Posted by LTC George J. Kasper, Ret. on January 9, 2014:

Lawrence was my first cousin from the Klima side of the family. My early memories were of him "playing soldier" in an empty lot a few doors from the Klima house in Berwyn, Illinois. Not long after that it seemed the war years were upon us. He was the first, to my knowledge, to be accepted at West Point from Berwyn, Illinois. Eventually, I also joined the Army, though he much sooner than I do to his appointment at USMA, and because he was a few years older than I. I will never forget that it was the talk of the family, when Lawrence met me in the Pacific Theater near the end of World War II. He was a Captain then, and I was a sergeant at the time. I was stationed in Seoul, Korea, and he arranged a 48 hour pass for me to visit him in Tokyo, Japan. He was an engineering officer restoring Tachikowa air base, just outside of Tokyo. Because he thought of me in a gesture of family ties and magnanimity, I will never forget seeing "living history." I saw the devastation of Hiroshima from nearby vantage points on the way back from my visit with him. It was seeing what was destined to be a famous historical event a relatively short time after it actually had occurred. We also saw MacArthur coming out of his headquarters a short distance from where we were standing. I have pictures of Lawrence and I from this visit, and would like to make copies for the family. On the other hand, I also recall that Lawrence met up with his older brother, Robert, in Europe shortly after the war ended in the European Theater of Operations. Apparently, some time after that, Lawrence was a Military Attache to the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Eventually, he was transferred stateside and assigned to 5th Army Headquarters, Engineering Division in Chicago to work on Rivers and Locks in Illinois. Perhaps, around this time he obtained a leave of absence to complete a Master's Degree in Engineering from the University of Illinois. Lawrence, incidently, did a number of engineering projects at his Alma Mater, West Point. He designed several buildings for them. In closing, these are a few of the memories I have of my first cousin, whom I grew up with. He and his brothers and I all proudly served our Country. We were a part of the great "drama" that overshadowed our coming-of-age, and which set the tone for our lives and generations to come. Throughout the years, Lawrence would call whenever he was visiting his family in Berwyn, Illinois. His youngest brother Joseph, a Korean War Veteran, passed away two years before him. My family and I are looking forward to visting with his family. Lawrence, may your soul rest in peace. Your Cousin, George J. Kasper LTC., U.S. Army Ret.

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