Louis J. Mack – Lieutenant Colonel, United States Army

From a contemporary press report:

Louis J. Mack, 84, a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel and federal traffic manager, died of heart disease February 9, 2004, at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Virginia.

Colonel Mack, a resident of McLean since 1964, was born in Philadelphia. He attended the University of Maryland.

Colonel Mack entered the Army in 1941 and served with the 2nd U.S. Horse Cavalry, now known as the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, until the outbreak of World War II. He served with the 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, and participated in combat in the Luzon campaign. After the war, Colonel Mack was assigned to the Army Transportation Corps and stationed in Germany, France, Korea and the United States.

His military decorations included the Bronze Star, Joint Services Commendation Medal and Army Commendation Medal.

After retiring from the Army in 1963, Colonel Mack began a civil service career, which included assignments as traffic manager with the Military Traffic Management Command, Navy Materiel Transportation Office and Naval Air Systems Command headquarters. He received the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award from the Naval Air Systems Command. He retired from civil service in 1983.

Colonel Mack was a member of the U.S. Horse Cavalry Association, the Retired Officers Association, the Disabled American Veterans and the U.S. Army Transportation Museum Foundation.

His son Louis J. Mack III died in 2000.

Survivors include his wife, Catharine Curry Mack of McLean; a son, Joseph G. Mack of Annandale; four daughters, Mary Louise Roe of North Potomac, Margaret Ann Benoit and Anne Marie Kelly, both of Alpharetta, Georgia, and Jeanne Marie Lieberman of Lutherville, Maryland; a brother; a sister; and 15 grandchildren.

MACK, LOUIS J.

On Monday, February 9, 2004 of McLean, Virginia. Beloved husband of Catharine Curry Mack; father of Mary Louise Roe (Jack), Margaret Benoit (Greg), Anne Kelly (Robert), Jeanne Lieberman (Art) and Joseph G. Mack (Janie); brother of Sister Anna Marie Mack, SSJ, and Vincent J. Mack. Survived by 14 grandchildren and a host of other relatives and friends.

Preceded in death by son Louis J. Mack, III and granddaughter Kathryn Roe.

Memorial Mass will be held on Thursday, April 1, 2004, at 12:45 p.m. at the Old Post Chapel, Fort Myer, VA. Interment with full military honors will follow at Arlington National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to Army Emergency Relief, in support of U.S. soldiers and their families. Donations made payable to AER may be mailed to: Army Emergency Relief, Attn: Donations, 200 Stovall St., Room 5-N-13, Alexandria, Virginia 22332-0600.

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