|
Mark Allen Ormsby
was born in Kokomo, IN on April 29, 1930 to Charles and Katherine
Ormsby. He was the third of five children. After attending Kokomo
High School, he received a congressional appointment to West Point.
Mark entered West Point in July 1950. He was a member of Cadet
Company M-1. Always good at math, Mark joked that he struggled with
Russian, but, thanks to help from his classmates, he got through. He
remembered his time at West Point with affection, especially
remembering his friendship with Don Geiger, his roommate, and many
others. Mark graduated from West Point in June 1954.
After graduation from West Point, Mark was sent to Artillery
Orientation at Fort Bliss, TX and then to Ranger School, Fort
Benning, GA. After the completion of Ranger training, the new second
lieutenant was assigned to command a Nike Ajax missile site on the
Chicago lake front. It was during that time that Mark married his
hometown sweetheart, Marilyn Crawford, in May 1955. Their daughter,
Michele, was born a year later. After time in Chicago, Mark was
ordered to the Ordnance Corps, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD and then
to White Sands Missile Range, NM for work on development of the Nike
Zeus and Redstone missiles. While at White Sands, a son was born in
November 1957. The next year, Mark enrolled in the master’s program
at New Mexico State University, where he received a master’s in
mechanical engineering.
Mark began a series of overseas assignments in 1962, first in France
and then in Heidelberg, Germany with U.S. Army, Europe (USAREUR) for
two years. In 1965, Mark was posted back to the States to the
Advanced Ordnance School, Aberdeen Proving Grounds.
The Vietnam War was a pivotal time for the West Point graduates of
Mark’s generation. A few days before the Tet Offensive in January
1968, Mark arrived in Saigon. He spoke very little about that time,
but undoubtedly it was a very momentous time to arrive. During his
time in Vietnam, he was assigned to the Advanced Research Projects
Agency working on night vision devices.
After Vietnam, Mark returned to Washington, DC for a short time at
the Office of the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon followed by
assignment to NATO Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium as military
attaché to the NATO Ambassador. This was an exciting time for the
family. The kids were old enough to appreciate the multi-cultural
experience of living in Europe, while at the same time growing up as
teenagers. A favorite story is when Mark went to pick up his
daughter at a teen party that was running late. Mark figured he
could get immediate attention by showing up in white shorts, white
knee socks, and black loafers. Needless to say, Mark got immediate
attention from Michele!
In
1974, Mark received an assignment to Rock Island Arsenal, IL. He
retired from the Army in 1978 as the Deputy Commander of Rock Island
with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He received numerous awards
including the Bronze Star, the Army Legion of Merit, the Meritorious
Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, and the Army
Commendation Medal: all attesting to 24 years of service to our
country.
After retirement from the Army, Mark worked as a project manager for
Iowa-Illinois Gas and Electric on the construction of the new Louisa
Power Plant in Muscatine, IA. He was proud that the project was
“completed on time and under budget.” After that project, Mark
became a district manager for Iowa-Illinois Gas and Electric in
Cedar Rapids, IA, from which he retired in 1994.
Mark had a busy retirement. He especially loved the cabin on Lake
Delhi and cruising up and down the lake in the pontoon boat waving
at everyone. His granddaughter Sarah (his son Mark’s daughter) was a
special joy, as were the family pets. He was fortunate that all of
the family lived close to Cedar Rapids. He loved his martinis and
cookouts. Mark especially related to his West Point and Army years,
and he was especially supportive of his alma mater during the
Army-Navy games.
In
2006 Mark suffered a debilitating stroke. During the period after,
he maintained a sense of humor and was most brave, a perfect example
of an Army Ranger. He passed away on August 29, 2011. Marilyn
continues to live in Iowa, as do his children. Mark was buried with
full military honors at Rock Island National Cemetery, Rock Island,
IL. “Be Thou at Peace,” Mark. |
