Obituary for Lt. Col. Richard V. Lohrens
Lt. Col. Richard V. Lohrens, 99, of Shippensburg, departed this life on the morning of Wednesday, April 10, 2019, at the Chambersburg Hospital.
He was born on March 4, 1920, in Chicago, IL, a son of the late Louis F. and Hildegard (Schulz) Lohrens.
Richard was employed by the American Radiator and Standard Sanitary Corp., as an accountant until 1941 when he was drafted for service in WW II. As an officer assigned to the 34th Infantry Division he received the Silver Star, Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and Combat Infantry Badge for outstanding service during combat in Tunisia, North Africa, and Italy. After intense combat in the mountains of Italy, from Salerno Beach north to Cassino, he returned to the U.S. and was assigned to the Chicago Ordinance District procurement office.
After WW II he was employed by the Ford Motor Co., to manage the “Babe Ruth” Little League Program that terminated in a World Series at Comisky Park in Chicago, with 15,000 fans attending and “The Babe” making his last public appearance. Thereafter, Richard was a FMCO District Representative until he was recalled to active duty for the Korean War.
In 1953, after the Korean War, he worked at the U.S. Army Weapons Command in the Rock Island Arsenal as a Supervisory Equipment Specialist, until retiring on June 30, 1973. Richard wrote several maintenance, repair, and rebuild manuals for weapons systems on various combat vehicles. Also, he provided technical support to several field commands and other nations using U.S. equipment.
Richard was a staff member of the Davenport, IA, 5041 USAR School for officers and was director of training for Ordnance Personnel. When retired, he lived on Marco Island, FL, for twenty-two years, before moving to Pennsylvania.
He is survived by nephew, Keith Lohrens and wife Sandy of Frankfort, IL; three great nephews; one great niece; and eight great great nephews and nieces. In addition to his parents, Richard was preceded in death by his sister, Leonora Usborne; and his brother, Frederick Lohrens.
His funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m., on Saturday, April 13, 2019, in the Remembrance Chapel at the Fogelsanger-Bricker Funeral Home & Crematorium, Inc. Pastor George W. Heckard will officiate. Interment with military honors will be in the Mt. Hope Cemetery, Chicago, Il, after services at the Schmaedeke Funeral Home in Worth, IL, at 10:00 a.m., on Friday, April 19, 2019. A visitation will be held from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 18, 2019 at the Schmaedeke Funeral Home.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.fogelsanger-brickerfuneralhome.com.
He was born on March 4, 1920, in Chicago, IL, a son of the late Louis F. and Hildegard (Schulz) Lohrens.
Richard was employed by the American Radiator and Standard Sanitary Corp., as an accountant until 1941 when he was drafted for service in WW II. As an officer assigned to the 34th Infantry Division he received the Silver Star, Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and Combat Infantry Badge for outstanding service during combat in Tunisia, North Africa, and Italy. After intense combat in the mountains of Italy, from Salerno Beach north to Cassino, he returned to the U.S. and was assigned to the Chicago Ordinance District procurement office.
After WW II he was employed by the Ford Motor Co., to manage the “Babe Ruth” Little League Program that terminated in a World Series at Comisky Park in Chicago, with 15,000 fans attending and “The Babe” making his last public appearance. Thereafter, Richard was a FMCO District Representative until he was recalled to active duty for the Korean War.
In 1953, after the Korean War, he worked at the U.S. Army Weapons Command in the Rock Island Arsenal as a Supervisory Equipment Specialist, until retiring on June 30, 1973. Richard wrote several maintenance, repair, and rebuild manuals for weapons systems on various combat vehicles. Also, he provided technical support to several field commands and other nations using U.S. equipment.
Richard was a staff member of the Davenport, IA, 5041 USAR School for officers and was director of training for Ordnance Personnel. When retired, he lived on Marco Island, FL, for twenty-two years, before moving to Pennsylvania.
He is survived by nephew, Keith Lohrens and wife Sandy of Frankfort, IL; three great nephews; one great niece; and eight great great nephews and nieces. In addition to his parents, Richard was preceded in death by his sister, Leonora Usborne; and his brother, Frederick Lohrens.
His funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m., on Saturday, April 13, 2019, in the Remembrance Chapel at the Fogelsanger-Bricker Funeral Home & Crematorium, Inc. Pastor George W. Heckard will officiate. Interment with military honors will be in the Mt. Hope Cemetery, Chicago, Il, after services at the Schmaedeke Funeral Home in Worth, IL, at 10:00 a.m., on Friday, April 19, 2019. A visitation will be held from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 18, 2019 at the Schmaedeke Funeral Home.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.fogelsanger-brickerfuneralhome.com.