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MEMORIAL ARTICLE
Published Assembly Jan '96
William SacHarov Volmer No.15933 Class of 1946
Died 10 October1991 in Baltimore, Maryland, aged 69 years. Interment:
West Point Cemetery, West Point, New York.
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Bill Volmer was born on 5 October 1922 as William
Paul SacHarov in Monessen, a small Pennsylvania steel town. He
changed his name shortly after graduation from West Point. His
nephew, Ken SacHarov, recalled: "Known to many as Uncle
Bill, he served as a role model for children in the area, I was
one of these. As I have said often, 'every kid should have an
Uncle Bill.' The thing I remember most about my uncle is not
his academic, military, nor other accomplishments but his amazing
ability to attract people. He seemed to have friends everywhere;
his smile literally lit up a room, and it was contagious. Like
myself, he was of Russian descent, and I never understood why
he changed his name. I suspect that during the Cold War he felt
a Russian surname was not in the best interests of the Army he
proudly served. The town of Monessen was, and still is, proud
of his selection to attend West Point, a rarity at that time."
Bill graduated from Monessen High School in 1942
and attended Penn State University for a year before gaining
his coveted appointment to West Point. He joined the Class of
1946 on 1 July 1943.
Life as a cadet represented a big change for this
young man from a small town in Pennsylvania. Academics kept him
hard at work, but he had no problems with the Tactical Department.
His roommates remember him as quiet and reserved.
He engaged in cadet activities and headed a department on the
Howitzer staff. Upon graduation, Bill became a second lieutenant
in the Infantry.
Following graduation, Bill went to Ft. Benning,
Georgia, for basic schooling and then to Japan, where he served
as principal of a dependent school. He returned to the States
with the Recruiting Command in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
From 1949 to1953, Bill served in Trieste as a company
commander; as part of the Allied Military Government.
He married Carolyn Lawton in 1952. From Trieste,
Bill returned to Ft. Benning for the Advanced Course and then
on to Vermont as an advisor to the Army Reserves. He next went
to Korea with Eighth Army for a year and returned to Oregon as
a ROTC Instructor at Oregon State College, Corvallis, Oregon.
During that assignment he received a master's degree in Meteorology
and Oceanography.
In 1961, Bill left the Army to try his hand at
civilian life. He continued to serve his country in the Army
Reserves until his retirement in 1989. Bill moved to Baltimore
and received his doctorate in geography from Johns Hopkins University
in 1965. During that year he and Carolyn were divorced. In 1968
he gained a law degree from the Mount Vernon School of Law. He
taught at the college level and served as a management consultant
to the Maryland State Police. He also worked in the Maryland
Department of Environmental Resources. During this period, Bill
married and divorced Elizabeth Johnson.
Bill died after a long battle with cancer on 10
October1991. He is survived by a daughter, Suzanne; four sons,
Paul, William Peter, Patrick, and William Whitlock; and a brother,
Paul SacHarov.
Bill's mother died in the early 1940s, but before
she died he made two promises to her. One to graduate from West
Point, which he did. Second, to visit Russia to make contact
with family still living there. With the end of the Cold War
he was able to fulfill that promise. He was a consummate world
traveler and fluent in six languages. He made many friends in
South America, England, France, Italy, Japan, and Russia. He
corresponded with them until his death, and many visited him
in Baltimore. Classmate Bill Strudwick recalled: "He lived
very modestly and alone. He was always cheerful, interested in
the other person, and extended himself to everyone. His friends
were from every, walk of life and country. We've entertained
his friends from Brazil and Japan, who were charming, cultured
people. I will miss his warmth and cheerfulness."
Bill was proud to have graduated from West Point.
It is fitting that his final resting place is there on the banks
of the Hudson.
His family, friends, and classmates join together
to sat, "Rest in Peace, Bill!"
'46 Memorial Article Project and his daughter, Suzanne
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