Arthur I. Mahler – Lieutenant Colonel, United States Army

From a contemporary press report:

Arthur I. Mahler, 80, an Army lieutenant colonel who retired from the Medical Service Corps in 1965, died of pulmonary fibrosis January 15, 1999 at Columbia Reston Hospital Center.

On his military retirement, Colonel Mahler founded Masar Industries and M&K Construction in Fairfax County.

Since then, he had been in the residential construction business in Northern Virginia.

Colonel Mahler, a resident of Fairfax, was born in Rupert, Idaho, and he graduated from the University of Idaho with a degree in pharmacy.

On December 8, 1941, the day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the United States into World War II, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. Later during the war, he served as a medical supply officer for Merrill’s Marauders in the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations.

Postwar assignments included duty in Binghamton, N.Y., Germany, Fort Belvoir and Okinawa. He had served at the Walter Reed Institute of Research in Washington and had been the Army representative to the Tri Service Procurement Board.

In 1962, he settled in the Washington area.

He was an amateur radio operator with the call letters K4HAM. He played a guitar and a harmonica, and he composed music. His avocations included fishing, wildlife and nature, which was reflected in his paintings and photographs.

Survivors include his wife of 51 years, Mary Ann Mahler of Fairfax; six children, Brian A. Mahler of Oakton, Marcia A. Mahler of Fairfax, Gregory Sarley Mahler of Dewey Beach, Del., Deborah Thompson of Harrisonburg, Va., Rebecca Brown of Potomac and Joel Sarley Mahler of Centreville; four brothers; 10 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

MAHLER, ARTHUR I. Lt. Col. USA (Ret.)

On January 15, 1999, at the Reston Hospital, ARTHUR I. MAHLER, of Fairfax, VA, husband of Mary Ann Mahler; father of Dr. Brian A. Mahler, Marcia Mahler, Gregory Sarley, Deborah Thompson, Rebecca Brown and Joel Sarley; brother of Katherine Knopp, Rose Surmont, Edward, Lud, Ben and John Mahler. Also survived by ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.  Interment Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors at 1 p.m. The family requests that contributions be made to the American Lung Association.

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