COL Susan Wilff McMakin (Credit: Legacy.com)
In Memoriam
Remembering the Recently Departed Members of the Regiment
By Nicholas K. Roland, Ph.D.
The following members of our regiment, in alphabetical order, passed away in 2023.
BOLLER, Richard R. (1934–2023).
Colonel (Retired) Richard Rudolph Boller passed away on 12 March 2023.1 He was eighty-eight years old.
Colonel Boller was born on 8 August 1934 in Karuizawa, Japan, to Rudolph and Louise Boller. He grew up in Elmhurst, Illinois, and graduated from York Community High School. Colonel Boller attended Miami University and Elmhurst College before receiving his bachelor’s degree and juris doctor from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1961. In 1954, he joined the U.S. Army. “Colonel Boller was known as an outstanding officer, a professional Soldier, and lawyer and judge advocate who anticipated and overcame situations before they became problems. Most importantly, he was a devoted family man who was lucky enough to be married to his best friend, Frances.”2
In addition to his parents, he is predeceased by his wife, two sons, two brothers-in-law, and beloved rottweiler, Rudy. Survivors include his daughter, three grandchildren, daughter-in-law, and special friends.
CHON, Yong M. (1958-2023).
Ms. Chon, senior civilian and paralegal specialist for the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate (OSJA), 2d Infantry Division (2ID), passed away on 31 July 2023 surrounded by her family in Uijeongbu, Republic of Korea.3 She was sixty-five years old.
Ms. Chon was born on 24 February 1958. She began her U.S. Government career in 1975 and served at Camps Red Cloud and Casey. In January 1979, she became a Korean Government Service paralegal specialist with the 2ID OSJA—the position she held until the day of her passing. “Ms. Chon dedicated her career to helping U.S. Soldiers and Korean augmentees to the U.S. Army. She managed Status of Forces Agreement cases, assisted with immigration issues and civil settlements, performed legal assistance duties, and handled many other matters pertaining to the U.S.-Republic of Korea partnership.”4 Ms. Chon provided exceptional continuity for more than thirty-five 2ID staff judge advocates during her forty-two years of service to the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps.
Ms. Chon is survived by her husband, a son and daughter, and one grandchild.
CORNELIUS, Roger W. (1950-2023).
Colonel (Retired) Roger Wade Cornelius of Huntsville, Alabama, passed away on 29 November 2023.5 He was seventy-three years old.
Colonel Cornelius was born on 12 September 1950 in Wooster, Ohio. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in history from Bowling Green State University in 1972 and his juris doctor from Akron Law School in 1975.
Colonel Cornelius was commissioned into the JAG Corps in January 1976. His military assignments included deputy chief counsel, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama; chief attorney, Washington, D.C.; deputy command counsel, U.S. Army Contracting Command Europe, Seckenheim, Germany; Contract Legal Advisor, U.S. Army Headquarters Command, Fort Monmouth, New Jersey; professor, The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School (TJAGLCS), Charlottesville, Virginia; assistant judge advocate, U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Defense, Huntsville, Alabama; and claims judge advocate and assistant staff judge advocate, U.S. Army Combined Arms Center, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He was a graduate of the Army War College, Command and General Staff College, Judge Advocate Officer Graduate Course, and Judge Advocate Officer Basic Course.
Colonel Cornelius retired from the Army in 2002 after twenty-seven years in the JAG Corps. He started his second career as a Civilian contract law attorney in the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command Legal Office at Redstone Arsenal, where he remained until his second retirement in 2020.
Colonel Cornelius is survived by his loving wife of fifty-one years; his brother; and his beloved nephews and niece.
EAKER, Jamie D. (1958–2023).
Ms. Jamie D. Eaker, contract and fiscal law attorney for the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, 3d Infantry Division, passed away on 15 August 2023.6 She was sixty-five years old.
Ms. Eaker was born in Florida on 21 January 1958. She received her bachelor of arts in 1980 from the University of Iowa, juris doctor from Creighton Law School in 1983, and master of laws from TJAGLCS in 1997. Ms. Eaker served as a military police officer and then as a judge advocate for fourteen years. “Most notably, Ms. Eaker crossed into Iraq with the 3d Infantry Division when it spearheaded the invasion at the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom.”7
Her military awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (two oak leaf clusters), Joint Service Command Medal, Army Commendation Medal (fourth award), Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal (second award), and an Army Achievement Medal.
Ms. Eaker transitioned to Federal Civilian service in 2004. She served as an administrative law attorney at Fort Stewart, Georgia, an attorney advisor at Defense Contract Management Agency in Orlando, Florida, and a contract and fiscal law attorney advisor at Fort Stewart, Georgia, from 2019 until the day of her passing.
EXNICIOS, John A. (1947–2023).
Colonel (Retired) John Adams Exnicios passed away on 6 July 2023.8 He was seventy-six years old.
