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<p>By his life, <em>Richard Ernest Storat</em> authored a list of accomplishments worthy of special commendation. He was born and raised in a part of southeastern Pennsylvania first settled by his German forebearers early in the 18th century. He excelled in academics from the outset, graduating from Southern Lehigh High School in 1957 at the top of his class. Dick entered USMA with the rest of the “Can Do” class in July 1958. Four years later he graduated as a distinguished cadet and commissioned into the Corps of Engineers. While at West Point, he continued to date high school sweetheart, Sue McFadden, and the couple married soon after graduation. Following completion of officer branch training, Dick and Sue headed to Hawaii to join the 25th Infantry Division.</p>
<p>Dick spent 10 years on active service. Following the “aloha” stint with the 25th, he earned a Master of Science degree in nuclear engineering at MIT in 1967 and then deployed to Vietnam, where he served for a year with the 18th Engineer Brigade. Returning stateside he served as an instructor in the Physics Department at West Point. During these busy active service years, Dick and Sue saw their family grow, welcoming sons Keith, Todd and Gregory. At the end of his USMA assignment in 1972, Dick chose to resign to pursue business and government interests. However, he also opted to stay active in the Army Reserve, where he continued to serve for 20 more years.</p>
<p>In 1988 Dick was recalled to active duty as a brigadier general and given a major command assignment—mobilize and deploy the 411th Engineer Brigade from its Brooklyn, NY base to Iraq in support of Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield. Given that the 411th was the largest unit of its kind in the Army Reserve, Dick faced immense leadership and logistical challenges. He was more than up to the job, successfully commanding this massive unit for more than two years. He subsequently retired from the Office of the Chief of Engineers, Washington, DC, in 1992 with the rank of major general. </p>
<p>While Dick’s military exploits set high standards, he enjoyed similar successes in his civilian pursuits. He first worked in management positions, focusing on strategic planning, energy policy and engineering. In this period, his employers were top shelf: Bethlehem Steel, Babcock and Wilcox, and Gaylord Container Corporation. Later he ventured into government work on the Energy and Commerce Committee, U.S. House of Representatives. Subsequently, he established his own consulting firm, Richard Storat & Associates, providing years of services to forestry industry associations. Dick’s ability to provide well-grounded advice and accurate economic forecasting led to more years of service than either he or Sue ever envisioned, right up to his death.</p>
<p>In the 1962 edition of the Howitzer, Dick’s entry cites his academic prowess, his one disagreement with the Tactical Department, and all the South Area “turnouts” he managed to keep in school. Of the many graduation sentiments expressed in that book, few were so prescient, nor did they so accurately reflect his generous character. Hear about that in the words of one such “saved turnout” in company M-1: </p>
<p>“At the end of plebe year, I was failing calculus and faced a three-hour turnout exam to determine if I could stay at West Point. I’d failed calculus for the entire semester and had no real idea what I was doing. Even before I thought to ask anyone for help, Dick showed up at my room unannounced asking what he could do. I had four days to prepare, so Dick and I spent many hours together. At first, he tried to teach me “by the book,” but that hadn’t worked all semester and didn’t work then. And then Dick asked a rather odd question, “Can you memorize?” As it turns out, that was one of my few skills, as I could retain information for a week or so after exposure. Dick then devised a system in which he identified the 15 or so types of problems that might appear on the test. He drilled me on problem recognition and then schooled me on how to attack and solve each type. So, I memorized! The turnout exam was anti-climactic. I left at the two-hour mark. As it turned out, there wasn’t a problem on the exam Dick hadn’t drilled me on. The reason I succeeded was, pure and simple, Dick Storat. I didn’t ask for his help. He was simply there. In his low-key, laid-back style he built my confidence, and did it so skillfully I never realized what he was about. Other than being fellow Pennsylvanians, Dick and I were never particularly close before this, nor were we afterward, but like many others I owed him big time.”</p>
<p>In Richard Storat, West Point accepted a young man of impressive intellect and an amazingly generous heart. Its task was to develop him into a thoughtful and caring leader for the Army and the nation. Without question, West Point was highly successful in meeting that challenge. Such authentic generosity with his abilities, a tenet of his Christian faith, characterized his life of successful service in many diverse endeavors. Returned home now, Dick characteristically chose to find his “Soldier’s resting place” in Coopersburg, PA in his own church’s cemetery within the locale where he grew up. Rest in Peace, Thou Good and Faithful Servant.</p>
<p><em>— His M-1 Companymates and Family</em></p>
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