Posted by Ken Lang: for Sam Kem on February 21, 2006:

Nancy: Your father and I touched paths many times during our Army careers. As cadets in South area at West Point we were often together in classes. As engineers we were together in the basic course at Ft Belvoir and again at the University of Illinois for graduate schooling. We served in Germany in our first tours and thereafter off and on throughout our careers. As a young officer he was a go getter and also fun loving. Gregarious, he made friends easily and was always fun to be with. He was a professional in those early days and as his career progressed his contributions grew. I remember that while I was a student at the Command and General Staff College, Major Morelli, serving with the 9th Division in Vietnam came to brief us on "riverine operations" the new concept of operations in the Mekong Delta area. Later he became the Army architect for "AirLand Battle" doctrine where he worked with another classmate Perry Smith who was his Air Force Counterpart. In his message to you Rick Brown has it right in stating his contributions are hard to overstate. For his contributions, his picture is in the Class of 1956 Walkway at West Point (our class gift -- the walkway -- will be dedicated at our 50th reunion in May) along with the cover of the "AirLand Battle" Manual that he authored. Your father was a courageous man working long hours even while fighting the effects of the chemo for his cancer. He and your mother Patti were great friends and liked by all. His death was a blow for all of us who knew him as a great Soldier and friend. Sam Kem Richard S. Kem

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