Colonel Exnicios was born on 11 May 1947 in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Telemaque J. Exnicios and Annette Guidry Exnicios. He earned degrees from Fortier High School, Louisiana State University College of Arts and Sciences, and Louisiana State University Law School.
Colonel Exnicios served in the U.S. Army in the active and Reserve components as a quartermaster officer and a judge advocate from 1969 to 1998. His final assignment was as the chief of the legal branch at Headquarters, Department of the Army, Washington, D.C. Most of his military career was spent with the 377th Theater Army Area Command, New Orleans, Louisiana, where his assignments included staff judge advocate, deputy staff judge advocate, chief of staff, assistant staff judge advocate, and chief of military affairs.
Colonel Exnicios was preceded in death by his wife, his parents, and his sister. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, his daughter, his four grandchildren, and his sister.
FEBBO, Anthony T. (1964–2023).
Colonel (Retired) Anthony Thomas Febbo of Annandale, Virginia, passed away on 3 June 2023.9 He was fifty-eight years old.
Colonel Febbo was born on 13 October 1964 to Thomas and Patricia Febbo in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He enlisted in the Army in 1984 as a paralegal specialist and obtained the rank of staff sergeant before becoming a judge advocate. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Temple University in 1987, his juris doctor from the Beasley School of Law at Temple University in 1992, and his master of laws from TJAGLCS in 2002.
In 2019, Colonel Febbo retired after more than thirty-four years of military service and four overseas combat deployments. His military assignments included associate judge, U.S. Army Court of Criminals Appeals; staff judge advocate, Fort Shafter, Hawaii; Army War College fellow, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania; regional defense counsel, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan; deputy staff judge advocate, Camp Ederle, Italy; chief of intelligence and operations law, Taszar, Hungary; and trial counsel, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Colonel Febbo is interred at Arlington National Cemetery with his brothers and sisters in arms.
GOULD, Cassandra A. (1961–2023).
Staff Sergeant (Retired) Cassandra Ann Gould, of Frederick, Maryland, passed away on 11 July 2023.10 She was sixty-two years old.
Staff Sergeant Gould was born on 7 February 1961 in Hamilton, Ohio, to James Reid Sr. and Frankie Mae Reid. After graduating from Central State University, she joined the JAG Corps in 1985 and served for more than twenty-two years as a paralegal before retiring in 2007. Her military assignments included legal noncommissioned officer (NCO), Fort Campbell, Kentucky; battalion legal NCO, Fort Clayton, Panama; military linguist, Port-Au-Prince, Haiti; legal NCO, U.S. Army Legal Services Agency; noncommissioned officer in charge (NCOIC), Military Claims Service, Korea; NCOIC, U.S. Armed Forces Claims, Korea; and criminal law NCO, Brigade Legal Center NCOIC, Claims Division NCOIC, Administrative Division NCOIC, and Legal Operations Center NCOIC with the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, New York.
Upon retirement, Staff Sergeant Gould served as a Federal Civilian employee at Fort Drum and the Department of Agriculture before she joined the Fort Detrick Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, serving Soldiers as a legal assistance technician. She is survived by her daughter and sisters.
HANKS, Roland D. (1969–2023).
Master Sergeant Roland David Hanks of Fort Liberty, North Carolina, passed away on 9 April 2023.11 He was fifty-three years old.
Master Sergeant Hanks was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on 24 September 1969 to Sergeant First Class (Retired) Robert D. Hanks and Lore Pfeiffer Hanks. He began his career as a teacher in Indonesia, where he met his wife. They worked together at a school in Jakarta and married in Bali in 2003. In 2007, they returned to the United States, and Master Sergeant Hanks enlisted in the U.S. Army as a paralegal specialist. During his sixteen years of service, he served at Fort Eustis, Virginia; Fort Polk, Louisiana; Fort Knox, Kentucky; Fort Lee, Virginia; the U.S. Embassy in Conakry, Guinea; Fort Rucker, Alabama; and Fort Liberty, North Carolina. He earned his master’s degree in criminal justice from American Military University in 2013 and his Ph.D. in organizational leadership from Regent University in 2021.
His military awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (one oak leaf cluster), Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal (nine oak leaf clusters), and the Army Good Conduct Medal (fifth award). Master Sergeant Hanks was a graduate of the Master Leader Course, Senior Leader Course, Advanced Leader Course, and Basic Leader Course. He was authorized to wear the Basic Army Instructor Badge and the Driver and Mechanic Badge.
Master Sergeant Hanks is survived by his wife.
HOPKINS, Alben N., Sr. (1941–2023).
Major General (Retired) Alben “Al” N. Hopkins Sr. of Biloxi, Mississippi, passed away on 12 February 2023.12 He was eighty-one years old.
Major General Hopkins was born on 14 February 1941 in Ripley, Mississippi, and grew up in Walnut, Mississippi. He attended Walnut Central High School and then Delta State University on a basketball scholarship. He earned his juris doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1965 and an honorary master of laws from the Mississippi College School of Law in 2010. While at the University of Mississippi School of Law, he served as chairman of the Law School Honor Council and president of his graduating class.
