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<p><em>William Geron “Bill” Hanne</em> was born in Kansas City, KS on December 30, 1938, the third child and only son of William H. Hanne and Iris Marie Hanne. His sisters, Patricia Ruth and Kathryn Eileen, were born before the Depression, essentially leaving Bill an only child during his formative years. Graduating from Bishop Ward High School in Kansas City in 1956, he gained a first taste of leadership while serving as the student council VP his junior year, and the SC president his senior year.</p>
<p>He joined the Class of 1960 in July 1956 and, having run the mile his senior year at Ward, he tried out for the Cross Country and Track teams during Beast. Coach Crowell developed Bill over the four years into a superb half-miler with three Academy records (880-yard, 1,000-yard and two-mile relay) and a solid member of the Cross Country Team. Bill captained the 1959-60 Indoor and Outdoor Track teams (personally winning the heptagonal 1,000-yard indoor in 1960 while leading the cadets to an overall 1960 indoor heptagonal trophy) and ran for Army in two national cross country meets. Academically, during his cow and First Class years, he participated in the first elective courses offered through the Thayer System: History of the Middle East and American Political Philosophy.</p>
<p>Following Jump School and Armor officer basic, he married his high school sweetheart, Anne Strobach, in November 1960, with three teammates—Grant Schaefer, Linc German and Gene Wilson—as wedding participants. His first assignment was as a platoon leader in the airborne armored cavalry troop of the 8th Infantry Division (Quick Reaction Force). Their first son, Matt, was born in Germany at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Brian, their second son, was born during Bill’s attendance at the Military Intelligence Officer Advanced Course in Baltimore, MD. That assignment was followed by time with the XVIII Corps. During 1965-66, while Bill was serving as an intelligence advisor to the 9th Infantry Division in the Mekong Delta, their son Mark was born.</p>
<p>While he was in Vietnam and his family was in Kansas City, Bill was selected to obtain a graduate degree from the University of Illinois enroute to a three-year tour in the Department of Earth, Space & Graphic Sciences. Their fourth son, Eric, was born during their time in Illinois. While at the Academy, Bill was principal author and editor of the Landscape Atlas of the USSR, a new approach in the study of human impact on the environment.</p>
<p>A second tour in Vietnam followed his USMA tour (1971-72). Bill was assigned to the same ARVN 9th Division advisory team (though now DCAT 60), during which he was able to see firsthand the progress that had been made since 1965-66.</p>
<p>This tour was followed by CGSC and a Russian language course at DLIWC. Bill thereafter received orders to the Pentagon serving in the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence and then in the Office of the Chief of Staff to the Army (Staff Action Control). In 1976 Bill was selected to be the G-2, 25th Infantry Division, followed by a battalion command at Fort Devens Intelligence Center and School, attendance at the U.S. Naval War College (having completed the U.S. Army War College course by correspondence), and then as a research analyst at the Strategic Studies Institute at Carlisle Barracks, PA.</p>
<p> He was selected for brigade-level command as commander, U.S. Army Field Station, Sinop, Turkey during 1983-84. He was then reassigned to the National Security Agency, where he served as director of the National Telemetry Processing Center, retiring from active duty in January 1989.</p>
<p>Upon retirement and completion of his doctorate program in policy, planning and administration from the University of Maryland, he and Anne moved to Arizona for six years. During this time he taught geography and Russian history courses at Cochise College. His instructional abilities merited him as “Teacher of the Year” for Cochise College in 1994.</p>
<p>Bill joined MPRI in 1995 and spent two years with Anne in Zagreb, Croatia in the process of restructuring civilian leadership within the Croatian Ministry of Defense. Bill and Anne returned to the States in 1998 and settled in Arendtsville, PA for the next 13 years, 11 as mayor. His 12-year involvement with the local Lions organization earned him recognition as a Melvin Jones fellow.</p>
<p>Bill “caught” the writing bug early. He was a frequent contributor to Military Review (winning “Tactical Author of the Year” in 1982), Parameters, International Defense Review, Proceeding of the U.S. Naval Institute, and other publications. While the Landscape Atlas of the USSR was a team effort (Tim Plummer ’59, Chris Thudium ’59, and Ed Brunner ’61) Bill self-published three books on his own experiences gained from two years in Vietnam (A Snake in the Road), his year in command at Sinop (Qiogenes Station) and efforts in Zagreb (View from First Mountain).</p>
<p>Following a diagnosis of Parkinson’s in 2011, Bill and Anne moved in 2013 to Green Valley, AZ, where they participated in support group activities ranging from board president, member of the board, writing for the local support newsletter to that of a fellow confidant and counselor for those involved with Parkinson’s.</p>
<p>Bill never lost sight of the importance of people over concepts. A defining trait was his commitment to give of himself for others and his love for Anne, his sons and their families. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, their four sons and their spouses, eight grandchildren and four great­-grandchildren.</p>
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