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MEMORIAL ARTICLE
Published Assembly Jul '93
Francs Albert Richter No.15752 Class of 1946
Died 28 June 1991 in Somerville, Massachusetts, aged 66 years.
Interment: Post Cemetery, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. |
Francis Albert (Frank) Richter was born 5 September
1924 in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan. His father was a civil
engineer, so the family moved from time to time to accommodate
his profession. Frank and his family moved to Jackson, Michigan
when he was in the seventh grade. He attended Jackson High School,
where he quarterbacked the school team. Frank was a member of
the student council and was very active in school politics. His
senior year he was elected school president. After graduating
from high school, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and was given
the opportunity to take the examination for West Point. His father
had been a Marine in World War I, so Frank was more than pleased
when his appointment came through and he joined the Class of
'46 at West Point on 1 July 1943.
Frank had little trouble as a cadet. Discipline
was no problem, and he managed to stay comfortably proficient
in academics. Although too small for varsity football, he excelled
in intramural sports, particularly football. One of his roommates,
Keith Zimmerman, remembered that Frank joked easily and had a
temper, but always managed to keep it under control when dealing
with upperclassmen. He often talked himself out of trouble as
a plebe with his innocent, country boy approach. He made friends
easily and was well known and liked by his classmates. Frank
pinned on second lieutenant bars and Infantry brass at graduation.
Following graduation, Frank traveled to Fort Benning,
Georgia for basic schooling. His first troop assignment was with
the 15th Constabulary Squadron in Germany. From Germany he returned
to Fort Bragg, North Carolina as Company Commander in an Airborne
Infantry Regiment and then with a Tank Battalion. About this
time, Frank transferred from Infantry to Armor. In addition to
changing branches, he also changed his marital status, marrying
Mary Barbara Swart in Grand Rapids, Michigan on 29 December 1951.
From Fort Bragg, the Richters moved to Fort Knox, Kentucky, where
Frank taught at the Armor School. Frank next went to Korea with
the G-2 Section, Eighth Army, followed shortly by a transfer
to Japan, again with G-2. In 1959, Frank attended Georgia Institute
of Technology in Atlanta, where he earned his Master's in Electrical
Engineering. From Georgia, the Richters traveled to Fort Leavenworth,
Kansas, where Frank attended the Command and General Staff College.
Immediately after graduating from C&GSC, Frank
went to Headquarters, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command,
Fort Monroe, Virginia. Shortly thereafter, he became part of
the original cadre of the newly formed Test and Evaluation Command
(TECOM) at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Brigadier General
I. R. Obenchain was Director of Electronic Testing at TECOM when
Frank was there and recalled: "Frank was the most outstanding
Army officer who ever worked for me and he became a most valued
friend. Frank was brilliant, diligent, personable, absolutely
dependable, a tough negotiator (being assigned to TECOM required
a great deal of negotiating) and consistently displayed a good
sense of humor and always maintained his 'cool.' In addition,
Frank was blessed by having a wonderful family. On several occasions,
I attempted (later) to have Frank reassigned so we could work
together again. I was unsuccessful in this, as he was always
too much in demand."
In 1965, Frank went to Vietnam, where he was Senior
Intelligence Advisor to the First Vietnamese Corps. He also served
as Chief of the Joint U.S. Vietnamese Intelligence Coordinating
Committee in the I Corps area. He returned to the States assigned
back to TECOM as Test Director for the Defense Communications
Planning Group effort. A member of Frank's team at that time
was Lieutenant Colonel John A. Hesterly, who wrote: "Frank
Richter was assigned the responsibility of testing a wide variety
of surveillance and sensory equipment simultaneously, and he
was given a reduced time span in which to accomplish this task.
He decided to bring together a test team from throughout TECOM.
Frank recognized that the stern, military approach wasn't appropriate
in this matter, so he developed the 'Richter Method'. This was
a gentle approach for those striving to do a good job, a counseling
ear for those carrying more than their share of the load and
a 'kick in the pants' for the appropriate individuals. "Frank's
leadership culminated in a diverse testing organization at Yuma
Proving Ground, Arizona in early 1967. This test was accomplished
with a great degree of success that resulted in new surveillance
and sensor devices being deployed to Vietnam long before anyone
expected. All of these devices were sensational and welcome.
I feel strongly that many Americans were saved as a result of
this test. This may be one of the most important legacies of
Frank Richter."
In 1968, Frank joined the Army Materiel Command
as senior AMC member of the XI Tank Task Force. He returned to
TECOM in 1972 as Director of Electronic Materiel Testing and
retired from the Army as a colonel in 1976.
Following retirement from active duty, Frank established
his own business in which he worked as a financial manager. Frank
later joined his classmate Brigadier General John C. Burney in
The Burney Company as a senior portfolio manager. Frank was on
a business trip in Massachusetts when he suffered a heart attack
and died. He is survived by his wife Barbara; two sons, Robert
J. and Michael E.; three daughters, Margaret, Emily, and Christine;
two brothers, James and Robert; and a sister, Joan.
Frank Richter was a man of the highest integrity.
He cared for his family and looked after them, yet he gave them
the strength to carry on when the time came. His family remembers
the jokes he used to make up and test on the family. Frank was
always kind and charitable toward people. He was generous to
a fault, always giving the other person the benefit of the doubt.
He is remembered fondly by all who had the privilege of knowing
him. John Hesterly remembers: "I learned to know Frank Richter.
He was a proud man. His pride in graduating from West Point was
never forceful but always present. He didn't need prodding to
tell you about his family. In the final analysis, Frank Richter
was a wonderfully successful man. His youth was enjoyable, West
Point was his joy, and his family was his ecstasy. He was a successful
man and father. Frank Richter achieved his lifetime goals."
General Obenchain closed his letter with: "I miss Frank
very much. I have been unable to write this letter without renewed
sadness and a very large lump in my throat..."
Frank's son Robert eloquently expressed the feelings
of Frank's family and friends: "When we think of our dad,
we think of a man who grew to love and cherish his family more
than anything else in his life, We think of a man who watched
over us with such unyielding strength and support that there
was no obstacle we could not conquer with his help. He went beyond
words and expressed his love for us in actions. He always put
every effort into understanding and caring for us, and he went
to every length to help us. Dad, we hope we have made you proud.
We promise to utilize what you have taught us to bring goodness
to the world. Your are and always will be a great and very dear
person to us. We feel strong from your strength, proud from your
pride and confident from your confidence. Dad, we are proud of
you."
To those remarks that would have made Frank Richter
so happy, the Class of 1946 can only add, "Well Done, Frank;
Be Thou At Peace."
'46 Memorial Project and his wife, Barbara
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