Major General Hopkins enlisted in the 31st Infantry Division, Mississippi Army National Guard in 1965. He served over twenty-two years as a judge advocate within the Mississippi Army National Guard; he served his final four years as the Assistant Adjutant General for the State of Mississippi.
He is survived by his wife of fifty-nine years, his son, his grandson, his sister, his nieces and nephews, and his four-legged companion, Clarence.
HOUGEN, Howard “Monty” M. (1935–2023).
Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Howard Montgomery “Monty” Hougen of Mount Vernon, Virginia, passed away on 24 January 2023.13 He was eighty-seven years old.
Lieutenant Colonel Hougen was born in Omaha, Nebraska. He grew up in Iowa and graduated from the University of Iowa with a bachelor of arts in 1957 and a juris doctor in 1960 on a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship. He met fellow Hawkeye Dixie Herr in 1958 and they were married in 1961. While a young officer stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, the JAG Corps bowling team recruited Lieutenant Colonel Hougen, who became a judge advocate, too.
Lieutenant Colonel Hougen served in the U.S. Army for twenty years, including service in Vietnam—he was in Saigon at the time of the Tet Offensive—Fort Knox, Fort Lee, and the Pentagon. He earned a master of laws in patents and trade regulation from George Washington University in 1975, which led to experience with international contract negotiations. After retiring from the Army, Lieutenant Colonel Hougen joined the then-named Dynelectron Corporation, a position that sent him on many international trips. He retired in 2008 at age seventy-three, having served many years as deputy general counsel and corporate secretary. He is survived by his wife, daughter, son and daughter-in-law, and four grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents, his son-in-law, and his boxer, Hawkeye.
KILE, Daniel A. (1937–2023).
Colonel (Retired) Daniel A. Kile of Charlottesville, Virginia, passed away on 11 July 2023.14 He was born 31 December 1937 in Manhattan, New York City, to Thomas Jolly Kile and Vera Nettie Schaefer.
Colonel Kile grew up in Connecticut. He earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1959 and his juris doctor in 1962 from the University of Connecticut. While in school, he was in ROTC and served as a member of the Pershing Rifles. After graduating, Colonel Kile entered the Army and retired after twenty-seven and a half years of service. His assignments included Berlin, Germany; Korea; the Pentagon; Charlottesville, Virginia; and George Washington University, where he earned a master of laws in 1974.
He was preceded in death by his son and older brother. Colonel Kile is survived by his wife, daughters, son-in-law, brother, and nieces and nephews.
LEY, John P. (1951–2023).
Colonel (Retired) John P. Ley Jr. of St. Mary’s, Georgia, passed away on 15 May 2023.15 He was seventy-two years old.
Colonel Ley was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on 18 March 1951 to John and Helen Ley. He attended Pennsylvania State University on an Army ROTC scholarship and was commissioned as a second lieutenant armor officer upon graduation. He earned his juris doctor from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1976 and became a judge advocate in 1977.
During his military career, Colonel Ley served throughout Europe, Asia, and the continental United States, including assignments as the staff judge advocate, U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa; deputy staff judge advocate, U.S. Army Europe and Africa; staff judge advocate, 8th Army; staff judge advocate, U.S. Forces-Korea; legal advisor to the commander, United Nations Command; chief, International and Operational Law Division, Office of The Judge Advocate General, Army; and director of the Army’s Legal Center and acting commander of TJAGLCS. He also deployed to Goma, Zaire, as the staff judge advocate of Joint Task Force Support Hope to provide humanitarian assistance to over two million Rwandan refugees.
After retiring from the U.S. Army, Colonel Ley served as the clerk of court of the Eleventh Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals in Atlanta, Georgia, until 2014. He is survived by his wife, three children, and eight grandchildren.
MACHADO, Donald C., Sr. (1928–2023).
Colonel (Retired) Don C. Machado Sr. of Honolulu, Hawaii, passed away on 20 May 2023.16 He was ninety-four years old.
Donald Carl Machado Sr. was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on 10 September 1928 to Carl M. Machado and Julia Fernandes Machado. He graduated high school as class valedictorian and became Hawaii’s first graduate from the University of Notre Dame. He obtained his juris doctor from Georgetown University and passed the District of Columbia’s bar examination the following day. He also became licensed to practice law in the Territory of Hawaii.
Colonel Machado had a long, distinguished military and Civilian career over fifty-eight years of service. He was commissioned as a judge advocate in 1954. His first active-duty assignment was at the Presidio of San Francisco, after which he transitioned to the U.S. Army Reserve, serving many years in the 322nd Civil Affairs Group before retiring in 1988.
After his military retirement, he continued his dedicated service as a Civilian claims attorney. “From 1957 until 2013, he provided expert counsel to a legion of commanders, staff judge advocates, and Department of Justice attorneys.”17 Colonel Machado’s last position was as the chief of tort claims and litigation at the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, U.S. Army Pacific. He retired from Federal Civilian service in 2012.
