Roger selected Coast Artillery for the anti-aircraft specialty and was soon put on a fast track for radar skill, with further schooling at Harvard and MIT. He served in the 131st and 546th AAA AW Battalions in the ETO until late 1945, eventually becoming the CO of the latter. A series of theater support jobs followed and then the 1st Constabulary Squadron at Kassel. But engineering had attracted him and Roger transferred to the Corps of Engineers in April 1946 and returned to the States.

With summer sessions studying at Columbia, Roger taught geography, history, and modern government to second classmen at West Point, a tour he considered stimulating. In 1954, his graduate schooling was supplemented by an MS in civil engineering from the University of Illinois, and that set an assignment path both in and out of the service. Between the USMA assignment and earning his MS, he served two years in Austria with a construction battalion and two years in Leghorn as resident engineer and plans officer.

Then came Belvoir with nuclear planning at the labs there, followed by two and a half years in Taiwan. Part of this year was spent in construction for U.S. forces there, and part as Engineer Advisor to the Chinese First Field Army. Fort Leonard Wood came next — plans officer for the brigade there. After a year in a construction unit and as Chief of the Engineering Section in the 7th Log Command, Roger returned to Fort Benning as family housing officer. It was there he approached his 20-year career mark and a crisis point, which changed his professional direction.

Roger and Betty (Beatrice Dalrymple) had married on graduation day. Gail and Sally were born at West Point; Frederick and Roger D. came along later. But by the time Roger returned from Korea on a curtailed tour because of family problems, a divorce was looming and he soon became sole parent for the four children, the last quite young. The Army of that day was not constructed for single parents and Roger felt strongly that his sense of duty and his family requirements were incompatible. Accordingly, he retired, and sought in civil life the same kind of work that he had done in the Army. For several years he was the Director of Public Works for the City of Maitland, Florida. He was particularly active in planning for the new Sewer District in the area and in pushing its adoption through the City Council. That done, in May 1966 he resigned from that with the commendation and reluctance of the Council. His resignation was prompted by the opportunity to acquire the post of Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds at Rollins College, a post he held until 1970.

Not only was the Rollins job in line with his extensive post engineer experience, but the two daughters enrolled there. Gail graduated in 1970 and Sally in 1971.

From this point, Roger’s health began to deteriorate. But he had shepherded his family through their youth and seen two daughters graduate from college. He died on 15 July 1973 from what appeared to be a stroke and is buried in Arlington among his fellow veterans of World War II. We have lost a classmate whose dedication to country for 20 years was matched by dedication to family for the next ten. RIP, good soldier.

Roger is survived by Gail (now Mrs. James Campana); by Sally (now Mrs. Takesh Yamagashi); by Frederick, who served in the Air Force for some time; and by young Roger, who served in the Army for six years. At his death he also was survived by his sisters Edith Stroback, Isabel Shreve, and Alice Spiegelberg.

— WAK, KAG & REB