Lawrence J. O’Brien – Captain, United States Army

From contemporary press report:

Services for Lawrence J. O’Brien, 81, of McLean, Virginia, formerly of Upper Montclair, New Jersey, and a former Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of ADT Security Systems, will be held in the Chapel at Arlington National Cemetery. He died Thursday, January 12, 1995, at the Hospice of Northern Virginia in Arlington.

O’Brien graduated from Georgetown University in 1935 and received his LLB from Fordham University Law School in 1940. From 1935 to 1940, he worked as a salesman for IBM.

He served in the United States Army from 1940 to 1946. As a Captain of Infantry in the 165th Infantry Regiment (the “Fighting 69th New York Regiment”) in command of a rifle company, he served 42 months in the Pacific Theater of Operations and participated in the Gilbert Islands Campaign (Makin Island), the battle of Saipan and the battle for Okinawa. He was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and the New York State Conspicuous Service Cross.

After the war, he worked for the American District Telephone Company (now known as ADT Security Systems). He became general sales manager in 1956, Secretary and Counsel in 1958, Vice President in 1962, President in 1963 and Chariman of the Board in 1971. He resigned from the ADT board in 1978.

He was a Knight of Magistral Grace of the Sovereign Military Chief of Malta, and a member of the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick. He was a member of the New york State Bar and was admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Born in New York City, he was the son of John P. O’Brien, a former mayor of New York, who was elected in 1932 to complete Mayor Jimmy Walker’s unexpired term after Walker resigned from office. He had been a resident of Upper Montclair for 45 years before moving to McLean in 1992.

Surviving are two sons, a daughter, a brother, a sister, and five grandchildren.

Note: From WWII Vintage newspaper report:

“Decorated with the army’s Silver Star for gallantry was Captain Lawrence J. O’Brien, of 40 East 75th Street. Captain O’Brien, son of former Mayor John P. O’Brien, commanded a key assault company during the bloody battle for Saipan.

February 21, 1913-January 12, 1995:

He was buried with full military honors in Section 65, Grave 2521, of Arlington National Cemetery.

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