Colonel Machado is survived by his wife, brother, son, daughter, son- and daughter-in-law, and granddaughter.
McDANIEL, Deborah A. (1956–2023).
Ms. Deborah (Debbie) McDaniel of Charlottesville, Virginia, passed away on 28 February 2023.18 She was sixty-six years old.
Ms. McDaniel was born on 27 October 1956 in Corona, California, to Leonard and Shirley Ann Roberts. After living in many different locations due to her father’s military service, she graduated from Lower Richland High School in Hopkins, South Carolina, in 1974. She earned her undergraduate degree from Midlands Technical College in Columbia, South Carolina, and began her civil service career with the Internal Revenue Service in Columbia, South Carolina. Ms. McDaniel then started her career with the JAG Corps at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.
Ms. McDaniel later worked in the Office of the Dean at TJAGLCS in Charlottesville, Virginia. She retired from Government service after thirty-eight years of service. “Debbie’s colleagues remember her as a kind and dedicated professional who was always willing to lend a helping hand. Debbie’s commitment to her work, her colleagues, and her country was truly inspiring.”19
MCGILLIVRAY, James C. (1960 – 2023).
Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) James McGillivray passed away on 2 August 2023.20 He was sixty-two years old.
Lieutenant Colonel McGillivray was born on 14 September 1960 in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, to Catherine (nee Fell) and James J. McGillivray. He earned his degree in English literature from the University of Notre Dame in 1982 and his juris doctor from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 1987.
Lieutenant Colonel McGillivray was commissioned into the U.S. Navy JAG Corps as an active-duty judge advocate, where he served at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, as a defense counsel and command judge advocate for Brigade Service Support Group – 4, Second Marine Division, and later for the U.S. Naval Security Group Activity, Royal Air Force Edzell, Scotland. After his Navy service, he transferred to the Indiana Army National Guard, serving as the command judge advocate for the 76th Infantry Brigade. Lieutenant Colonel McGillivray then served as a team leader with the 91st Legal Operations Detachment and deployed in 2005 to serve with the XVIII Airborne Corps as chief of the Administrative Law Division in Baghdad, Iraq. Between 2010 and 2013, he mobilized with the Office of Soldiers’ Counsel and represented Soldiers at their physical evaluation boards. Lieutenant Colonel McGillivray retired from the U.S. Army Reserve in 2015 after twenty-eight years of combined military service. He most recently served as the deputy director at the Office of Soldiers’ Counsel. His military awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, and Meritorious Service Medal (oak leaf cluster).
Lieutenant Colonel McGillivray was “an early architect of the Office of Soldiers’ Counsel mission, a mentor and personal assistant for anyone in crisis, as well as an advocate, sounding board, tough love counselor, and a shoulder to cry on for anyone in need.”21 He is survived by his wife and two daughters.
COL Susan Wilff McMakin (Credit: Legacy.com)
MCMAKIN, Susan W. (1939–2023).
Colonel (Retired) Susan Wolff McMakin, of Midlothian, Virginia, passed away on 10 September 2023.22 She was eighty-three years old.
Colonel McMakin graduated from Julienne High School in Dayton, Ohio, and earned her bachelor’s degree from Trinity College in Washington, D.C. She received her juris doctor from The George Washington University Law School in 1969 and her master of laws in taxation from William & Mary Law School in 1981.
Colonel McMakin began her career in the JAG Corps in 1972. Her military assignments included senior advisor, Personnel Claims and Recovery Division, Fort Meade, Maryland; deputy commander, U.S. Army Claims Service, Fort Meade, Maryland; chief, Benefits Section, U.S. Army Legal Assistance Task Force–Desert Storm, Falls Church, Virginia; assistant staff judge advocate, 1st U.S. Army and Fort Meade, Fort Meade, Maryland; deputy staff judge advocate, 80th Training Division, Fort Lee, Virginia; assistant staff judge advocate, 300th Support Group, Fort Lee, Virginia; assistant staff judge advocate, Administrative Law Branch, Fort Eustis, Virginia; administrative law officer, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, Fort Monroe, Virginia; and assistant chief, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, Fort Monroe, Virginia.
Colonel McMakin is survived by her husband, daughter, grandchildren, brother and sister, and several nephews, nieces, grand-nephews, grand-nieces, and cousins.
Frank L. Melton (Credit: Grace First Baptist Church)
MELTON, Frank L. (1951–2023).
Frank L. Melton passed away on 23 March 2023 at his home in San Antonio, Texas.23 Frank was born on 7 August 1951 in Lubbock, Texas, to Fannie Lee Lewis Melton and Leon Melton. In 1969, he graduated from Lubbock’s Dunbar High School, where he was a member of the National Honor Society and the first student to letter in four sports (football, basketball, baseball, and tennis). He graduated from Prairie View A&M University in 1973 and was commissioned into the Army via ROTC. He earned his juris doctor from the Texas Tech University School of Law in 1976.
