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MEMORIAL ARTICLE
Published Assembly Fall '69
RICHARD SHARON POHL NO. 15779 CLASS OF 1946
Died 24 June 1968 in a helicopter crash at Thieu Province,
Republic of Vietnam, aged 42 years. Interment: West Point Cemetery,
West Point, NY. |
For Richard Pohl, son of Colonel and Mrs. Herman H. Pohl, the
Army was the way of life. His father, USMA - August 1917, had
a distinguished career in the corps of Engineers. Several uncles
had careers in the Army and Navy. He and his sisters had a typical
Army upbringing with their share of changes of station. From
Fort Bragg, he entered West Point where he had spent four years
of his childhood. There he excelled as a star performer on one
of the Army's best swimming teams. In 1945, his natural style
and strength were important factors when Army dealt Yale its
first defeat in dual competition in ten years.
Following graduation in 1946, Rich became an Artilleryman.
During the next twenty two years, he added luster to a family
tradition of outstanding service combined with the enjoyment
of the finer things of life.
On the completion of the Artillery basic courses in 1947, Rich
Pohl married Anne McMorrow, who also came from an Army family.
Their life together was a happy one. They were one of the most
popular couples on every post where they served. From Fort Riley
to Japan (Rich subsequently went to Korea in 1950), back to Fort
Sill, to Germany, to Fort Leavenworth, to the Pentagon, to Panama,
to Fort Bragg, and to the Air War College, Anne and Rich Pohl
made a home in which it was always a pleasure to visit. Clare
Boonstra, present US Ambassador to Costa Rica, who served with
Rich on the staff of US Southern command in Panama, expressed
the sentiments of his many friends when he said: "Seldom
have I ever been so fond of a friend as of Rich - his kindliness,
his energy, his inquiring mind, his unfailing good humor were
such a delight to us all."
The many interests that he shared with his family included
camping, photography. astronomy (he built his own telescope),
archeology, woodbuilding, and servicing and rebuilding the family
automobile. Their four children - Sharon, Richard, Susan and
David were brought up in the manner that should insure them the
same joy and happiness that their parents knew.
Professionally, Rich Pohl was an accomplished airborne Artilleryman.
He possessed the many fine attributes of a great military leader.
He personified the qualities of integrity, loyalty, unselfishness,
confidence, and resolution. Loyalty and respect for each individual
were dear to him. He insured that his subordinates were treated
with the same consideration that he rendered his superiors. Truly
unselfish, he never thought of personal advantage, only of what
he could contribute to help his men and his unit and the units
he was supporting.
As a combat soldier, Rich Pohl was a pro, having seen some
of the toughest fighting in both Korea and Vietnam. His calmness,
knowledge, and assured manner added stability to the combat situation,
regardless of how difficult or chaotic it might be. He was an
inspiration to his men. His outstanding conduct in the heat of
battle won for him the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star
Medal (four oak leaf clusters), the Air Medal for Valor (three
oak leaf clusters), the Army Commendation Medal (two oak leaf
clusters), and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, with Silver Star.
Rich Pohl's dedication to duty and great professional competence
earned him the prized assignment of 101st Airborne Division Artillery
Commander in July 1967. Knowing that deployment to Vietnam was
imminent, he worked selflessly to prepare his officers and men
for combat. This was a team effort, for Rich and Anne worked
to make the many families of the Division Artillery officer's
feel welcome and at home at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. They engendered
an esprit that really paid off for the conduct of the 101st Airborne
Division Artillery in Vietnam under Rich Pohl's command was outstanding.
A fellow commander in Vietnam describes him as a leader whose
adaptable, wide ranging talents were a source of inspiration
to all who knew him, and above all, as a leader who left numberless
loyal friends at all levels of his command and of the commands
with which he worked.
On 30 September 1968, at the dedication of Pohl Bridge across
the Huong River in Nam Hoa District, Thieu Thein, South Vietnam,
close to where Rich was killed, Major General Melvin Zais, Commanding
General of the 101st Airborne Division, said: "Colonel Pohl
was an extremely able, sincere, and dedicated Army Officer. His
twenty-two years of military service reflect his dedication to
his country, his high sense of honor, and his complete devotion
to his soldierly duties. This remarkable and brilliant officer
was truly destined for very high positions of responsibility
in the Army.
"His loss has been deeply felt by the 101st Airborne Division,
the Army and his Vietnamese comrades. He loved the people and
soldiers of the Vietnamese province in which he worked. It was
his belief that we must free the people from aggression so that
they may press ahead with the task of building their nation.
"His service in Vietnam impressed upon the minds and hearts
of all the men who knew him, that he was brave, honest, and gallant.
Colonel Pohl will always be remembered as an outstanding American
soldier, a gentleman, and a friend of the Vietnamese people.
This bridge will help his memory to live."
Those of us who knew Rich Pohl will always remember him as
calm, imperturbable, self-contained, and happy. He was unselfish,
a sincere friend, a devoted husband, a deeply dedicated father,
and a truly outstanding Army Officer. On the day of his death
in Vietnam he was doing what he was trained to do - doing what
he wanted to do.
General Andrew P. O'Meara, who was Rich's boss for three years,
best expressed the feelings of all of us who knew him when in
writing to Anne last July he said of Rich: "He was at the
height of his powers, doing a job for which he was superbly equipped,
and doing it in a fashion which was recognized as magnificent
both by his superiors and his subordinates. The future was bright
indeed and the present was full of satisfaction."
Rich Pohl will be sorely missed, but the high ideals by which
he lived and the shining example he set will provide undying
inspiration to all who knew him.
Colonel Kenneth C. Van Auken
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