|
It is with great regret and sorrow that I must notify of the death of our
classmate, Don Dreesbach, on May 11, 2022 in Orlando, FL of natural causes.
Don is survived by his wife, Cathy; their son Scott and his wife Amy; their
daughter Tracy Dillon and her husband Mark; and grandchildren Connor Dreesbach,
Tristan Anstadt, Hunter Anstadt, Madison Anstadt, Griffin Dreesbach, and Olivia
Anstadt.
Funeral services for Don Dreesbach will be at 10:00 AM, May 8, 2023 at the West
Point Cemetery.
Those attending should meet NLT 9:30 AM at the Visitors Control Center located
at the West Point Visitors Center in Highland Falls.
The family is planning a reception after the funeral -- details to be announced.
Condolences may be sent to Cathy at 8741 Hildreth Avenue. Orlando, FL 32832.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Don may be sent to the charity of
your choice.
Well done, Don, Be thou at peace.
Remembrances:
Class Memorial Pages\B-1 Don Dreesbach.pdf
To Donald's family.
I was shocked and sadden to learn of the death of Col Dreesbach.
We had stayed in touch for many years after I purchased his 1958 Mercedes in
1977 when he was at West Point.
We lost touch it seems maybe 3 years ago and was following up today and learned
the news.
Don was special the day I arrived to answer his "for sale 1958 Mercedes 220S "
in the New york times. arriving at his place at West Point was an awesome
experience. Don appeared at the door with a silver jump suit. He was as handsome
as it gets and stood straight as an arrow. When i noticed several scars on his
face he smiled asnd said" so you noticed....shot down over Vietnam" was his comm
ent. Small smile.
On the living room floor were spread dozens of photos of his restoration of the
car. Under his breath he said " need to sell it as my wife wants to move off
base" I wasnt sure if this was true but I smiled.
After some time of discussing each photo I was getting anxious and said " Could
I see the car?" Oh yes he said and at lasy he showed me this magnificant
automobile.
Don had done a truly extradinory job of restoration and a few days later we
picked it up and drove to our home in New Hampshire. I'm not sure but I thought
I might have seen a small tear in his eye as we drove off. But then again it was
a
misty day.
Don and I stayed in touch a bit over the next 40 years and from time to time he
would find something ( like the original registration) and would send it to me.
I seem to recall that he restored a couple of other classic cars maybe a jaguar
or MG.
I took Don's car out for a drive today ( that June 12, 2023) and that is what
prompt ed me to think of him and thus this contact to West Point.
My so sad to learn the news today but I hope this note will find its way to his
family. While our relationship was brief the memory of him and his work on this
car fills me with an emotion that is hard to express.
God Bless Don and thank you for your service to our country. And thanks for the
car!!
Fondly, Richard Kimmball, Chattanooga Tennessee
Obituaries:
Assembly/Taps Memorial Article:
Donald A. Dreesbach 1961
Cullum No. 23371-1961 | May 11, 2022 | Died in Orlando, FL
Cremated. Inurned at West Point Cemetery, NY
Hailing from Covina, CA, Donald Arthur “Don” Dreesbach embarked upon a four-year
West Point experience that prepared him for a lifetime career as a U.S. Air
Force officer. Skilled as a musician and intellectually gifted, Don lent himself
to cadet extracurricular activities that dovetailed with the needs of the Corps
and experiences that suited his style. He played the saxophone in the cadet
orchestra, contributed to cadet publications, and tutored other cadets. His easy
grasp of engineering concepts and their practical application were to be the
foundation of his facility with aeronautics and led to his being selected for
pilot training following graduation. No one could have predicted, though, that
Don would one day steer an aircraft the size of a house in combat to support our
units in Vietnam.
Don’s New Cadet Barracks, known then as “Beast Barracks” because of its
intensely personal challenging environment, introduced him to a confrontational
system designed to develop toughness. As with every other requirement, though,
Don grasped the purpose and adapted.