Mr. Melton lived a life of service. In his JAG Corps career, he served as a prosecutor, defense counsel, claims officer, contract attorney, civil law attorney, and medical center attorney. His assignments included Fort Huachuca, Arizona; Fort Greely, Alaska; Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort Sill, Oklahoma; and Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. After the Army, he served as an assistant city attorney, general counsel for the San Antonio International Airport, and transactional attorney for the City of San Antonio.
Mr. Melton held memberships in several organizations and was a benefactor of numerous charities. Among other Army awards, he received the Overseas Service Ribbon and Meritorious Service Medal. He received a fifty-year service award from Omega Psi Phi in 2022 and was honored with a Living Legend Award in 2023 by the Texas Tech Black Law Students Association to commemorate his status as the oldest living African American graduate of Texas Tech University’s School of Law.
Mr. Melton was preceded in death by his parents and is survived by his wife, daughters, brother and sister, god-daughters, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and devoted friends.
MURRAY, Robert E. (1937-2023).
Major General (Retired) Robert Edward Murray of Herndon, Virginia, passed away on 14 April 2023.24 He was eighty-six years old.
Major General Murray was born in Lorain, Ohio, on 28 February 1937. He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration and juris doctor from Case Western Reserve University before joining the U.S. Army in 1962.
Major General Murray’s assignments include the acting Judge Advocate General, Office of The Judge Advocate General; the Assistant Judge Advocate General, Office of The Judge Advocate General; executive officer, Office of The Judge Advocate General; judge advocate, United Nations Command/United States Forces Korea/Eighth U.S. Army; deputy commandant and commandant, U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s School, Charlottesville, Virginia; staff judge advocate, 1st Armored Division, Ansbach, Germany; chief of military justice, Military Assistance Command/Vietnam Support Command; deputy staff judge advocate, Fort Dix, New Jersey; Office of The Judge Advocate General, Southern European Task Force; and Sixth U.S. Army, Presidio of San Francisco, California. He was a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the Army War College.
His military awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (one oak leaf cluster), the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (two oak leaf clusters), the Joint Service Commendation Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal. He was also authorized to wear the Army Staff Identification Badge.
Major General Murray retired from active duty on 30 November 1993 and worked as a substitute teacher in Fairfax County, Virginia, for twenty years; he taught elementary school special needs and gifted and talented students.
LTC Stanley L. Myers (Credit: JP Holley Funeral Home)
MYERS, Stanley L. (1976–2023).
Lieutenant Colonel Stanley L. Myers passed away on 27 September 2023.25 He was forty-seven years old.
Lieutenant Colonel Myers was born on 7 July 1976 in Swansea, South Carolina. He earned his bachelor of arts in political science from the Citadel Military College of South Carolina in 1998 and his juris doctor from the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law in 2003.
Lieutenant Colonel Myers began his military service in 1999 as a rifle platoon leader for the 118th Infantry Regiment before joining the JAG Corps in 2004. His assignments in the JAG Corps included military judge for the Joint Forces Army National Guard Staff Element, Columbia, South Carolina; regional defense counsel for Regional Trial Defense, Columbia, South Carolina; judge advocate for the 59th Troop Command, West Columbia, South Carolina; and deputy staff judge advocate, chief of claims, trial counsel, and legal assistance officer during multiple assignments with the 218th Infantry Brigade, Newberry, South Carolina. Lieutenant Colonel Myers was a graduate of the Military Judges Course, National Guard Judge Advocate Course, Resident Intermediate Level Education Course, Staff Judge Advocate Course, Army National Guard Defense Counsel Course, Judge Advocate Officer Advanced Course, and Infantry Officer Basic Course. At the time of his passing, Lieutenant Colonel Myers was serving as the M-Day military judge for the South Carolina Army National Guard.
Lieutenant Colonel Myers is survived by his wife, son, and daughter.
RICHARDSON, Mark P. (1962–2023).
Major (Retired) Mark Patrick Richardson of Princeton, Minnesota, passed away on 2 June 2023.26 He was sixty years old.
Major Richardson was born on 27 June 1962 to Roy and Bonnie (Johnson) Richardson in St. Paul, Minnesota. He served in the U.S. Air Force prior to joining the Minnesota Army National Guard in 2008 as a judge advocate. He earned his bachelor of science from Saint Cloud State University in 1993, his master of education from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota in 1998, and his juris doctor from William Mitchell College of Law in 2008.
Major Richardson’s military assignments included assistant judge advocate, 347th Regional Support Group, Roseville, Minnesota; administrative and civil law attorney, 34th Infantry Division, Rosemount, Minnesota; defense counsel, 233d Judge Advocate General’s Detachment Trial Defense Team, St. Paul, Minnesota; intelligence law officer, Combat Aviation Brigade, St. Paul, Minnesota; operational law attorney, 34th Infantry Division, Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota; and intelligence law officer, 34th Infantry Division, Rosemount, Minnesota.
