Frank Buford Bowen – Lieutenant Colonel, United States Army

From a contemporary press report:

Frank Buford Bowen, 86, an Army lieutenant colonel who retired in 1954 from an infantry posting in Germany and later was a programmer, died October 1, 1999 at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital. He had diabetes.

Colonel Bowen, a Rockville resident, was born in Richmond and was raised in Burgaw, North Carolina. He was a graduate of North Carolina State University.

He served in the D-Day invasion of Europe during World War II and in Korea during the Korean War. He later retired from the Army Reserve. After he left active duty, he was a stocks and bonds salesman and a computer programmer with IBM.

His military honors included a Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

Colonel Bowen was a director of the Northern American Lilly Society and president of the Potomac chapter. He founded several investment clubs and was president of the Washington Council of the National Association of Investment Clubs. He was also a 32nd degree Mason and a deacon and elder in Rockville Presbyterian Church.

Survivors include his wife, Vicki E. Bowen of Rockville; two daughters, Diana Bowen Kilcullen of Vienna and Valerie Bowen Price of North Quincy, Mass.; a sister; and four grandchildren.

BOWEN, FRANK BUFORD (Age 86)

On Friday, October 1, 1999, of Rockville, MD, beloved husband of Vicki E. Bowen; loving father of Valerie Bowen Price and Diana Bowen Kilcullen; loving brother of Mary Bowen Caputo. Also survived by four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Friends will be received at Rockville Presbyterian Church, 215 W. Montgomery Ave., Rockville, MD 20850, on Monday, October 4, from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m., where service will be held on Tuesday, October 5, at 2 p.m. Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery, with Full Military Honors, on Wednesday, October 13, at 3 p.m. Everyone attending should meet at the Administration Building at 2:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Rockville Presbyterian Church Memorial Fund.

Michael Robert Patterson

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