Roessler 1 Cole Roessler Brian Harrell English Composition I 4 November 2013 Life in the Army This we will defend,

the official motto of the United States Army and one that Fred Hissong knows very well. Fred Hissong Jr. served over 35 miraculous years in the United States Army, working his way up from a Second Lieutenant to a Lieutenant General (three star general). Over the 35 year span Fred served, he was a highly influential force in the many successes achieved by the United States Army to upgrade combat readiness, modernize equipment, and improve ammunition production, many important factors during the given time period. Fred explained to me the hard work, dedication, and many years of schooling that it took to almost reach the apex of the Army command. Here is the story of his career. Lieutenant General Fred Hissong Jr. was born in Benton Ridge, Ohio on September 22, 1931. Growing up during WWII Fred always found the military fascinating, but he never knew one day he would be a part of it. Fred attended school like any other normal kid would; he graduated high school and decided to continue his schooling. He enrolled into The Ohio State University in 1951. At the time, Ohio State was a land grant college, which required its students to do at least two years of the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program. Fred actually enrolled into the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps program during his freshman year. After a year in the Navy ROTC program Fred decided the Navy ROTC program wasnt for him, and saw the Army ROTC program as a better option. He made the switch during his sophomore year. After his first two years of college and the ROTC programs were finished, he decided that he r

Roessler 2 enjoyed the Army ROTC program and wanted to continue by enrolling into the Advanced Army ROTC program. I asked Fred why he wanted to continue the ROTC programs and he said, While enrolled in the ROTC program the Army was paying me $29 a month, which was a lot for back then. That $29 a month helped pay for food and other important things I needed during college. Fred graduated from The Ohio State University in 1955 with his bachelors degree in science. He also had the honor to graduate as a Distinguished Militant Graduate. Graduating as a Distinguished Militant Graduate qualified him for commission in the regular army as opposed to the army reserves. Freds contributions at The Ohio State University didnt go unnoticed. In 1986 Fred was the first man to ever be inducted into The Ohio State Universitys ROTC Hall of Fame. Believe it or not Fred beat out the famous Woody Hayess for this prestigious honor. After graduating from college Fred went to Fort Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma to complete an Artillery Officers course. He then moved to Kentucky to serve at Fort Knox. For Freds first assignment at Fort Knox he helped lead Battery A of the 276 Field Artillery Battalion. He told me that he specifically recalled shooting off artillery shells every three weeks for in support of the Armor School at Fort Knox. One of Freds fondest memories while stationed at there came when he and his buddy went on a double date in Louisville. This double date would change his life forever, that night he met his future wife, the beautiful Patty Bates. Freds best friend dated Pattys sister, and this is how he met Patty. Fred still remembers his first formal date with Patty he said, I took her horseback riding at a park in Louisville, later that night went out to dinner at an Italian restaurant, it was a wonderful time! After finishing the Air Bourne Parachute program by completing eight jumps out of an airplane, Fred and Patty moved to Maryland so Fred could attend Ordnance School at the

Roessler 3 Aberdeen Proving Grounds. They were there for two years while Fred completed his ordinance training. After completing his ordinance schooling Fred was promoted to 1st Lieutenant. He then attended an anti-aircraft training school and learned how to use a skysweeper. The skysweeper, an amazing anti-aircraft weapon, was truly ahead of its time. The weapon, the first of its kind, combined gun laying radar, a M10 analog computer, and an autoloader on a single carriage. Patty and Fred packed their bags once again and moved to Huntsville Alabama so Fred could do a corporal guided missile course at Redstone Arsenal. In 1958, during their stay in Alabama, Fred and Patty had their first child, a son named Mark. In 1959 Fred was promoted to a Captain, and was stationed in Kaiserslautern Germany, just south of Frankfurt. Fred commanded the 546 Ordinance Direct Support Company. This company, basically a big maintenance company, was there to help repair trucks, artillery, small arms, and missiles. The company not only provided maintenance for these machines, they provided important parts as well, that were unavailable elsewhere. After four long years of being overseas, Fred and his family returned to the states. They returned to Aberdeen, Maryland in 1963. Fred continued his military schooling completing an advanced course in ordinance corp. After completing those courses, he and Patty returned to Fort Knox, Kentucky. Fred served as the aide de comp to the Post Commander Major General Andrew Jackson Boyle. No more than a year later, in 1964 Fred was sent back overseas, but this time to Vietnam to serve as an Ordinance Advisor to the 23rd Vietnamese infantry division. He was stationed at Ban Me Thuot, Dak Lak province Vietnam, located near the Vietnamese mountains. While serving in Vietnam, Fred was promoted to a Major, and received the Bronze Star Medal for his tremendous work.

