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<p><em>Morton Franklyn “Mort” Roth</em>, our dad and hero, was born in Brooklyn, NY, the son of Leon and Sally Roth. Leon was a World War I era veteran and AAFES employee since 1942, and Sally was a homemaker who emigrated from Russia with her family around 1909. Mort was a very good student and skipped two grades, graduating from Lafayette High School and then attending Queens College for two years before being appointed to West Point in 1953. </p>
<p>At his funeral, his classmates told us that, as a cadet, Mort was a super intelligent guy with a wry wit and an eye for pulchritudinous drags and, most important, a willingness to spend time in the hallways after taps coaching less academically inclined classmates. His objective was to always help them get better rather than focusing on how he could improve his class standing. They will never forget his generosity and his friendship. To Mort, it was classmates first.</p>
<p>Mort graduated West Point in 1957 and chose Engineers since his eyesight was not good enough to fly. After attending Airborne School and Engineers basic, he headed off to Korea for his first assignment. He and another classmate showed up to the 76th Engineer Battalion, and, since Mort was senior in class rank, he was given company command. He then returned to Fort Belvoir, VA to command a company in the 91st Engineer Battalion. While stationed in Virginia, Mort met the love of his life, Maria Francesca Roth, affectionately known as Bobbie, a new immigrant from Munich, Germany. Their love blossomed, and they were married at West Point on April 7, 1962.</p>
<p>In 1963 Mort and Bobbie headed off to what would be the first of many oversea assignments. Mort was assigned to the U.S. Army Mission in Bolivia. Mort had many great adventures in the jungles of Bolivia and would fondly tell a story of how a local mechanic repaired his Jeep by fashioning a clutch plate out of material he had on hand. Meanwhile Bobbie decided it was time to add a new family member to the household, and Froggie the Doberman joined the Roth clan. Froggie would be the first of many animals to join the household. In 1965, Mort and Bobbie headed to an assignment at the Philadelphia Engineer District. Bobbie was blessed with a pregnancy in 1965, and we (Eric and Scott) were born on January 3, 1966. We then headed to Fort Leavenworth, KS for Mort to attend CGSC. In 1967, Mort headed to Vietnam to serve as an operations officer for the 15th Engineer Battalion. While there, Mort dutifully wrote Bobbie letters every day filled with his thoughts on current events about LBJ, MLK and Bobbie Kennedy, events in Vietnam such as the TET Offensive, and thoughts about everything from the boys, missing Bobbie and what type of items should he purchase at the post exchange.</p>
<p>After Vietnam, the family moved to Virginia Beach, VA, where Mort served as a staff officer at Atlantic Command. Mort then returned to Vietnam in 1971 to command the 31st and then the 92nd Engineer Battalion. He still wrote to Bobbie everyday, and, ironically, his letters detailed how much progress has been made in winning the war and that Vietnam seemed like a much safer place. But on the darker side, they also told of race and drug problems that were seriously impacting unit morale and discipline. Mort returned to the States in 1972, and Bobbie asked the boys to answer the door. Mort must have had quite the tan and Fu Manchu mustache because Scott and Eric did not understand why there was a Chinese man at the door and quickly shut the door on him.</p>
<p>Mort and family spent a year at a NATO assignment in the Netherlands, followed by the War College and then three years at another NATO assignment in Naples, Italy. That assignment was Mort and Bobbie’s favorite. Bobbie learned to cook Italian food, the whole family traveled all over Europe, and Mort was promoted to colonel. Mort then finished out his military career commanding IAGS in both Panama and San Antonio, TX, followed by command of the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) in Hanover, NH. </p>
<p>Mort always held himself to the highest standards and demanded the same for any unit he commanded. So, it is only fitting that when he left CRREL, his retirement plaque (in good humor of course) mentioned that he had fired more people than the preceding commanders had in the last 25 years. After retirement from the Army in 1987, Mort and Bobbie spent the next 25 years in Herndon, VA, where Mort worked for the Fairfax County Public Works and Bobbie cooked and took care of many animals and they both entertained their friends and family. When not working, Mort kept busy making beautiful furniture, flying model airplanes, playing poker with friends, and doting on his four granddaughters: Samantha, Caroline, Julia and Avery. </p>
<p>For the last 10 years of his life, Mort really struggled with Parkinson’s disease but never complained about it and just did his best to be a good husband, father and friend to all who knew him. Mort departed this world on May 21, 2021, almost four months to the date after his bride, Bobbie. Mort and Bobbie will be dearly missed by all who knew them and will spend eternity together in Heaven and at their final resting place at West Point, NY. Dad, Well Done; Be Thou at Peace!</p>
<p><em>— Your sons: Eric Roth, USMA 1987, and Scott Roth, USNA 1987</em></p>
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