LORENZ DWIGHT L

LTC Dwight L Lorenz was a VHPA member who died after his tour in Vietnam on 06/29/2011 at the age of 78.9 from Cancer
Sun City, AZ
Flight Classes 56-8 and 57-7
Date of Birth 08/16/1932
Served in the U.S. Army
Served in Vietnam with HHC/1 CAV in 65, HHC/1 AVN BDE in 65-66
This information was provided by Harry Bryant

More detail on this person: Dwight Lorenz was born Bennington, Vermont, on August 16th 1932 (Bennington Battle Day). He joined the Vermont National Guard as an Infantryman in 1948, graduated from Bennington High School in 1950 and entered active duty with his Guard unit in September of that year. By the summer of 1951 he had received accelerated promotions to the rank of Sergeant First Class (E-6), received credit for one year of college through the Army testing program and qualified for attendance at Officer Candidate School.

After completion of the mandatory Leadership School, Lorenz was assigned to the Field Artillery Officer Candidate School at Fort Sill Oklahoma and graduated in July of 1952. He inunediately underwent Parachutist and Jumpmaster qualification at Fort Benning, Georgia, enroute to assignment to the 82nd Airborne Division where he served until transferred to the 2nd Infantry Division in Korea in February 1953. Duties there included Forward Observer, then Firing Battery Executive Officer. As a newly promoted First Lieutenant, he Commanded of the 2nd Division Artillery Headquarters Battery. In March of 1954 he returned to the 82nd and served in operations and intelligence staff positions until selection for Army Flight Training in December of 1955. After graduation from Fixed Wing Flight Training in August of 1956 Lorenz was assigned to the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment. He obtained Instrument and Rotary Wing Flight Qualifications prior to movement of the regiment to Germany in 1958 where he served as Aviation Officer of the regiment's 2nd Battalion and, with one additional aviator, was responsible for twice-daily border surveillance flights and additional Battalion support missions. Upon promotion to Captain in February 1959, Lorenz was re-assigned as V Corps Artillery Aviation Officer, a position authorized for a Lieutenant Colonel. Upon return to the United States he attended the Air Defense Advanced Course in 1961 and then was assigned to Fort Devens, Massachusetts as Airfield Operations Officer and later as Airfield Commander/Post Aviation Officer.

In January of 1963, he received telephonic orders to report to Fort Benning, Georgia, within two weeks. He was one of the early arrivals in the 11th Air Assault Division (Test) and participated in revolutionary development of the Air Assault concept as 11th Aviation Group Adjutant in the rank of captain, and as a newly promoted major was the original Battalion Executive Officer and later Company Commander during the formation and operation of the 228th Assault Support Battalion, which was the first such unit equipped with the CH-47 (Chinook) in the US Army. The test phase terminated in 1965 with redesignation of the Division to 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) and assignment to Vietnam, with Lorenz serving as Aircraft Maintenance and Supply Officer and then Acting Deputy within the G-4 Section of Division Staff. This assignment ended abruptly due to Falciperum Malaria, and he was evacuated to the Army Hospital at Camp Zama, Japan, for recovery.

Upon return to Vietnam in December of 1965 he was assigned to the Aviation Staff Section at US. Army, Vietnam (USARV) where he remained until February of 1966 when he was designated Adjutant and Acting Brigade Executive Office of the 1st Aviation Brigade with the responsibility of acquiring the staff and equipment needed to render the new Headquarters "Operational" in the shortest period oftime possible. This task was accomplished in with the new organization becoming operational in just twenty-nine days. He extended his Vietnam tour by four months to provide continuity to operations and administration, and was assigned to Germany in December of 1966.

Major Lorenz's initial assignment in Germany was as Executive Officer of the 18th Aviation Battalion upon its activation in Hanau. He was responsible for the selection, training and supervision of the Battalion Staff and oversight of the operation of Hanau Army Airfield and remained in that position until selected for promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, at which time he was transferred to V Corps Headquarters where he served as Assistant Corps Aviation Officer until promoted in May of 1967, at which time he assumed the duties of Corps Aviation Officer. In June of 1968 he was transferred to Headquarters, US. Army Communications Zone, Europe (USACOMZEUR, short title "COMZ") until reassignment to the Combat Development Command's Intelligence Agency at Fort Holibird, Maryland in August of 1969 where he served as Chief of the Studies Division until retirement on 31 August 1970. It was during this year that the Department of the Army awarded him Constructive Credit for completion of the Army Command and General Staff College in lieu of attendance. He was one of ninety-two officers selected Army wide.

Immediately upon retirement Lorenz attended the University of Tampa and completed studies for a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics and Business Administration, which was conferred in May of 1971. He then returned to Germany, per plan, and took with him an appointment as European Director of Military Programs for the University of Tampa, a program which he had devised while a student, the primary purpose of which was to provide counsel and guidance to military personnel regarding course and testing selection while in Germany with the objective of preparing college level students for participation in the military sponsored active duty degree completion program, commonly called "Bootstrap". During this time he also was engaged as a consultant by the Boeing Vertol and Motorola Corporations, Aircraft Accident Investigator for a New York insurance company, Contract Administrator for a Washington, D.C. firm and Managing Director of an import/export firm. During 1978 and 1979 he attended the Boston University's Heidelberg Campus night school and earned a Master of Arts Degree in International Relations.

In 1980 the Lorenz family relocated to Bennington, Vermont, where they still reside. He became extremely involved with veterans, civic and fraternal organization administration and projects and, as member of the Retired Reserve, Lieutenant Colonel Lorenz was recalled to active duty in January of 1991 as a result of the Desert Storm Mobilization Program. He was responsible for the voluntary recall of some 200 retiree friends and referrals to assist with the emergency, and was instrumental in overseeing their assignment and orientation, as well as being the staff officer in charge of Casualty Operations planning and coordination at military installations in the United States and Puerto Rico. He was released from active duty with a cumulative total of 42 years, 11 months and 23 days of active and inactive military service.

Shortly thereafter, Lorenz was engaged by a civilian contract corporation to assist with the writing a proposal for support of Army forces in Kuwait, among several other military related studies and plans. The Kuwait proposal was accepted by the Army, and Lorenz became manager of one of the branches responsible for contract execution in Kuwait during 1992. Upon his personal contract termination he remained in Kuwait until the end of 1994 as an independent consultant and writer. Since returning to Vermont he has resumed involvement in political, veteran and civic groups and projects. In recognition of his outstanding service to the nation, his military profession, and community he was inducted into the Field Artillery Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame during ceremonies held in 1997.

Lieutenant Colonel Lorenz is a Senior Army Parachutist, Senior Army Aviator (Rated in both Fixed and Rotary Wing Aircraft.), and holds the Vietnamese Army Parachutist Badge. For his service contributions he received two awards of the Legion of Merit; two Bronze Star Medals,' the Meritorious Service Medal; two Air Medals; four Army Commendation Medals, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Two Palms, and numerous service ribbons, among which are three awards of the National Defense Service Medal (one of 1,425 to receive the third award.) and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 20 Year Hourglass and Mobilization Devices.

This information was last updated 05/18/2016

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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024


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