Roessler 4 In 1967, upon returning from Vietnam, Fred thought that it would be best to go back to school and obtain his graduate degree. He attended The Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. He graduated from the Babson Institute of Business in 1969 with a Masters degree in Business Administration- graduating summa cum laude. Fred told me one of his favorite memories regarding his graduate work came from when he had the opportunity to travel to Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts and complete his post-graduate work. After serving three years tour of duty at the Pentagon in Washington D.C., Fred attended the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 1976. The Army War College is the final school in the Army that you can presently attend. After completing his schooling at the Army War College, Fred was promoted to Colonel for his hard work and dedication. Around 1980, Fred returned to Germany to serve in the 59th Ordinance Brigade. He commanded the brigade for over two years. Fred and his brigade had custody of all the nuclear weapons that were stationed in Germany. Being a crucial position in the Cold War, this was a significant job to have. Fred said that, I had 600 soldiers that maintained weapons and the release codes to the weapons. Fred also said that he still remembers meeting on Monday mornings for breakfast with other commanding officers to discuss how things are going, and to receive direct orders for the coming week. Fred did a tremendous job while stationed in Germany. His commanding officers noticed this, and promoted him to a Brigadier General. In 1985, Fred returned home to the states, and went to Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois to serve as a Deputy Commanding General. He really liked it there, but had to move to Alexandria, Virginia to serve in the Army Materiel Command as the DOD Executive for Conventional Ammunitions. While serving as the Army Materiel Commander he completed all of his assigned tasks efficiently and effectively and was soon promoted to Major General. After his promotion

Roessler 5 Fred returned to Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois to be the Commanding General of the Armament, Munitions, and Chemical Command. He held this position for a little over two years. He specifically remembers living in a 52 room mansion near the army barracks there. This 52 room mansion was a massive government home built for Army Officers to lodge there. Many famous people have stayed in that home as well, one being Charles Lindberg. After two long hard years working as the Commanding General at Rock Island Arsenal Fred received a phone call from a four star general. The general called to congratulate Fred on an amazing job at Rock Island Arsenal, and told him that upon his return to Alexandria, Virginia he would be promoted to a Lieutenant General. Fred returned to Alexandria, Virginia for good now. Upon receiving his third star he explained to me the honor it was obtaining it. He said that, To this day, I still remember the four star general and my wife, Patty, pinning the third star on my uniform. I will never forget that. After more than 35 years in the service Fred decided it was time for him to call it quits. He retired March 30, 1995. The United States Army celebrated his service by giving him a ceremonial parade at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland for his retirement. Fred told me that he really enjoyed being in the army, and that he never had a single regret about serving his country proudly. Although Fred never saw combat personally, it didnt mean everything was easy. Throughout the 35 years Fred served in the Army he and Patty lived in 24 different locations around the world. Fred also received numerous awards and accolades for his amazing service, a few of them include: The Army Service Award, which is the top award that can be given out during peace time, a Bronze Star in Vietnam, The Army Commendation Medal, and lastly he received an Honor Medal 1st class from the Vietnamese people for his service in Vietnam. He mentioned that although it was a pain having to pack up and move so many times,

Roessler 6 he had the time of his life traveling and seeing the world. I asked Fred which places were his favorites to live, and to serve in. He named two places specifically. The first placed that he enjoyed serving at was at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He said he enjoyed it there because for one, thats where he met the love of his life, Patty, and second because Kentucky is such a beautiful and wonderful place. The second place he named was that he really enjoyed being stationed in Germany at the 59th Brigade. He told me this was the most fulfilling time he had in the Army because he actually got to work with real soldiers out in the battlefield if you will, he wasnt cooped up in some military office doing paperwork. After Freds military retirement he soon put all of his college schooling to use. He became the President and CEO of the Raytheon Chemical Company. This company specialized in building and operating multimillion dollar facilities the military uses to destroy chemical agents that they had in storage for many years. After ten years of working there the company was sold to a larger chemical company and Fred retired for good. Fred still continues to live happily in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife Patty. Freds military career shows us that with hard work and dedication, you can achieve almost anything. Growing up in a middle class family in the farm town of Benton Ridge, Ohio Fred never once thought that he would someday travel the world, or live in a 52 room mansion in Illinois. He never once thought that he would get a ceremonial parade for his retirement. Fred said looking back on it all, attending Ohio State, and enrolling into the Advanced ROTC program was one of the best decisions that I could have ever made. Without it, I wouldnt be where I am today, or the man I am today. Fred Hissong Jr. is an amazing success story, and he is Army Strong.

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Works Cited Hissong, Fred, Jr. Personal interview. 25 Oct. 2013.