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<em>Richard Bradley Struss, “Dick” </em>to classmates, was born on 16 Apr 1931 to Arthur Struss, Sr. and Barbara Nevles Struss in Brooklyn, NY. The family relocat­ed to Kingston, NY, where Richard spent his boyhood years. All who knew him in those early years agree that he was attracted to the great outdoors and loved fishing. His sister Arlene recalls that, as a youngster, Richard delighted in taking his homemade fishing pole, unique in that his fishhook was a bent safety pin, and traveling to his fa­vorite fishing hole. Mind you, this “fishing hole” was not just a short walk away; it was a 20-mile round trip on his bicycle up to the Ashokan Reservoir in the nearby Catskill Mountains. The family was amazed that he frequently returned with several fish.</p>
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Richard’s love of the outdoors contin­ued, and he developed a lifelong zest for camping, especially on Slide Mountain in Ulster County. His love of the great outdoors further manifested itself when Richard entered the Boy Scouts program, where he achieved Eagle Scout rank on 11 Oct 1948.</p>
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Richard also was a model airplane en­thusiast, skilled at building and flying them. According to Arlene, however, the flying phase resulted in numerous crashes. He proudly displayed his airplanes in his room, mounting them neatly on horizon­tal wires near the ceiling. Richard and his lifelong friend Jimmie (James L. Kaman of Hurley, NY) learned of a model airplane store in Poughkeepsie, 25 miles away. The store was beyond bicycle range, so the two young teenage buddies decided to hitch­hike. This exciting adventure ended abrupt­ly when the car that stopped to pick up the two youthful hitchhikers turned out to be a New York State Highway Patrol trooper, who dutifully grilled the two adventurers before releasing them to parental discipline.</p>
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Richard graduated from Kingston [NY] High School in 1948, and his high school yearbook lists him as a member of the “Einstein Math Club” with the quotation “Pardon the grammar, but ain’t life grand” next to his photo. Upon graduating, Richard enlisted in the U.S. Air Force; received basic training at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, MS; was pro­moted to corporal; and selected to attend the USMA Preparatory School at Stewart Field, NY. At Prep School, Dick won a competi­tive nomination to West Point, entering the Academy as a member of the Class of 1955.</p>
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Bright and blessed with a strong intel­lectual curiosity, Dick had a commendable academic record. His enduring sense of hu­mor, which had surfaced as a youth when he regularly entertained family and friends with his imitation of “Donald Duck,” remained strong as a cadet but occasionally netted him a few demerits. Dick loved to play classical mu­sic in the cadet barracks, but his roommates were less than thrilled, especially during eve­ning study period. Later, Dick commented on what a thrill it was to receive his diploma from President Dwight D. Eisenhower.</p>
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At West Point, Dick had met the love of his life, Helen Bogovich, and they were mar­ried immediately following graduation. Dick and his friend Jimmie Kaman were each oth­er’s “best man” at their respective weddings.</p>
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Following graduation and the Signal Corps Basic Officer Course, Dick went to Ft. Benning, GA, and won the coveted para­chutist badge. He and Helen were assigned to Darmstadt, Germany, where Dick was as­signed various duties within his signal battal­ion. Their son Ricky was born in Germany, where Helen and Dick reported enjoying living on the economy and making new German friends.</p>
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Dick resigned his commission in 1959 to join Singer Engineering and, later, IBM. He earned a master’s degree in mechanical engi­neering from New York University and the family relocated to Bound Brook, NJ, where Dick formed his own consulting firm and participated in numerous engineering proj­ects, becoming a member of the Engineering Association of New Jersey.</p>
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Dick was a key player in the design and construction of the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge. His focus was on the pilings and the exacting concrete calculations for each cais­son. Opened in 1963, this bridge spans the Hudson River from Newburgh to Beacon, NY. It is a testimony to Dick’s engineering prowess. During 1977–78, he was called to Iran on a U.S. Government contract. There, Dick designed and supervised construc­tion of an underground room at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.</p>
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Dick was a devoted husband and fa­ther. He and Helen were faithful Catholics and belonged to The World Apostolate of Fatima, U.S.A., and The Blue Army of the Lady of Fatima. They often visited and made spiritual devotions at the Blue Army Shrine of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Washington, NJ.</p>
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Dick was a Boy Scout Leader in Bound Brook, and he had the pleasure of seeing son Ricky follow in his footsteps by achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. Dick and Ricky en­joyed building intricate model ships, model airplanes, and playing challenging games of strategy, such as chess, Stratego, and Battleship. They were keen competitors at the pool table and amateur ornithologists who enjoyed long hours of “birding” together.</p>
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Ricky’s untimely death while a college stu­dent was, understandably, a devastating blow to Dick and Helen. Our friend and classmate Dick Struss died after a brief illness on 22 Oct 1980. One of Dick’s enduring and endearing attributes was his ready smile. This positive attitude enabled Dick to raise instantly the morale of all around him. This trait was ap­preciated by his L-1 Company mates, espe­cially during winter’s long gloom period.</p>
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Dick’s beloved goddaughter Liz Worth fondly remembers her Uncle Richard as a “sweet gentleman with a delightful sense of humor which he shared with all; he had a wonderful and positive influence on my life.”</p>
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Farewell, old friend. Your “work on earth is done.” You blessed all of us with your quick mind and ready wit. You were a loyal member of the Corps. “Be thou at peace,” our soldier, patriot, and friend.</p>
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<em>—Elizabeth Worth and USMA classmates</em></p>