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| Vol. 17, No. 14 | Dec. 11, 1997 |
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| Vol. 17, No. 14 | Dec. 11, 1997 |
Six of the 1997 inductees of the UD ROTC Hall of Heroes, with Lt. Col. Paul W. Thorson (left), chairperson of military science and president of the Fightin' Blue Hen Battalion Alumni Association, are (from left) Col. Arthur F. Krause; Brig. Gen. Edwin W. Thompson; Col. William H. Francisco; Col. Paul W. Hamblin; 1st Lt. John R. Fenimore Jr.; and Col. Norman F. Lord (all retired).Eleven University of Delaware alumni, who graduated from Army ROTC and went on to distinguished military careers, were inducted into the Fightin' Blue Hen Battalion Hall of Heroes last month in Mechanical Hall, home of the Department of Military Science.
Framed photographs of each inductee and a volume including biographical resumes are on display at the ROTC headquarters building.
To qualify for election to the Hall of Heroes, alumni must have received a commission from the University's ROTC program or one of its predecessors, and have one or more significant personal or professional achievements. These can include earning the Medal of Honor or other combat decorations, election to a state or national office, achieving a leadership position in an organization or corporation, recognition for state or national service or other professional contributions.
The 1997 inductees include
Adams was commissioned a second lieutenant, Coast Artillery Reserve, upon completion of the ROTC program in May 1936.
In May, 1938, he was appointed to Battery A, 261st Coast Artillery (HD) Delaware Army National Guard. He entered federal service in January 1941 and served as a battery commander at Fort DuPont and Fort Miles, Delaware.
Later, he joined the staff and faculty of the Coast Artillery School at Fort Monroe, Va., serving as technical adviser to the Signal Corps preparing Army training films.
Adams returned to the Delaware Army National Guard in 1946 and served in many roles.
He was made brigadier general in 1967 and was retired as a major general from the Delaware Army National Guard in 1975.
Among his decorations and awards are the American Defense Service medal, the Delaware Medal for Military Merit with three stars, the Delaware Conspicuous Service Cross and the National Guard Bureau Meritorious Service award.
Brig. Gen. Crothers served in both World War I and World War II.
In World War I, he was a lieutenant with an engineering regiment in France and also, for a short time, was stationed on the Mexican border.
In World War II, he was a district port commander in England and carried out the early phases of the Normandy Invasion, actions for which he received the Army Legion of Merit. He also served as commander of ports in Cherbourg, France and Bremen, Germany, where he was awarded the Bronze Star.
After World War II, he returned to the South Jersey Port Authority. In 1946, he became director of the Port of Boston. In 1949, he joined the Delaware River Port Authority and retired in 1960.
Fenimore entered advanced ROTC in September 1941. In May 1943, he was sent to Camp Davis Antiaircraft Officer Candidate School in North Carolina where he received his commission in May 1944.
He served with the 304th Infantry Regiment of the Third Army and was stationed in Germany. He also was stationed in England and France. He served in the Battle of the Bulge and was awarded three Battle Stars, the Combat Infantry badge, a Silver Star and the Purple Heart.
Fenimore demonstrated his heroism in Germany when he spotted an enemy unit attempting to withdraw on the left flank of his battalion's objective. He immediately formed a patrol and moved forward boldly, despite concentration of enemy fire. The patrol succeeded in capturing the entire garrison, thus assuring its ultimate goal. He earned the Silver Star for his actions.
He later worked in engineering for various companies from 1946 to 1957, when he secured a position in the Engineering Department of the Lynchburg Foundry, Division of Mead Corp. He retired in 1982 and established his own management consulting firm, CRA Inc.
Francisco was commissioned a second lieutenant upon completion of the ROTC program in February 1967.
He served as an infantry platoon leader, First Cavalry Division, Republic of Vietnam, and had assignments at Aberdeen Proving Ground and the U.S. Army Support Group, Thailand, and with the Maryland National Guard.
Some of his military awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star medal, Meritorious Service medal, Army Air medal, Purple Heart and Combat Infantry Badge.
He currently is serving as the deputy to the director of aviation and safety, Army National Guard Directorate, National Guard Bureau.
Hamblin was commissioned a second lieutenant upon completion of the ROTC program in 1943.
He served with the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment in Europe in World War II and with the 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C., from 1948 to 1957. He completed 105 parachute jumps during his career.
Hamblin was an infantry company commander in Korea in 1952. During this conflict, he was awarded the Silver Star medal, two Bronze Star medals for valor and the Purple Heart with two clusters for wounds received in combat.
