Grombacher, Gerd S. (36730162): Difference between revisions

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'''[[Grombacher, Gerd S. (36730162)|Gerd S. Grombacher]]''' (1923–2006) was a Ritchie Boy (from Germany; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 18 and served with IPW Team 100;185.

"Hank" Hauser was a Ritchie Boy. Hauser was born May 18, 1918 in Kerrville, Texas. He was educated in Kerrville schools and graduated from Tivy High School in Kerrville in 1937. He attended Texas A&M University on a football scholarship where he was an All-American guard and tackle play-ing on A&M's undefeated and untied National Championship Team of 1939. He played in both the Sugar and Cotton Bowls during his four years at Texas A&M University. He also lettered in golf while at Texas A&M University. His Texas A&M University Class of 1941 was commissioned 2nd Lieutenants and ordered immediately to active duty in June 1941. Hauser was commissioned an infantry officer and was sent to Camp Wolters, Texas. While there, he met and married the Commander's daughter, Jane Freeman. During World War II, he served on General Douglas MacArthur's Staff in the South Pacific Theater of Operations. He had duty assignments at Camp Wolters, Texas, Camp Ritchie, Maryland, Ft. Riley, Kansas, and United Forces in Austria, Ft. Holibird, Maryland, and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and at Ft. Huachuca, Az., where he retired as a Colonel on June, 1, 1961. Hauser served with the Army Electronic Proving Ground and was responsible for the testing and evaluation of airborne day and night surveillance radar systems, and for day and night infrared photographic systems for the SD-1, SD-2, SD-3 drone aircraft, and the Army's Mohawk aircraft. As a surveillance image interpreter and a photometrical engineer, he evaluated the imagery derived from aerial surveillance. He was instrumental to the Pentagon and to President Kennedy in identifying and locating Soviet missiles during the Cuba Missile Crisis. He spent the last three years of his civil service career under General Gerd Grombacher for the Army's SAFEGUARD Program. "Hank," as his many family, friends, and colleagues affectionately knew him, attended several military schools including the Commanding General Staff College in 1943. After his military career, he served in Civil Service for 12 1/2 years retiring on June 1, 1973. His military decorations included the Bronze Star, three Army Commendation Medals, the American Defense Medal, and the Philippine Liberation Medal with two Campaign Stars, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the Army CG-4 Glider Badge. He also received numerous citations and letters over his two careers. Hank received many lifetime achievement awards and recognitions for his Masonic and Shrine work. He was selected for induction into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame Class of 2003. Army Retired) Henry F. "Hank" Hauser died December 18, 2006, at the age of 88.

* Camp Ritchie class roster (classes 1–31), merged research file