Donald A. DuBois – Colonel, United States Army

Donald A. DuBois, 67, a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel who served two tours in Vietnam and who was a life member of Post 8469 since 1994, died October 5, 2002 in Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Southbury, Maryland, 10 days after heart surgery. He was buried November 13 in Arlington National Cemetery after a memorial service at Fort Myer.

Don served 28 years in the Army Corps of Engineers, retiring in 1987. He then became an analyst with Unisys Corp. in Reston, working until his second retirement in 1997, when he and his wife Joanne moved from Fairfax to Lewes, Del., where he lived until his death.

His awards included the Purple Heart, Army Meritorious Service Medal, the Bronze Star, the Vietnam Service Medal with six stars, and the Republic of Vietnam Service Star for gallantry.

Don was born June 6, 1935 in Philadelphia and was a graduate of Bucknell University. He had a master’s degree from George Washington University. He entered military service in 1957, and besides his tours in Vietnam he served in Germany, with CincPac in Hawaii from 1973 to 1979, and at the Pentagon until his military retirement.

While living in Fairfax, he was a master of Henry Lodge 57, F&AM, and was active in Fairfax County Republican campaigns. In Lewes he was a member of American Legion Post 28 and was president of his homeowners’ association.

He is survived by his wife Joanne, whom he married in Honolulu in 1987 after separation from his first wife, Nancy Allen. There are six daughters and two sons-in-law: Christine and Thomas Devlin, of Bayside, N.Y., Linda Baltrasch of Falls Church, Katherine DuBois of McLean, Karen DuBois of Fairfax, Allison Pope of Centreville, and Kiernan and Richard Penna of Boonsboro, Md. Also surviving is a son, Daniel Kirby Pope V of Detroit, a brother, two sisters and four grandchildren.

From a contemporary press report

Retired U.S. Army Colonel Donald A. DuBois, 67 of Lewes, Delaware, died Saturday, October 5, 2002 in Peninsula Regional Medical Center, Salisbury, Maryland, with his loving family close by. He was 67.

A career officer, Colonel DuBois served 28 years in the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. He was awarded the U.S. Army Meritorious Service Medal, the U.S. Army Bronze Star and Commendation Medal, the Purple Heart, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service and Campaign Medals with six stars and the Republic of Vietnam Silver Star for Gallantry.

Colonel DuBois was a past master of Henry Lodge No. 57 A.F. & A.M. in Fairfax, Virginia.

He is survived by his wife, Jo and their children, Allison Pope of Centreville, Virginia, Kiernan and Richard Penna of Boonsboro, Maryland, and Kirby Pope of Detroit, Michigan. He is also survived by his former wife, Nancy Baltrusch and their children, Christine and Thomas Delvin of Long Island, New York, Linda Baltrusch of Falls Church, Virginia, Katherine DuBois of McLean, Virginia, and Karen duBois-Chang of Fairfax, Virginia; a brother, Robert DuBois of Orange, Florida; two sisters, Alice Min of Rehobeth Beach and Audrey Malfitano of Bridgeville, and four grandchildren. Memorial services will be begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday, November 13, in Fort Myer Chapel, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia. Burial with full military honors will follow.

Instead of flowers, the family suggest memorial contributions to Henry Lodge No. 57, P.O. Box 175, Fairfax, VA, 22030 or to Meals on Wheels of Lewes & Rehobeth Inc., 32409 Lewes-Georgetown Hwy., Lewes, Delaware 19958.

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