He served as an adviser to the Republic of Vietnam Joint General Staff in Saigon in 1964. For his service, he was the first member of the U.S. Armed Forces awarded the Republic of Vietnam Army Distinguished Service medal, second class.
In 1965, he was adviser to the II Vietnam Army corps. He was wounded during a Viet Cong attack on the military installation at Pleiku in February 1965.
After 28 years of service, he retired in 1971. He is currently a training and safety consultant to automotive and heavy vehicle fleets and is a former member of the board of directors of the Georgia Motor Truck Association and the Georgia Safety Council.
Capt. Johnson obtained a regular commission and entered the Army as a second lieutenant.
He was stationed in Panama, Korea and Vietnam. He was sent to South Vietnam to serve as a Special Forces instructor for the Vietnamese troops fighting against the Viet Cong.
His decorations include the Purple Heart, Bronze Star medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary medal and Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross.
In October 1993, Capt. Johnson was the first Delawarean killed in Vietnam when an Army truck in which he was riding was blown up by a landmine near the town of Budop. He is survived by his widow, Barbara L. Johnson, and two children, Scott and Ann. Scott received his Army commission in 1979 from the United Army Military Academy, West Point.
Krause joined the Army Air Force in 1942. He was sent to North Africa to fly against Rommel's North Afrika Corps and spent 17 months in the desert. Upon his return to the states, he taught at the Air Force School of Applied Tactics where he shared his experiences in North Africa.
During his career, he also served in Germany, Tokyo and Hawaii. Later, he was assigned to the Strategic Air Command as a SAC liaison officer to the newly organized ballistic missile program.
In 1968, he retired for medical reasons because of a latent disease in his legs. In 1982 became a lobbyist for the California Association of County Veteran Service Officers, and he prepared a resolution that received the attention of the White House, recommending that Medicare payments for retired military personnel be paid directly to military hospitals.
Lord was enrolled in the UD ROTC program from 1938 to 1943. He served in World War II and the Korean War.
Later, he served on the faculty of the Physical Training School, Ft. Bragg, N.C., and in the athletics and recreation department of the School for Personnel Services, Lexington, Va.
Lord holds a master of science degree in physical education and was an assistant professor at Washington & Lee University form 1952 to 1968. In 1969, he was promoted to full professor. He retired in 1989. From 1963 to 1993, he served as a sports and fitness consultant.
1st Lt. Salter served from1953 to 1956 as a sergeant in the Delaware Army National Guard. He was appointed a second lieutenant in January 1956.
During 1956-57, he was on active duty. In 1959, he was appointed a first lieutenant, and, in 1960, he was transferred to the 2133rd U.S.Army Rerserve Control Group.
From 1952 to 1972, he was employed by the U.S. Postal Service.
In 1977, he was appointed civilian said to the secretary of the Army for the state of Delaware, where he served with distinction for more than 10 years. He also was a member of the Advisory Council of the Blind. A lifelong resident of New Castle, he died in 1989.
Lt. Gen. Smith was commanding general of the 2nd Marine Division during Operation Galvanic, which invaded the Tarawa Atoll, located in the Central Pacific's Gilbert Islands in November 1943. During this campaign, he received the Distinguished Service Medal.
He also received a Gold Star for his performance as commanding general, expeditionary troops, Third Fleet, in the capture of the Southern Palaus and Ulithi Atoll.
He was a recipient of the Navy Cross for heroism in Nicaragua. Lt. Gen. Smith attended the Naval War College and the Army Command and General Staff College.
He also was commanding officer of the Fleet Marine Force Training School at New River, N.C., and an instructor at both the USMC Base, Quantico, Va., and the Naval Education Training Center, Newport, R.I.
Upon graduation from the University of Delaware in 1936, Brig. Gen. Thompson was drafted by both the Cleveland Indians and the Philadelphia Eagles, but elected to enter the U.S. Army at Fort Monroe, Va.
While an ROTC student at Delaware, he was president of the class from 1933 to 1934, captain of the football team in 1934, co-captain of the basketball team in 1935 and co-captain-elect of the baseball team in 1936.
From 1937 to 1941, he was a teacher, coach and the commandant of Fishburne Military School in Waynesboro, Va. From 1941 to 1945, he served on active duty in the United States, in the European Theatre and on Omaha Beach.
From 1950 to 1952, he served as the commander of Antiaircraft Defense, Philadelphia.
A graduate of the Command and General Staff College, Thompson retired from military service in 1958.
After a distinguished career in banking with First & Merchants National Bank in Richmond, Va., (now Nations Bank) where he served as vice president and trust officer, he is retired.
-Beth Thomas
Photo by Jack Buxbaum