Moving smoothly through plebe year, Don excelled in all he undertook,
academically and militarily, and he adjusted easily to each subsequent year’s
requirements.
Don’s generosity as an academic coach made a meaningful contribution to the
overall stability of his companymates’ understanding of a challenging
curriculum. This was particularly true with talented athletes who were academic
misfits. As Corkie Rittgers, one of the others that Don coached, recalls, “Don
showed me how to survive!”
During First Class year, Don became a member of the Color Guard, a coveted
position that included trips off campus, special events, and significant
formations. During his junior year he led the cadet orchestra for occasional
performances in the dining hall, and, as a senior, he helped create the ’61
yearbook, the Howitzer, as associate editor.
Don joined those of his classmates who decided to be commissioned in the U.S.
Air Force, realizing that he had a passion for flying. Only six other members of
the graduating Class of 1961 who chose the Air Force were granted pilot
training. West Point provided pilots during two world wars and the Korean
conflict, but the U.S. Air Force Academy began fulfilling most of those
opportunities.
Along the way, Don encountered the lovely Catherine Russomanno; they were
destined to share a 60-year marriage. Together with their children, Scott and
Tracy, they embarked upon a lifetime adventure in service to our nation.
Don received his first pilot training at Williams AFB, north of Phoenix, AZ,
following which he served at Yokota AB, Tokyo, Japan, 56th Weather (Wx)
Reconnaissance Wing, piloting WB-50 typhoon hunter planes.
At Laredo AFB, TX, he joined the 3640th Pilot Training Squadron and then the
3251st Pilot Training Squadron at Perrin AFB, TX, where he trained to fly the
F-4 jet fighter. His combat flying began with assignment to the 435th Tactical
Fighter Squadron in Udorn, Thailand. He flew the F-4 (“My very favorite bird,”
he said) over Vietnam during 175 combat missions.
The lengthy preparation for Don’s heroic service in Vietnam might have
discouraged lesser men; it only strengthened his resolve. His personal account
of that period, written in a series of vignettes, is chilling. The preface to
them tells of his purpose in making a record:
I thought I’d put down some of the experience I had while flying F-4 Phantoms
with the 435th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing
located at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, January to December 1971.
Maybe some descendent will look at this stuff and gain some insight into what
it’s like to be a fighter pilot, the thing in my life I'm most proud of—way more
than anything else I’ve managed to do. Hopefully, there will be others in the
family that will follow me in years to come. Your planes will certainly be
different, the weapons will be better, but the spirit will be the same. There is
nothing in the world like it, as those of you have done it well know.
In preparation for his assignment to West Point as a professor in the Department
of Engineering, Don attended Arizona State University’s graduate school to
obtain a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. Following his tour there,
Don, Cathy and family travelled to Eglin Air Force Base, FL to join the 3246th
Test Wing. Following that assignment, they moved to Naples, Italy’s
Headquarters, Air South.
At Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH (Aeronautical Systems Division, ASD), Don
joined the Air Force Systems Command, his final post.
As the result of Don’s professional skill and dedicated service, he was awarded
some of our country’s highest decorations: the Distinguished Flying Cross, 12
Air Medals, two Air Force Commendation Medals, a Meritorious Service Medal, and
the Legion of Merit.
Don served on active duty in the Air Force for 26 years, retiring in 1987 with
the rank of colonel.
After leaving active duty, Don embarked upon a successful career in Department
of Defense contracting. He and his family moved to Annapolis, MD initially and
then to Dayton. Later, he taught math and aviation at a community college before
relocating to Orlando, FL with his family.
During his later years, Don struggled with his health and died May 11, 2022.
As B-1 companymate Bill Esselstein said, “Don was one of the finest members of
our company, a truly fine fellow whom his companymates and other classmates will
mourn.”
Clear skies and tailwinds, Don. Well Done: Be Thou at Peace.
— His wife, Cathy, and his classmates
|
