Lawrence Charles Oesterich – Commander, United States Navy

From a contemporary press report:

Lawrence Charles Oesterich, 84, a retired United States Navy Commander in the Supply Corps, died of cancer on November 1, 2002 at his daughter’s home in Palo Alto, California.

Commander Oesterich was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he received a BA degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1941.

Joining the Navy shortly after graduation, he served on the destroyer USS Bancroft in the Pacific Ocean during World War II.

Other significant events in his naval career included obtaining an MBA Degree from the University of Michigan in 1955, and playing an instrumental role in the development and deployment of the Polaris Submarine Program. Navy service brought him to Washington, DC in 1956, and Fairfax County, Virginia remained his home until 2001.

His wife of 46 years, Rose Marie Oesterich, died in 1993. He is survived by his daughter, Leona McCabe; his son, Lawrence Oesterich, Jr.; and seven grandchildren. The funeral service will be held on Monday, December 16, at 1:00 p.m. at the Fort Myer Chapel, followed by internment with Full Military Honors at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, a donation to your favorite charity would be appreciated by the family.

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