Gustave Edward Vitt – Lieuenant Colonel, United States Army

From a contemporary press report:

Gustave Edward Vitt, 91, a retired Army Signal Corps lieutenant colonel who worked for the Army as a senior military security communications readiness adviser from 1958 to 1972, died of renal failure September 6, 2000 at the Hospice of Northern Virginia. He lived in Alexandria.

During his years as a civilian Army worker, he served in the plans and programs directorate in the office of the assistant chief of staff for communications and electronics. After leaving the government, he did consulting work.

Colonel Vitt, who was born at Fort Monroe, Virginia, grew up in Annapolis,Maryland. He enlisted in the Army as a teenager and graduated from the Army Band School in Washington in 1927 and served in the Cavalry Band at Fort Riley, Kansas. He rose to master sergeant before being commissioned as a Signal Corps officer in 1941.

He later commanded the Signal Corps Officer Candidates School at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. In 1953, he was a communications officer with the U.N. Armistice Commission’s repatriation group. He retired from active duty in 1955.

Colonel Vitt had served as deacon, treasurer and organ fund manager at Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church. He had been a Scottish Rite Mason, a Shriner and a member of the Royal Order of Jesters. In retirement, he had directed and played in the Kena Temple Shrine Band, the National Concert Band of America and the Alexandria Citizens and Greenbelt bands.

Survivor include his wife of 55 years, Margaret I. Vitt of Alexandria; two sons, James M., of Charlottesville, and Gary E., of Alexandria; a brother, William, of Albuquerque; and two grandchildren.

VITT, GUSTAVE EDWARD, Lt. Col. USA (Ret.) 

On Wednesday, September 6, 2000 at Hospice of Northern Virginia, GUSTAVE E. VITT of Alexandria, VA. Husband of Margaret I. Vitt; father of Gary E. Vitt, and James M. Vitt and his wife, Dianne; brother of William Vitt. Also survived by two grandchildren, Loretta and Jordan Vitt.  Funeral services will be held on Friday, September 15 at 9 a.m. at Ft. Myer Chapel. Interment Arlington National Cemetery with full honors. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to: Hospice of Northern Virginia, P. O. Box 992, Falls Church, VA 22040; or Shriners Hospital for Children, P O. Box 456, Merrifield, VA 22116

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