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MEMORIAL ARTICLE
Published Assembly Nov '99
PATRICK JOSEPH O'CONNOR * '46
No. 15918 * 4 Oct 1920 - 12 Jan 1999
Died in Arlington, VA * Interred in West Point Cemetery, West
Point, NY
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Patrick Joseph O'Connor was born and raised in
Chicago, IL. He attended Catholic schools and graduated from
St. Mells Catholic Boys High School. ROTC at St. Mells stirred
a latent patriotism in Pat that convinced him to enter military
service. He spent a year with the 32nd Division Illinois National
Guard. That experience made him decide he wanted to go to West
Point. He attended Millard's Prep School and joined the Class
of 1946 at West Point on 1 July 1943.
Cadet life provided no particular problems for
Pat. Company mate, Bill Schneider recalled: "All of us were
serious in those days because there was a war on and we were
going to be part of it. Pat, if anything, was more serious than
the rest of us. He was not a goat but he was always helping his
fellow almost goats. He worked hard the whole time and always
bore a serious mien." At graduation, Pat became a second
lieutenant in the Field Artillery.
After basic artillery schooling, Pat was assigned
to the 674 Airborne FA Battalion, 11th Airborne Division in Japan.
He was proud to have been selected as the 11th Airborne Division
Artillery jumpmaster. Back in the States, Pat went to the Artillery
Advanced Officer's Course and then was assigned to the 1st Guided
Missile Group at Fort Bliss, TX. He was one of the first officers
selected to attend the coveted yearlong Guided Missile Officer's
Course, a distinct honor. Pat did so well that he was then assigned
to the Staff & Faculty, Antiaircraft Artillery & Guided
Missile School at Fort Bliss. From Fort Bliss, Pat became S-3
of the 97th Artillery Group in Okinawa in 1959. Still a bachelor,
Pat had his widowed mother join him to act as his hostess. This
arrangement was to continue for the rest of his active duty.
Next it was C&GSC, then Pat was assigned to
Hqs. Air Defense Command in CO Springs, CO in 1961. His next
assignment was to Hqs. European Command in Paris. Pat was the
designated staff officer in the European Theater to authorize
positioning of air defense special weapons, monitor special weapons
programs and assist the component commands in selection, evaluation
and certification of storage facilities. He was awarded the Joint
Service Commendation Medal for this service. When he returned
to the States in 1966, Pat was assigned to the Office of the
Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Department of the Army, where
he was responsible for reviewing plans for the North American
Air Defense and Continental Air Defense Commands.
Pat's unremitting serious application of effort
to his assignments began to trouble him his last two years on
active duty resulting in serious ulcers. So, he retired in 1968
as a Lieutenant Colonel. His mother died in March of 1969. Pat
made the decision to have the first of two extremely difficult
surgeries. The second took place at the Mayo Clinic after two
years recuperation from the first. That period, from 1968 to
1977 was the most difficult of his life. Even when recuperating
from his surgeries, Pat continued his ideal of service. He reached
out to help the elderly in Northern Virginia and was given a
special award at the White House for his efforts.
In 1976, Pat met Margaret Hamilton in a dancing
class. She convinced Pat to study seriously and get an advanced
degree. He received his Masters in Management & Supervision
from Central Michigan University in 1980. Pat and Margaret were
married in 1982.
Pat joined Computer Science Corporation in 1982
as a senior engineer. His marriage to Margaret was amicably ended
in 1984. They remained devoted, caring friends. Pat married a
lady he had dated as a cadet, Betty Kwast in 1985. This union
was dissolved in 1987 and Pat resumed his single life. It seems
his many years of bachelorhood made him unsuited for married
life. Pat retired from Computer Science Corporation in 1990.
Patrick J. O'Connor died at his home from cardiac
arrest on 12 January 1999. Survivors include his sister, Dorothy
and brother, Father John O'Connor.
Pat O'Connor lived a life of service to his country
and to his fellow man. He gave unstintingly of himself on active
duty, civilian life and to those less fortunate. Duty, Honor,
Country were not just words to Pat; they represented his outlook
on life. He was a great example of what a West Pointer was supposed
to be. He did exceptionally well in all his endeavors because
he always gave them his utmost efforts. Pat was a generous, kind
and sensitive man who was loved and admired by all who knew him.
Classmate and coworker at Computer Science Corporation, Bob Storm,
wrote: "I feel privileged to have been his comrade in arms,
coworker, friend and confidant these many years."
Pat will be sorely missed and his friends and classmates
know that the world is a better place because he was here with
them. The Class of 1946 is proud to honor our classmate with
the words that would mean so much to him: "Well Done, Pat;
Be Thou At Peace!"
'46 Memorial Article Project
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