From a contemporary press report:
Hermann W.W. “Bill” Lange, 86, a retired Army colonel who had lived in the Fairfax Military Community at Fort Belvoir for the past decade while researching Vietnam War records in the Washington area, died of a heart ailment October 18, 2001, at DeWitt Army Hospital.
Colonel Lange, who was born in Cumberland, Maryland, was a graduate of Yale University. He received a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard University and studied international relations at George Washington University.
He was commissioned in 1939. During World War II, he served in the Mediterranean and European theaters, serving as an artillery battalion commander in the 9th Infantry Division and as an aide to Army General J. Lawton Collins.
After the war, Colonel Lange attended and taught at the Army War College and was a military adviser in Cambodia and South Vietnam.
His last assignments before retiring from active duty in 1970 were as a military attache and military adviser in Paris.
His decorations included the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart and the Air Medal.
His marriage to Jean Lange ended in divorce.
Survivors include his wife, Liliane, of the Fairfax; three children from his first marriage, Gusty Ettlinger of New York and Karl and Mary Lou Lange, both of Connecticut; a stepdaughter, Christiane Calcinotto of New York; and two grandchildren.
LANGE, HERMAN W.W., COL, US Army (Ret.)
On Thursday, October 18, 2001, at DeWitt Army Community Hospital. Husband of Liliane S. Lange; father of Gusty Lange Ettlinger, Mary Lou Lange and Karl D. Lange. Also survived by a step-daughter, Christiane Calcinotto; and two grandchildren, Dylan and Chelsea Lange Ettlinger. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, November 21 at 11 a.m. at Fort Myer Chapel. Interment Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to The Pentagon Relief Fund
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