Major Richardson is survived by his wife, daughters, mother, brothers, and sisters. He was preceded in death by his father and nephew.
RINVELT, Anthony E. (1996–2023).
Staff Sergeant Anthony Edward Rinvelt of Hudsonville, Michigan, passed away on 30 May 2023.27 He was twenty-six years old.
Staff Sergeant Rinvelt was born on 14 October 1996 to Rebecca L. Carr and Randal G. Rinvelt. He graduated from West Greenville Virtual Academy High School in 2014. In 2015, Anthony enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving his country proudly for eight years.
Staff Sergeant Rinvelt’s military assignments included paralegal NCO, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska; paralegal NCO, Vicenza, Italy; paralegal NCO, Fort Liberty, North Carolina; and paralegal specialist, Yongsan, Republic of Korea. He was a graduate of the Basic Leader Course and Airborne School. His military awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal (two oak leaf clusters), Army Achievement Medal (two oak leaf clusters), Army Good Conduct Medal (second award), National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, and Parachutist Badge.
Staff Sergeant Rinvelt is survived by his mother, stepfather, father, stepmother, sisters, stepbrothers, and many family members and friends.
RUSSELL, Joseph W. (1955–2023).
Joseph W. Russell of Alexandria Bay, New York, passed away on 21 January 2023.28 He was sixty-seven years old.
Mr. Russell was born in Alexandria Bay, New York, on 31 August 1955 to Alden F. and Margaret M. Underwood Russell. He graduated from Alexandria Central School in 1973 and then earned a bachelor of arts in economics from St. Lawrence University in 1977 as an ROTC cadet. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army in May 1977 and was awarded an educational delay from active duty to attend Albany Law School, where he earned his juris doctor in 1980. Mr. Russell served in the U.S. Army as a captain in the JAG Corps from 1980 to 1984 at Fort Riley, Kansas, where he met Robin McKeen, whom he married on 3 August 1984.
Mr. Russell most recently worked at his law firm, Joseph W. Russell P.C., and was previously a partner at Conboy, McKay, Backman & Kendall; Menter, Rudin & Trivelpiece; and Barclay Damon LLP. He was active in the local community and served as a board member and president for many foundations and associations. Mr. Russell was also one of the founders of the Lady Ghosts Girl’s Hockey Team and spent many hours supporting girls’ hockey. He is survived by his wife, daughters, a foreign exchange student “son,” and three brothers.
SCHEFF, Richard P. (1935-2023).
Colonel (Retired) Richard Pittman Scheff of Milledgeville, Georgia, passed away on 2 March 2023.29 He was eighty-seven years old.
Colonel Scheff was born on 28 July 1935 and grew up in Cedartown and Rockmart, Georgia. He earned his juris doctor from Tulane University and joined the U.S. Army in 1960. Colonel Scheff served five tours overseas, including Vietnam (where he was awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star), France, and three tours in Germany. Colonel Scheff retired in 1990 after serving in the JAG Corps for thirty years.
Following his retirement from the U.S. Army, he attended West Georgia College, where he earned a master’s degree in public administration. He then moved to Milledgeville, Georgia, where he taught political science, public administration, and criminal justice at Georgia College & State University.
SCHEMPF, Bryan H. (1947–2023).
Colonel (Retired) Bryan H. Schempf of Williamsburg, Virginia, passed away on 14 October 2023.30 He was seventy-six years old.
Colonel Schempf was born on 6 April 1947 in Rochester, New York, to Marjorie and William Schempf. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1969 with a bachelor of science degree and obtained his juris doctor from the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law in 1974.
Colonel Schempf was commissioned in the U.S. Army in 1969 prior to joining the JAG Corps in 1974. His military assignments included staff judge advocate, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, Fort Monroe, Virginia; U.S. Army Recruiting Command, Fort Sheridan, Illinois; U.S. Army Claims Service – East, New York; U.S. Army Military Personnel Center, St. Louis, Missouri; professor at The Judge Advocate General’s School, Charlottesville, Virginia; and U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Meade, Maryland. He was a graduate of the 74th Judge Advocate Officer Basic Course, the 26th Judge Advocate Advanced Course, and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.
Colonel Schempf is survived by his wife, daughters, grandsons, brother, sister, and brothers-in-law.
SEAMONE, Evan R. (1976–2023).
Major (Retired) Evan Ryan Seamone of Los Angeles, California, passed away on 25 July 2023.31 He was forty-seven years old.
Major Seamone was born on 3 January 1976 in Los Angeles, California, to Shelley Milton Seamone and the late Ellis E. Seamone. He received a commission through ROTC as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army and deferred his active-duty service to attend law school. Evan received his bachelor of arts and master in public policy from the University of California, Los Angeles, his juris doctor from the University of Iowa College of Law, his master of laws from TJAGLCS, and his doctorate from Northeastern University.
