Posted by Terry Powers on January 27, 2023:

HAROLD F. LOMBARD 1949 Cullum No. 17014-1949 | May 2, 2008 | Died in Waynesboro, PA Cremated. Inurned in West Point Cemetery, West Point, NY Harold Frederick "Hal" Lombard was born in Beloit, WI, the son of Harry C. and Lela F. Lombard. His father was a pro­fessional entertainer, opera singer and, later, a magician, often "on the road" with a mu­sical vaudeville act. Hal's full-time caregiver was Lela's mother, Grandmother Fairchild. He graduated from Brother Dutton School in 1940 as class president and in 1943 from Beloit Wisconsin High School. He was captain of the Reserve Officer Training Corps and a member of the National Honor Society. He attended Millard West Point Preparatory School in Washington, DC, in 1943--44, enlisted in the U.S. Navy, complet­ed boot camp at Great Lakes, and received an appointment to the Naval Academy. Stationed at the USNA Preparatory School in Bainbridge, MD, fate intervened, and Hal received an appointment to West Point from Senator LaFollette of Wisconsin. Discharged from the Navy, he attended the University of Missouri School of Mines in Rolla for a year prior to reporting to West Point in July 1945. Hal was a "model" cadet, avoiding brushes with the tactical department and managing to cover for his roommates as company sup­ply sergeant of F-2 Company First Class year. He was on the Corps Squad rifle team, sang in the Catholic Choir and the Glee Club and was active in the Camera Club and public relations. One of his fondest memories was winning the brigade softball championship Plebe year in Company E-2 with a team of all plebes, plus one lone yearling. During June Week in 1949, Hal had a "blind date" with Adele Bullock from Georgian Court College in New Jersey. Her home was in Syracuse, NY, and she was a daughter of an Army colonel. After a year of long distance correspondence while Hal attended the Army basic schools, they were married in Syracuse on 8 Jul 1950. Hal's first overseas tour was an accompanied one with the 519th Field Artillery Battalion, a 155mm towed unit in the Constabulary in Sonthofen in southern Bavaria and later in Babenhausen. He and Adele stayed in Germany for four years, during which time they produced three sons, the twins, Ted and Tom, in September 1951 and Harold F., Jr., (Rick) in February 1953. Hal was executive officer and later commander of A Battery. His proudest achievement was win­ning the Hess Trophy as the best artillery battery in U.S. Army Europe in 1953. After the Artillery Advanced Course at Ft. Sill, OK, Hal and family traveled to West Point for three years in the Military Topography and Graphics Department, teaching map reading and surveying. Hal then went to the University of Michigan and earned a master's degree in aeronautical and aerospace engi­neering. According to Hal, it was with major help from his car pool classmates. While in Ypsilanti, Adele gave him a fourth son, Peter, in October 1959. His utilization tour was with the University of California Livermore Radiation Laboratory, where he spent three years working with nuclear weapons there and at Rocky Flats. Spare time included visits to some of the Napa Valley's best wineries. In 1963, Hal attended the Command & General Staff College, followed assignment to the U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. He arrived in Saigon on a hardship tour only, to be met by his sponsors, who an­nounced that Hal had an accompanied tour to Dalat, home of the Vietnamese Command and General Staff School and their equivalent of West Point. The Lombard family moved to Dalat in January 1965, but a month later, President Johnson decided to evacuate the families; the Lombard family, minus Hal, relocated back to Livermore. In September 1965, Hal received orders to Ft. Ord, CA, to command the 5-78th Field Artillery Battalion. When the battalion was deactivated, he became G-1 of a Combat Development Command unit, where he helped develop all the night vision devices later used in the Gulf War. In 1968, Hal attended the Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, PA, and then on to the Pentagon in research and development as chief of com­munications and electronics with work in space, missiles and ranges. He worked with the Air Force on future space shuttles, com­munications satellites and the GPS naviga­tion system. He was promoted to colonel in 1970 and was assigned to NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, with an international and inter-service nuclear team. Also in 1970, twin son Ted was accepted at West Point. Ted's twin, Tom, enlisted in the Army and man­aged an assignment at the U.S. Embassy in Brussels. Due for an unaccompanied tour, in 1972 Hal was assigned to Turkey, command­ing the nuclear 528th Field Artillery Group. In April 1973, Hal reported to the Southern European Task Force for a three-year tour as post commander of Caserma Ederle and Support Group Northern Italy in Vicenza. For June Week 1974, the family traveled back to West Point for Ted's graduation and Hal's 25th reunion. In February 1976, Hal report­ed to his final post, Ft. Ritchie, MD, where he was chief of staff and personnel officer of the 7th Signal Command and had the challeng­ing assignment as president of the then debt-ridden Ft. Ritchie Officers Club. Hal retired in August 1979. His military decorations in­clude the Bronze Star, two Legions of Merit, and the Meritorious Service Medal. After retirement to Waynesboro, PA, he became a life insurance agent and reg­istered securities agent with Jefferson Pilot Life Insurance Company. He was chair­man of the Ft. Ritchie All Services Retiree Council, president of the Ft. Ritchie Officers Club, board member of various associations and a member of the local Elks Lodge and American Legion Post. Hal's life reflected his sterling character, sincerity and good­ness. He cared deeply for family and friends and those with whom he dealt throughout his distinguished military career. He was preceded in death by his sister, Melba Berry, and his son Tom. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Adele Bullock; sons Ted, Rick and Peter Lombard; sister-in-law Sister Adele Bullock; four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

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