the greatest tribute possible - there are many people who are better and happier because he lived.

- His sister, Patricia

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

Thomas A. Austin III

NO. 17709  •  6 Oct 1927 - 25 Jun 2001

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

 

THOMAS ADAM AUSTIN III was born at reveille at Ft. Benning, GA, to COL Thomas A. Austin, Jr., and Hazel Hannah Austin. Growing up an 'Army brat', Tom had the Army in his blood from his early youth. In 1943, he attended the Florida Military Academy to complete the requirements for high school graduation. In 1944, he enrolled at Georgia Tech, and, in 1946, he was appointed to the U.S. Military Academy. In June 1950, shortly after graduating from West Point, he married Elizabeth Louise "Betty Lou" Alexander, his sweetheart for 42 years. He then began a 30 year career that took him all over the world, including Iceland, Spain, Viet Nam, and Panama (twice).

Following his graduation from Command and General Staff College in 1962, Tom became an enthusiastic linguist. He studied Spanish at the University of Madrid and, in 1963, returned to USMA as an instructor/ assistant professor in the Foreign Language Department. In 1966, he attended the Armed Forces Staff College and subsequently was sent to Ft. Bliss, TX, to study Vietnamese. Afterwards, from 1967 to 1968, he served as a Senior Province Advisor, III Corps, in the Republic of Viet Nam. In 1968, he commanded a battalion at Ft. Benning, GA, and in 1969 he was sent to the Pentagon for two wonderful years in the office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations.

After completing the Army War College, Tom returned to Panama as the military group commander to the Ambassador of Panama. He was acquainted with Jimmy Lakas, the President of Panama, and General Omar Torrijos, the dictator. He also worked with key American officials. Ambassador Robert M. Sayre, Governor David S. Parker, and GEN William Rosson, Southern Command, relied on Tom’s intimate knowledge of the Guardia Nacional. Tom was the right person at a critical time in Panamanian/U.S. History; he spotted a devious lieutenant colonel in the Guardia and warned U.S. officials to keep a close eye on him. That person, the infamous and notorious General Manuel Noriega, was deposed during Operation Just Cause in 1989.

In 1975, Tom returned to the Pentagon to work in the joint arena and the National Military Command Center. In 1978, he was assigned to Ft. Dix, NJ, as the post chief of staff and deputy post commander, an assignment he loved because it placed him with soldiers one last time.

In 1964, Tom received a master's degree from Middlebury College, and in 1972 he earned a second master's degree, this one in public administration, from Shippensburg University. His military awards included the Legion of Merit with four oak leaf clusters, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Vietnamese Cross for Gallantry, National Defense Service Medal with star, and the Parachutist and Combat Infantryman Badge.

Tom often boasted that he was an atypical Infantry officer because he never drank coffee, played golf, or fired a shot in anger. However, he was fiercely competitive and loved squash, handball, and racquetball. Intimidation was his ally, and he sometimes used his 6'1," 228-pound body to block his opponent’s vision on the court.

Everyone who knew Tom remembers his ever present 3"x 5" cards, on which he noted birthdays and special occasions, appointments, medications, and prayer requests. His priorities were God, country, and family.

In 1980, Tom retired as a colonel, and he and Betty Lou returned to their home in Alexandria, VA. Following open heart surgery in 1981, Tom began 20 years of volunteerism. He belonged to and met regularly with three men's prayer groups and was active in the National Prayer Breakfast, where his mastery of Portuguese and Spanish made him a valuable asset. He also served as a board member of the Ft. Belvoir Officer's Club. Tom visited the Oak Meadow Nursing Home weekly to chat with and read to the elderly shut ins. These visits, often with one of his grandchildren, brightened the day for everyone, and he continued them for nearly 20 years, bringing hope to many.

Tom's loyalty extended to his West Point classmates. He was program chairman for the monthly class luncheons in DC and the class scribe for several years. In retirement, he and Betty Lou also often visited their four children and 16 grandchildren at their various assignments around the globe.

After a valiant battle with cancer, Betty Lou died on 4 Apr 1992. In October 1994, Tom married Macon Fooshe, widow of classmate Jim Fooshe, and they were married until his death in June 2001. Tom cherished Macon and her children and learned a great deal about society and life in "Ole Virginia." Jim and Tom had been roommates at West Point, and Tom had served as a pallbearer at Jim’s funeral in 1976. He became the stepfather to Jim’s children, sharing with them his love for the Lord and his love of sports.

Tom brought joy to those who knew him and inspired loyalty in them. He added a sweet melody in this world. Wherever Tom worshiped, he sang in the choir. For years, he sang in the choir at the Post Chapel at Ft. Belvoir and then at Cherrydale Methodist Church in Arlington.

In addition to his wife Macon, Tom is survived by his four children: LTC (ret.) Thomas A Austin IV, ‘'75; Elizabeth S. Austin, R.N.; Nell Horn, wife of COL Carl Horn ‘'76; and LTC (Ret.) David Austin; and sixteen grandchildren. He is also survived by two stepchildren, Carter Fooshe Weeber and James Cabell Fooshe, and three step grandchildren. Additionally, he is survived by a brother, COL (Ret.) William H. Austin, USAR, and a sister, Hazel "Honey" Baker. The first chapter of Philippians says, "being confident of this very thing, that He who hath begun a good work in me will complete it until the day of Christ," and Tom's life exemplified those words. Well done, Tom, thou good and faithful servant! Death has been swallowed up in victory!

- His son

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