From a contemporary press report
Laurence Whitaker Ash, 79, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and financial coordinator with Furman Builders, died of respiratory failure May 12, 1999 at Alexandria Hospital. He lived in the Mount Vernon area of Fairfax County.
Colonel Ash was a native of Iowa and a graduate of the University of Maryland and Command and General Staff College.
He served in Europe during World War II and in Japan after the war.
He also was assigned to Cambodia and to Germany, where he retired in 1964 as commanding officer of the 5339 Signal Battalion of the 7th Army.
He was a war games researcher with the CORG research company before joining Furman in 1980. He retired again in 1994.
Colonel Ash’s interests included genealogy and gardening. He was a member of the Retired Officers Association, Washington Genealogy Society, 97th Signal Battalion Association and Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Alexandria.
Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Jeanine L. Ash of Mount Vernon; two children, Joceline L. Stickney of Murphys, Calif., and Roland L. Ash of Alexandria; a brother; two sisters; and two grandchildren.
ASH, LAURENCE W., LTC, USA (Ret.)
On Wednesday, May 12, 1999, at Alexandria Hospital. Beloved husband of Jeanine L. Ash. Loving father of Joceline L. Stickney of Murphy, California and Roland L. Ash of Alexandria, Virginia. Brother of Dr. Wallace H. Ash and Rachel Dennis of Iowa and Cynthia Chick of Toledo, Ohio. Also survived by two grandchildren, Devon and Arlen. Services will be held on Thursday, May 27 at 1 p.m. at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 1301 Collingwood Rd., Alexandria, VA. Interment Arlington National Cemetery.
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