Posted by Lewis Sorley ("Bob") on September 7, 2011:

Donn Albert Starry 31 May 1925 - 26 August 2011 Donn Starry lived a life of extraordinary consistency, certain and settled in his values and commitment to his profession. He was passionate about family, about books, about horses, and about soldiers and soldiering. In pursuing those passions, he demonstrated sterling character, impressive intellect, unswerving integrity, moral and physical courage, abiding faith, and unstinting loyalty to family, friends, and duty. Donn's father had been in the World War I Tank Corps, then for many years after the war was a company commander in the Kansas National Guard. Donn accompanied his father to summer camps at Fort Riley, where he formed a great admiration for the cavalry. He noticed, even as a youngster, that the officers and sergeants took care of the horses first, then the troopers, and only last themselves. That became his standard as well. Donn spoke many times about his beloved Grandma Ida, in whose home he had access to a fine library and in whose stable he got to know some spirited horses. Donn took immediately to both those treasure troves. By his early teens he was such an accomplished rider that he was performing in a Kansas City wild west show. And in conversations with his grandmother he became a perceptive and voracious reader. Donn's close friend Roger Spiller once captured his energy and intellectual curiosity when he observed: "Donn Starry was the only man who ever out-read me. And," said Roger, "he was commanding TRADOC at the time!" As many here know, over the years Donn amassed a magnificent personal library eventually comprising more than six thousand volumes of military history. He was highly conversant with that body of knowledge, and could instantly lay his hands on any volume that came up in discussion. Throughout his life books - reading them and discussing them and sending copies of them to his many friends of similar interests - was for Donn an engrossing interest. Very taken with the military profession, which he understood - and often described - as a way of life, not just a job, Donn aspired to go to West Point. He applied to Senator Arthur Capper of Kansas, took his Civil Service examination, and finished second. The senator thus offered Donn an appointment to Annapolis, which he didn't want. Displaying impressive resourcefulness, Donn telephoned the candidate who had finished first on the exam, found out that he really wanted to go to the Naval Academy rather than to West Point, and persuaded the senator to swap the two appointments. Donn was originally in the Class of 1947 which, after the war ended, split. Donn opted for the segment that became the Class of 1948, the first class to return to the four-year curriculum after the war. While still a cadet he took flight training and, so he thought, qualified for the Air Force upon graduation. When a minor physical problem derailed that aspiration, he wound up to his dismay being commissioned in the Transportation Corps (apologies here to anyone who is a proud member of that great branch). That fate for Donn was delayed by an initial two-year detail to Armor. Upon graduation Donn married Letty Gibbs, his hometown sweetheart. In the years to come they had five children - Mike, Paul, Melissa, and Melanie, plus little Suzanne who perished in infancy - and served in many of our Army's great way stations. Donn was always proud of the team he and Letty formed, and so were those with whom they served. The command sergeant major at Fort Knox described them admiringly as "honest and sincere," and he had it just right. At the very beginning of his Army career Donn had the great good fortune of serving in a tank battalion in Germany (during the Army of Occupation days following World War II) that was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Creighton Abrams, thus beginning a long professional friendship between two exceptional officers. For the rest of his life Donn told Abrams stories to illustrate points of professional conduct. And he told stories about Sergeant First Class Willard Lucas, his first platoon sergeant and one of many superb non-commissioned officers he served with and thereafter counted among his lifelong friends. In the 63d Tank Battalion Donn had hanging over him that branch assignment to the Transportation Corps. With his two-year detail to Armor about to expire, he faced reassignment to a truck company in Nurnberg. Only a visit by Beatrice Patton, widow of the original General Patton, whose son George was assigned to the same tank battalion in which Donn was serving, saved Donn's career. She learned of his predicament, passed the word to Senator Cabot Lodge, and magically Donn was allowed to branch transfer from TC to Armor. Donn always said Colonel Abrams' standards were so high that he could never measure up, but in evaluating Lieutenant Starry's performance Abrams put a firm dark cross in the block that read "the most outstanding officer I know." Donn served two tours of duty in Vietnam, nearly three years in the aggregate, including command of the famous 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. There he was awarded the Soldier's Medal for saving the life of a brother officer, and also the Silver Star, the Purple Heart, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Bronze Star Medal for Valor. In later years he maintained close contact with the Black Horse, serving for a number of years as Honorary Colonel of the Regiment. The climactic stage of Donn's career began when General Abrams sent him to command Fort Knox with typically cryptic instructions to "get the Army off its ass!" (Excuse me, but we have to tell it like it is, or was.) In that post Donn reported to General William DePuy, then head of the newly-formed Training and Doctrine Command. DePuy, who was hard to please, described Starry as "the best school commandant in TRADOC," stating that "he dominated...with his strong, brilliant mind and a very practical yet technical bent." After an assignment in command of V Corps in Europe, Donn himself took over TRADOC, succeeding General DePuy as the second incumbent in that key position as the Army sought to rebuild itself after the long ordeal of Vietnam. "Doctrine rules," Starry insisted, and everything else - combat development, organizational structure, training - had to be driven by that. A new Starry-inspired version of Field Manual 100-5, Operations, was the vehicle for promulgating Starry's concept of what came to be known as AirLand Battle. Infusing all Starry's concerns was the conviction that knowledge of military history is essential for every officer. He created the Combat Studies Institute at Fort Leavenworth with the mission of producing historical case studies. And at TRADOC, then later as the head of Readiness Command, he established positions of Command Historian, then brought in brilliant historians (and close friends) to fill the posts - Brooks Kleber at TRADOC and Roger Spiller at Readiness Command. After 40 years of service as an enlisted man, cadet, and officer, making his own military history, Donn retired from active duty but continued serving on the Defense and Army Science Boards, in responsible posts in defense industry, and as mentor to many younger officers. He and Letty eventually made their home in Williamsburg, where Donn was her faithful caregiver for the last years of her life. Late in his own life some very good things happened to Donn, recognition of his exemplary career and contributions to his profession. The West Point Society of the District of Columbia presented Donn its Castle Award for exemplifying the ideals of West Point. Then at West Point Donn was honored as a Distinguished Graduate of the Military Academy. Soon after that his collected works, appropriately entitled "Press On!" (with an exclamation point), were published by the Combat Studies Institute Press at Fort Leavenworth. And then the Army War College honored Donn as an Outstanding Alumnus of that institution. In February 2010 Donn and Karen Deitrick, friends for many years, were married. Donn spent his final years with Karen in Canton, Ohio, where he made many new friends - including Chloe, a much admired cat; reinstalled his beloved library; and made appearances at patriotic and veterans events in the region. Donn's familiar sign-off - Press On! - was absolutely perfect. It captured his energy, his optimism, his determination, and his leadership. Along with it we will always remember his sense of fun, his charm, and his zest for life. Knowing Donn has enriched us all. In the words of the West Point Alma Mater we now say to him: "Well done. Be thou at peace." Lewis Sorley Presented at Saint Michael the Archangel Roman Catholic Church in Canton, Ohio, on 1 September 2011.

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