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MEMORIAL ARTICLE
Published Assembly Sep '91
Herbert Hesselton Flather, Jr. No. 15635
Class of 1946 Died 15 May 1973 In Portsmouth, New Hampshire,
aged 47 years. Interment: West Point Cemetery, West Point,
New York. |
Known to his family and friends
as "Herb," Herbert Hesselton Flather, Jr. was born
6 September 1925 in Nashua, New Hampshire and his New England
heritage was to remain with him all his life. His grandfather
was an industrialist who built machine tools including Flather
lathes, well-known in that part of the country prior to World
War II. An excellent high school athlete, Herb loved contact
sports and his driving ambition was to attend West Point. This
desire was accentuated when his father became a naval officer
in World War II. Herb attended Millard's Preparatory School
in Washington, DC his senior year in high school, but returned
to New Hampshire to graduate with his class in Nashua. His ambition
was realized when he entered West Point on 1 July 1943 with the
Class of 1946.
Herb had little trouble with either academics or discipline
as a cadet and enjoyed playing intramural football, lacrosse
and ice hockey. One of his roommates, Harry Roddenberry, recalls
that Herb had a great aptitude for academics and could cope with
any problem. He displayed characteristics as a cadet that were
to be the hallmarks of his career as an officer: a determination
to master whatever came up, a keen sense of humor and a willingness
to help anyone who asked. Herb wanted to fly but could not pass
the eye exam, so he decided to go into the Infantry and get his
parachute wings.
Herb attended basic schooling after graduation leave at the
Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia. Following this, Herb
attended jump school and gained his parachute wings. From Fort
Benning, Herb traveled to Austria for his first duty assignment
as a company officer in the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry and
later in the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry. He returned to CONUS
in 1950 and was assigned to the newly activated 188th Airborne
Infantry at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Herb supervised the administrative
staff processing reservists called up for the Korean War. His
staff was primarily locally hired females. Herb decided to pick
out the best looking lady in the group and date her. This was,
of course, Leta, Herb's bride-to-be. John Stratis recalls that
after Herb's first date with Leta, he didn't see too much of
him anymore. On 6 October 1951, Herb married Mary Leta Hamby
at Princeton, Kentucky.
After processing reservists for several months, Herb became
a company commander in the 2nd Battalion, 188th Air-borne Infantry.
At one time the regimental commander urged all company commanders
to improve attendance at chapel services. Herb exhorted his men
to no avail, but when the pressure from above continued to mount,
Herb took action. On one Sunday morning he had a company formation
in Class A uniform and marched his entire unit to the Post Chapel,
much to the chagrin of his commanding officer. As John Stratis
said, "If you gave Herb a job to do, you could rely on its
getting done." Herb was not a passive Infantryman,
yet he was steady and aggressive in an unassuming way.
From Fort Campbell, Herb and Leta went to Fort Benning where
Herb attended the Advanced Infantry Officers Course. In 1953,
Herb was assigned to Korea, first with the 3rd Battalion, 38th
Infantry and then with Headquarters, IX Corps. His next assignment
was as assistant professor of Military Science and Tactics at
Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. From Maine, he was assigned
to the 2nd Armored Battalion, 48th Infantry, 3rd Armored Division
in Germany. Herb, who served in both airborne and armored divisions,
said that he enjoyed his troop assignment with the 3rd Armored
Division more than any other during his career.
From the 3d Armored, Herb attended Command and General Staff
College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and remained as an instructor.
While at C&GSC he received a Master of Arts degree in history
and education from the University of Missouri. From Kansas, Herb
was assigned to Headquarters, MACV in Saigon and after a year
in Vietnam, he returned to CONUS to serve with the National Guard
Bureau. In 1969, Herb and Leta journeyed to Durham, New Hampshire
where Herb became the professor of Military Science and Tactics
at the University of New Hampshire. He was instrumental in turning
around the ROTC program, reconstructing the program to meet the
university's needs, gaining academic credit for his students
and making the transition to the volunteer Army concept
Herb served almost four years at UNH. It was during the latter
part of this tour that it was discovered he had cancer. His condition
deteriorated to the point that he was transported to Walter Reed
Medical Center in Washington, DC and retired early in 1973. Herb's
friend and classmate, Harry Floyd, visited Herb several times
a week and supplemented his hospital diet with a little Baskin-Robbins.
Even though in extreme pain, Herb was in good spirits and told
Harry and his wife Ann that he just knew everything would be
fine and he would be getting back to New Hampshire soon. His
major concern was for Leta and their children.
Sadly, Herb died on 15 May 1973, shortly after he arrived
back in his native New England. He was survived by his wife Leta;
four children, Herbert H., Elizabeth W., John H., and Robert
H.; his mother; a brother, Richard (USMA'53) and a sister, Mary.
Herb received his 3rd Legion of Merit posthumously for his achievements
at the University of New Hampshire.
In honor of Herb's contribution to the UNH ROTC Program, an
award was established to be presented annually to the squad in
the Army ROTC Company attaining the highest overall score in
the military stakes competition. The first "Colonel Herbert
H. Flather Award" was presented in May 1974. It is fitting
that an award was designed to honor Herb Flather. Those who knew
him remember him as a truly good person, a true gentleman and
a straight arrow. He was a soldier's soldier. A really great
troop commander, he was straightforward and enjoyed working with
his men. He has been described as a typical New Englander-somewhat
rough and crusty on the outside but easy to be with when with
friends. As one fellow soldier put it, "If I had an interior
unit in combat, I would want someone like Herb protecting my
flank--you could always count on his being at the right place
at the right time."
A loving husband and father, Herb was devoted to his family
and his concern for them was paramount in his scheme of life.
His family, friends and classmates will always remember Herbert
H. Flather as a dedicated soldier and a son of West Point who
truly lived the motto Duty, Honor, Country. His family and classmates
join in saying, "Well done, Herb. Be Thou At Peace!"
'46 Memorial Article Project and his wife Leta
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