From a contemporary press report
Robert Patrick Tracy, 66, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who later became a civilian systems analyst, died of cancer February 15, 1999 at the Veterans Hospital at Fort Howard, Maryland.
Colonel Tracy was born in Pittston, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Pennsylvania State University.
He retired from the Air Force in 1976 after 20 years’ service, including three tours of duty in Vietnam. His work there included commanding a unit that installed and operated a radar site on the DMZ and service as senior director and tactical operations officer for the 5th Tactical Air Command at Monkey Mountain, DaNang. He received three Bronze Stars for his Vietnam service.
Other overseas posts included Japan, Libya and Turkey.
On his Air Force retirement, he settled in the Washington area and was a systems analyst for Unisys and BDM corporations until retiring in 1990.
A former resident of Vienna, Virginia, he moved to Salisbury, Maryland, two years ago.
His first wife, Kathryn Joan Halford Tracy, died in 1979.
Survivors include his wife, Joyce Tracy of Salisbury; two children from his first marriage, James E. Tracy of Bristow, Va., and Mary Claire Tracy of Falls Church; and a granddaughter.
TRACY, ROBERT PATRICK
On February 15, 1999, at Ft. Howard Medical Center. He is survived by his wife, Joyce; daughter, Mary Claire, son, James and granddaughter, Katherine. Funeral Mass will be held at Ft Myer Chapel, Arlington, VA Tuesday, March 9 at 12:45 p.m. Interment Arlington National Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Hospice Unit, US Veterans Medical Center, 9600 Northpoint Rd., Ft. Howard, MD 21052.
Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.
Reviewed by: Michael Howard