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MEMORIAL ARTICLE
Published Assembly Mar '90
Theodore Robert Upland, Jr. No. 15551 Class of 1946
Died 8 June 1988 in South San Francisco, California, aged 64
years.
Interment: West Point Cemetery, West Point, New York
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Theodore Robert (Bob) Upland, Jr. was born in San
Francisco, California on 12 February 1924, son of Theodore R.
Upland, Sr. and the late Marie Upland. He attended Our Lady of
Angels Grammar School in Burlingame, California, from 1929-37,
graduating with scholarship; St. Ignatius Preparatory High School
in San Francisco from 1937-41, graduating with scholarship; and
the University of San Francisco from 1941-43. Bob was also active
in the Reserve Officer Training Corps for five years during this
period. Prior to completion of his courses at the University
of San Francisco, he was called to duty in the US Army Air Corps
Reserve from December to March 1943, followed by enlistment in
the US Army from February to July 1943.
During this time, Bob's father met the lone soldier
at dinner in a restaurant in Philadelphia after the Army-Navy
Game and, knowing his military interest and scholastic background,
urged him to enroll in West Point. Bob was accepted to the Academy
on an appointment sponsored by Congressman R. Welch (Fifth District,
California) and graduated in 1946 in the upper third of his class.
Soccer was his choice sport.
In 1949, Bob transferred to the Air Force to become
a pilot. While at Randolph Field, he finished number one in his
class of the 3525th Airborne Fighter Group Pilot Training Wing
in October 1951. Bob joined the Korean Conflict, where he completed
100 missions as flight commander and squadron operations officer
of the 7th Fighter Bomber Squadron, 49th Fighter Bomber Wing.
After' the war, he served as squadron commander and standardization
officer at Luke Air Force Base from 1953-57, and later served
in various administrative capacities, including Chief of Air
Force Intelligence and Surveillance Branch in Germany. From 1963-66
he served as assistant to the Chief, Minuteman Missile Project
Officer and Staff Development Engineer, 6595th Aerospace Test
Wing at Vandenburg Air Force Base. Major Upland retired after
twenty years and eight months of military service on the 20th
of September 1966 by reason of disability. He was commended at
his retirement for "constantly displaying a high order of
initiative, ability, resourcefulness and devotion to duty."
During his military career, Bob was presented the
following awards and decorations: Air Medal with four Oak Leaf
Clusters; Distinguished Flying Cross with one Oak Leaf Cluster;
Bronze Star Medal; World War II Victory Medal; American Campaign
Medal; Army of Occupation Medal (Germany); Korean Service Medal;
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation; United Nations
Service Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Air Force Longevity
Service Award Ribbon with four Oak Leaf Clusters; and the Air
Force Outstanding Unit Award.
After the military, he held teaching positions
at the business schools of the University of San Francisco and
Lincoln University, and later owned a consulting business.
Bob also attended graduate school, earning both
a master of arts in international relations from Stanford University
(1957-59), and a master of business administration in engineering
management from the University of Connecticut (1962~63), where
he graduated number one in his class. He also attended the University
of California at Berkeley as a student in their Ph.D. program.
Bob's five children accompanied his body from San
Francisco and composed a prayer in Bob's memory which they read
at his gravesite as he was interred. In the prayer, his children
praised the principles and honor by which Bob lived and thanked
him for instilling in them those same values. The prayer ended:
"...Though we are sad today, we are also joyous that you
have been released from your suffering.... It is only fitting
that you rest here with due respect at the institution that instilled
in you DUTY, HONOR, COUNTRY...."
Bob's father, two sisters and other relatives survive
him. In 1951 he married Patricia E. McGinn who also survives
him. All have felt a tremendous loss at his passing.
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