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<em>Harry Langdon Reeder, Jr.</em> was born 5 October 1920 in Koblenz, Germany, during the United States Army’s occupation following World War I. His parents, Colonel Harry L. and Margaret Foster Reeder, are deceased. His brother, Lieutenant Colonel Boyd F. Reeder, US Army Retired, resides in Hampton, Virginia.</p>
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Harry attended primary schools in Baltimore, Maryland; Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; Columbia, Missouri; and Fort Benning, Georgia. He attended high schools in Columbus, Georgia; Cristobal, Canal Zone; and graduated from Forest Park High School, Baltimore. After two years at Millard’s Preparatory School in Washington, DC, he entered the United States Military Academy in June 1940 and graduated in June 1943. He was a company commander and played lacrosse three years while at the Academy.</p>
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After graduation from West Point, he attended the Basic Infantry Officers Course and the Basic Airborne Officers Course at Fort Benning. In October 1943, Harry married another Army brat, Diana French Griswold, at Fort Benning.</p>
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He was then assigned to the 17th Airborne Division at Camp McCall, North Carolina. He was then transferred to 23rd Headquarters, Special Troops. This was a highly classified top secret unit formed and trained at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, before being sent overseas. The mission of the organization was field and communication deception of the enemy in offensive and defensive operations. The classification has been removed only in recent years, some 40 years after World War II ended. Elements of the 23rd landed in France on D-Day, 1944. Harry served with 23rd Headquarters, Special Troops, throughout the war.</p>
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Harry’s first assignment after the war was with the Intelligence School at Fort Riley, Kansas. After a short six months, he was ordered back to Germany to serve with the Constabulary in the Army of Occupation. He also served with the 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Division, prior to his return to the United States in 1949 to attend the Advanced Infantry Officers Course at Fort Benning. Upon completion of this course, he served with the 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He then went to the 2nd Infantry Division in the Republic of South Korea.</p>
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His next assignment, perhaps the most relaxing and pleasant year of his military career, was the Command and Staff Course at the Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island. No uniforms, no competitive grading, and leisure time to sail, golf, and play bridge. Following the War College, a tour of three years was spent as an instructor of Airborne Operations, Tactical Department, the Infantry School, Fort Benning.</p>
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Harry’s next assignment, which was very special and enjoyable to him and his family, was with the United States Military Mission, Bogota, Columbia, where he was advisor to the Columbian War College. Harry, being completely fluent in Spanish, actually taught classes in Spanish. This was not common to advisory personnel in that day. A three-year tour at Third Army Headquarters, Fort McPherson, Georgia was followed by his last assignment at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, with United States Army Combat Developments and the Institute of Combined Arms Support. He retired at Fort Leavenworth on 31 March 1970 with 27 years’ service.</p>
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His decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medal, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with five Bronze Service Stars, Victory Medal (World War II), Army of Occupation Medal (Germany), Korean Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, United Nations Service Medal, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, and the Master Parachutist Badge.</p>
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Harry, starting at about age four, was an enthusiastic horseman throughout his life. If horses were about, he would devote endless hours to the sport of equitation, participating in plain riding, riding in horseshows, and in joining hunts. It was only natural that he joined the Fort Leavenworth Fox Hunt. During the year he served as president of the Hunt, it became the only military hunt on a military reservation in the United States to be recognized by the Master of Foxhounds Association of America. Harry became Master of Foxhounds in November 1968 and held that honor until 1973.</p>
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He and Diana bought an 80-acre ranch not far from Leavenworth, Kansas, and raised Hereford cattle for 15 years.</p>
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During his 20 years of retirement he took an active interest in county government. He spent 11 years as the Leavenworth County Regional Planning Director. He held a seat on the Easton School District Board and served as its president. He was a member for 20 years and served as president of the Rural Water District. He was an active Rotarian. The year before he died he was named Leavenworth Rotary’s “Man of the Year.” He was a Paul Harris Fellow.</p>
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His four children, Susan Perry Reeder Taylor, Harry Langdon Reeder III, Stanley Griswold Reeder, and Margaret French Reeder, and his wife, Diana, were with him during his last days in the hospital. He died of lung cancer.</p>
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his brother, Lieutenant Colonel<br />
<em>Boyd F. Reeder, U.S. Army Retired</em></p>