Lawrence Pope Crocker

West Point, 1951

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Jose A. "Andy" Chacon on November 15, 2006:

Lawrence Pope Crocker Born May 9, 1928 - Died September 14, 2006 Lawrence Pope "Crock" Crocker was born in Salt Lake City, UT on 9 May 1928 and was appointed to West Point on a Senatorial appointment. His West Point classmates recall: "A son and advocate of the West, Crock arrived here from the Airborne Infantry, but has decided that his nature is more for the Engineers. His ability with slide rule and figures is exceeded only by his good nature, nightly letters, and eagerness for post-graduation nuptials. Boning graduation and Engineers, his persistence and easygoing ways will carry him beyond these, to greater fields." During his cadet days Crock was on the Honor Committee, with the Ski, Camera & Model Railroad Clubs; and was a Cadet Lieutenant his first class year. Upon graduation Crock went into the Corps of Engineers and after completing the Engineer Basic Course at Fort Belvoir, VA. and a subsequent, short stint as Platoon Leader with the 21st Engineer Combat Battalion at Camp Carson, Colorado, he reported to the 378th Engineer Combat Battalion in Korea where he served as Platoon Leader and then Company Commander from 1952 to 1953. He was decorated with the Bronze Star Medal. From February 1953 through December 1954, he was stationed in Japan, serving as Aide to the Engineer of the Far East Command. In early 1955 Crock was assigned for several months as Company Commander with the 9th Engineer Battalion at Fort Lewis, WA and then went on to school at Iowa State College where he earned a Master of Science degree in Nuclear Engineering, graduating in 1956. He spent the next two years in Oak Ridge, TN, first attending the Oak Ridge School of Reactor Technology, and then serving for a year as the liaison officer between the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Army's nuclear power program. He moved to Washington in 1958 and spent the next two years stationed at the Atomic Energy Commission headquarters working on various projects related to the Army's nuclear power program. In the spring of 1960, he attended the short Advanced Course for Engineer officers at Fort Belvoir. Crock's next assignment was to the Eastern Ocean Engineer District, with duty station at Lajes Air Force Base in the Azores. He served there from 1960 to 1962 as the Assistant for Construction, inspecting and supervising contract construction activities carried out by the Corps of Engineers for the air force and navy units stationed at the base. In 1962 Crock returned to the states to attend the C&GSC, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He was then assigned to the Office of The Inspector General, Department of the Army, where he served from 1963 to 1964 helping to inspect the Army's nuclear power and research reactor facilities. Next Crock received orders to the Office, Chief of R&D on the Department of the Army staff, where he served as Nuclear Affairs Staff Officer from 1964 to 1967 and was awarded the Commendation Medal for distinguished service. In 1967 Crock was assigned as Commanding Officer of the 528th Engineer Construction Battalion in Thailand, constructing roads and other facilities in support of the war in Vietnam. Later he served as Deputy Commander, Special Troops, which was responsible for all Army facilities in Thailand. Returning to the States in 1968, Crock accepted his last military assignment as Deputy Commander of the Army Engineer Reactor Group at Fort Belvoir. During that period, the Army, Navy and Air Force had small, operating nuclear power plants located at Fort Belvoir, Fort Greely, Alaska; Gatun Lake, Panama Canal Zone; Camp Century, Greenland; McMurdo Sound, Antarctica; and Sundance, Wyoming. The last two named plants belonged to the navy and the air force, respectively, but were supported by the Army's nuclear program. Crock served at Fort Belvoir from 1968 to 1970 when he retired in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and was awarded the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services. Entering civilian life Crock accepted a position as Project Manager with the Atomic Energy Commission with responsibilities for evaluating the safety adequacy of the designs of commercial nuclear power plants proposed to the AEC for construction and operation. In 1975, the regulatory portion of the Atomic Energy Commission became the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. From 1976 to 1981 he served as Technical Assistant to the Director of Project Management of the NRC. While in this capacity, he participated as a member of the Rogovin group which investigated the 1979 accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant. From 1981 through 1986 Crock served as Section Leader in the Human Factors Engineering Branch of the NRC, evaluating the technical capability and management adequacy of utility companies involved in the construction and operation of commercial nuclear power plants. In 1987 he was named Senior Project Manager, responsible for overseeing and supporting the continuing, safe operation of a two-unit commercial nuclear plant. He held this position until his retirement from the NRC in 1990. After his second government retirement Crock spent five years as Principal Nuclear Engineer with Scientech, Inc., a small firm providing consultant services to the nuclear industry, the NRC and the Department of Energy. He retired for a third, and final, time in 1995. In 1964 Crock began assisting with the periodic updating of the book, "The Army Officer's Guide." In 1970 he assumed primary responsibility for this effort and served as author of the book for the next 27 years. He finally bowed out of this continuing effort in 1997 in favor of having someone closer to the present day Army continue the effort. At the time, the book was in its 47th edition. Crock and his wife Pat have four children and seven grandchildren. They made their home in Alexandria, Virginia. *********************************************************** On November 15, 20006 Frank Hamilton reported as follows: "Dear Classmates: Amid a cool day with overcast skies, our classmate Larry was put to rest in the Columbarium at Ft Myer. This followed an impressive service at a practically full Old Post Chapel. During the service, three of his granddaughters sang "Amazing Grace" and it was the most beautiful rendition I have ever heard. The arrangement was by one of the granddaughters, Kristen Crocker. It was so well done that both Joe Smith (who rode with me to the Columbarium) that we wanted to clap afterwards. A fine reception followed at the Ft. Myer Club during which a slide show consisting of many pictures of Larry's life from childhood on was shown. A great number of classmates and wives and class widows attended. Among them were Ted Atkeson, Reb Barber, Pete Beczkiewicz, Jim Boatner, John Byers, Godfrey Crowe, Bob Dean, Otto Doerflinger, Chuck Ewing, George Gardes, Gerry Hendricks, Joe LaFleur, Shy Meyer, Walter Klein, Norm Jorstad, Don Van Matre, Joe Smith, Howie Steele, Red Leffler, Fred Rockwell, Saul Jacobs, Elmer Pendleton, John Schweitzer, Dean Mulder, Bob McDonald, Tom Stumm, and myself. Widows attending were Joan Keesling and Mary Smith. If I have omitted anyone, I apologize. If those in attendance have any additional thoughts regarding the funeral, I would appreciate their sharing them with the class. Grip Hands, Frank"

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