Major Seamone’s military assignments included senior defense counsel, Trial Defense Team 11, Mobile, Arkansas; senior defense counsel, Trial Defense Team 12, Forest Park, Arkansas; Office of the Chief Prosecutor for Military Commissions, Washington, D.C.; chief of military justice, Maneuver Center of Excellence, Fort Moore, Georgia; assistant professor & editor, Military Law Review, Administrative and Civil Law Department, TJAGLCS, Charlottesville, Virginia; trial defense counsel, individual military counsel, and labor law attorney, U.S. Army Trial Defense Service Europe and 7th U.S. Army Joint Multinational Training Center, Grafenwoehr, Germany; special prosecutor, Capital Litigation Division, XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Liberty, North Carolina; chief of military justice and special assistant U.S. attorney, U.S. Army Intelligence Center and Fort Huachuca, Arizona; operational law attorney, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Cavazos, Texas; and trial counsel and special assistant U.S. attorney, Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Johnson, Louisiana. He was a graduate of the Judge Advocate Officer Basic Course and Graduate Course.
Major Seamone is survived by his mother.
CW3 Melanie Sellars (Credit: Billie Suttles, TJAGLCS)
SELLARS, Melanie D. (1982–2023).
Chief Warrant Officer Three Melanie Sellars passed away on 4 November 2023.32 She was forty-one years old.
Chief Sellars was born on 26 May 1982 in Camp Springs, Maryland. In 2004, she graduated from Winston-Salem State University with a bachelor of science in sports management with a concentration in marketing.
Chief Sellars began her military service in 2008; she served as a paralegal and court reporter from 2008 to 2017. In 2017, she was selected to attend Warrant Officer Candidate School and subsequently completed the Warrant Officer Basic Course, earning the title of legal administrator. She later excelled at the Warrant Officer Advanced Course, where she was recognized as the Distinguished Honor Graduate. She was also a graduate of the Court Reporter Course, Master Resiliency Trainer Course, and Basic Leader Course.
Chief Sellars served in various capacities as a paralegal specialist and NCO before becoming a legal administrator, including as a paralegal NCO, Trial Defense Service NCOIC, and a court reporter. As a legal administrator, Chief Sellars served as the senior legal administrator for U.S. Army Central at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina; legal administrator for the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Rucker, Alabama; and legal administrator for U.S. Army Japan in Camp Zama, Japan. She also deployed to Afghanistan during combat operations for a year. Her final assignment was as an instructor and writer in the Leadership Center at TJAGLCS in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Chief Sellars is survived by her mother, father, and brother.
Dr. Roland is the Regimental Historian, Archivist, and Professor of Legal History and Leadership at The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Notes
1. Colonel Richard Rudolph Boller (US Army RET.), Dignity Mem’l, https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/columbia-sc/colonel-richard-boller-us-army-ret-11208286 (last visited Apr. 15, 2024).
2. Id.
3. Notice of Passing – Ms. Yong Mi Chon, Senior Civilian, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, 2d Infantry Division, JAGCNet (Aug. 18, 2023), https://www.jagcnet.army.mil/sites/jagc.nsf/homeDisplay.xsp?open&documentId=D33987032024C19185258A0F00626E11.
4. Id.
5. Notice of Passing – Colonel (Retired) Roger Wade Cornelius, JAGCNet (Dec. 18, 2023), https://www.jagcnet2.army.mil/Sites/jagc.nsf/homeContent.xsp?open&documentid=E29D6852EEC13D3F85258A890058357D.
6. Notice of Passing – Ms. Jamie Eaker, Attorney Advisor (Contracts and Fiscal Law), Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, 3d Infantry Division, JAGCNet (Oct. 16, 2023), https://www.jagcnet.army.mil/Sites/jagc.nsf/homeContent.xsp?open&doctype=announcement&documentId=740F658D1BDDD53185258A4A0049C55A.
7. Id.
8. Notice of Passing – Colonel (Retired) John Adams Exnicios, JAGCNet (July 18, 2023), https://www.jagcnet.army.mil/sites/jagc.nsf/homeDisplay.xsp?open&documentId=AC2C5B8DE6A51BB7852589F0006A8DA5.
9. Notice of Passing – Colonel (Retired) Anthony Thomas Febbo, JAGCNet (June 6, 2023), https://www.jagcnet.army.mil/sites/jagc.nsf/homeDisplay.xsp?open&documentId=CDD11ED0B10F89C0852589C6005907A1.
10. Notice of Passing – Staff Sergeant (Retired) Cassandra Gould, JAGCNet (July 27, 2023), https://www.jagcnet.army.mil/sites/jagc.nsf/homeDisplay.xsp?open&documentId=A29E3CEDC4C8E7D8852589F9005B2AAB.
