Leon John Fishkin – Colonel, United States Army

From a contemporary press report:

Leon John Fishkin, 86, a retired Army Colonel who was also an official of federal emergency preparedness programs, died of congestive heart failure July 19, 2000, at Inova Alexandria Hospital.

Colonel Fishkin, an Arlington resident, was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He was a graduate of the University of Maryland, where he also received a master’s degree in political science. As a young man, he was a violinist with the Newark (New Jersey) Civic Symphony Orchestra and contributing music editor of the Newark Evening News.

He began his military career during World War II, serving in North Africa and Europe. After spending three years as a commissioned officer in the Army Signal Corps, his assignments in the 1950s included chief of the telecommunications branch at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Paris. He retired in 1966 as chief of information at the Military District of Washington.

After that, he was assistant to the director of telecommunications management in the Office of Emergency Planning and an aide to the secretary of the Interior Department. He retired from the Energy Department as director of the emergency preparedness program for electric power and solid fuels industries.

His military decorations included the Legion of Merit, four Bronze Stars and two Army Commendation Medals.

He was a past eucharistic minister and parish council president at St. Stephen-Martyr Catholic Church in Washington. His marriage to Adele Fishkin ended in divorce.

Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Madeleine Darmendrail Fishkin of Arlington, and their children, Joelle Madeleine Fishkin of Burke, Michael P. Fishkin of Washington, Daniel P. Fishkin of Alexandria and Lee John Fishkin of Charlotte; and three grandchildren. A son, Terry David Fishkin, died in 1972.

FISHKIN, LEON JOHN

• COL   US ARMY
• WORLD WAR II, KOREA
• DATE OF BIRTH: 08/24/1913
• DATE OF DEATH: 07/19/2000
• BURIED AT: SECTION 7A  SITE 178-D
• ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

FISHKIN, TERRY DAVID

• DATE OF BIRTH: 07/28/1954
• DATE OF DEATH: 06/09/1972
• BURIED AT: SECTION 7A  SITE 178-D
• ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
• SON (MINOR CHILD) OF FISHKIN, LEON J , COL US ARMY

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