11. Notice of Passing – Master Sergeant Roland Davis Hanks, JAGCNet (Apr. 24, 2023), https://www.jagcnet.army.mil/sites/jagc.nsf/homeDisplay.xsp?open&documentId=8D2810C37B4615CF8525899B004E1F1A.
12. Notice of Passing – Major General (Retired) Alben N. Hopkins, Sr., JAGCNet (Feb. 17, 2023), https://www.jagcnet.army.mil/Sites/jagc.nsf/homeDisplay.xsp?open&documentId=D0200B83D9CA560385258959003CD2C3.
13. Howard Montgomery Hougen, Legacy, https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/washingtonpost/name/howard-hougen-obituary?id=39251947 (last visited Apr. 15, 2024).
14. Col. Daniel A. Kile, U.S. Army Ret, Dignity Mem’l, https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/charlottesville-va/col-daniel-kile-us-army-ret-11368706 (last visited Apr. 15, 2024).
15. Notice of Passing – Colonel (Ret) John P. Ley, Jr., JAGCNet (May 24, 2023), https://www.jagcnet.army.mil/Sites/JAGC.nsf/homeContent.xsp?open&documentid=94613F61F45ACB10852589B90052E52E.
16. Notice of Passing – Colonel (Retired) Donald (Don) C. Machado, Sr., JAGCNet (June 26, 2023), https://www.jagcnet.army.mil/Sites/JAGC.nsf/homeContent.xsp?open&doctype=announcement&documentId=0F776FB9B6F785ED852589DA006BE5B4.
17. Id.
18. Notice of Passing – Deborah Ann McDaniel, JAGCNet (Mar. 13, 2023), https://www.jagcnet.army.mil/sites/jagc.nsf/homeDisplay.xsp?open&documentId=5691ACC8954EF1BE852589710043E55A.
19. Id.
20. Notice of Passing – Mr. James C. McGillivray, Deputy Director, Office of Soldiers’ Counsel, JAGCNet (Aug. 11, 2023), https://www.jagcnet.army.mil/Sites/JAGC.nsf/homeDisplay.xsp?open&documentId=200C6F8565D98A3485258A08005EE8C2.
21. Id.
22. Notice of Passing – Colonel (Retired) Susan McMakin, JAGCNet (Oct. 16, 2023), https://www.jagcnet.army.mil/Sites/JAGC.nsf/homeDisplay.xsp?open&documentId=558FDFD50EB4878C85258A4A0048FCB4.
23. Grace First Baptist Church, In Loving Memory: Frank Lee Melton (2023), https://online.fliphtml5.com/zpaed/tesf/#p=1.
24. Notice of Passing – Major General (Retired) Robert Edward Murray, JAGCNet (Apr. 24, 2023), https://www.jagcnet2.army.mil/Sites/jagc.nsf/homeContent.xsp?open&documentid=7D2E0801579EFAE18525899B004D23E8.
25. Notice of Passing – Lieutenant Colonel Stanley Lamont Myers, South Carolina National Guard, JAGCNet (Oct. 23, 2023), https://www.jagcnet.army.mil/Sites/jagc.nsf/homeContent.xsp?open&doctype=announcement&documentId=292FE2628194A37C85258A51006C6913.
26. Notice of Passing – Major (Retired) Mark Patrick Richardson, JAGCNet (June 12, 2023), https://www.jagcnet.army.mil/Sites/JAGC.nsf/homeContent.xsp?open&doctype=announcement&documentId=16D772504B212EE2852589CC004D6E46.
27. Notice of Passing – Staff Sergeant Anthony Edward Rinvelt, JAGCNet (June 20, 2023), https://www.jagcnet.army.mil/Sites/jagc.nsf/homeDisplay.xsp?open&documentId=1F09C4942F15C40F852589D4006556FF.
28. Joseph Russell, Syracuse.com, https://obits.syracuse.com/us/obituaries/syracuse/name/joseph-russell-obituary?id=38734923 (last visited Apr. 15, 2024).
29. Notice of Passing – Colonel (Retired) Richard Pittman Scheff, JAGCNet (Mar. 13, 2023), https://www.jagcnet2.army.mil/Sites/jagc.nsf/homeContent.xsp?open&documentid=392E3E414B517F708525897100447DB2.
30. Notice of Passing – Colonel (Retired) Bryan H. Schempf, JAGCNet (Oct. 31, 2023), https://www.jagcnet.army.mil/Sites/JAGC.nsf/homeDisplay.xsp?open&documentId=418DDFBF7D946F8F85258A59004F3DA1.
31. Notice of Passing – Major (Retired) Evan Ryan Seamone, JAGCNet (Aug. 18, 2023), https://www.jagcnet.army.mil/Sites/JAGC.nsf/homeContent.xsp?open&doctype=announcement&documentId=41628286DF5B89E485258A0F00622258.
32. CW3 Melanie Dionne Sellars, Smith Bros. Funeral Home, https://www.smithbrothersfh.com/obituary/CW3Melanie-Sellars (last visited Apr. 15, 2024).