IN LOVING MEMORY OF
Gen. Samuel
William Koster
December 29, 2006 – January 23, 2006
Obituary
Listen to Obituary
Retired Army Brig. Gen. Samuel William Koster, 86, of Annapolis, a former superintendent of the Military Academy at West Point, died Jan. 23 at his home after a prolonged illness with cancer.
Born Dec. 29, 1919, and reared in West Liberty, Iowa, Gen. Koster excelled in athletics and academics. He graduated from the Military Academy in 1942, and became an infantry officer.
While in training at Fort Benning, Ga., he met and married Cherie Kadgihn from Iowa City, Iowa.
He went on to train and fight in Europe with the 104th Infantry "Timberwolf" Division, rising rapidly to became a lieutenant colonel and battalion commander by age 26. He helped to liberate a Nazi death camp and saw fiertce combat through to the German surrender, his family said.
His post-war assignments took him back to West Point, to the Pentagon and to Japan as part of the U.S. Occupation. During the Korean war, he served with the Eighth Army on the front lines and led the gathering of key intelligence by deep reconnaissance behind North Korean lines. Later, he was assigned to NATO headquarters in Paris.
During the Vietnam war, he was promoted to major general and commanded the Americal Division. Subsequently, he became superintendent at West Point. His final assignments were at Aberdeen Proving Ground and Fort Meade, before his retirement after 31 years of service.
Then for 12 years he was executive vice president for the Power Transmission Division of Koppers and Hanson Industries in Baltimore, overseeing plants in the United States and Canada.
In addition to his wife of 65 years, he is survived by five children, Army Col. Samuel Koster of Burke, Va., Susanne Henley-Ross of Annapolis, Nancy Sroka of Crofton, Army Col. Bob Koster of Vienna, Va., and Army Col. Jack Koster of Picatinny Arsenal, N.J.; 15 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Visitation is from 6 to 8 p.m. tomorrow at Barranco and Sons Severna Park Funeral Home, 495 Ritchie Highway. Services will be held at the Naval Academy Chapel February 17th at 10:30am. Burial will be at West Point. Online condolences may be made to www.barrancofuneralhome .com.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Hospice of the Chesapeake, 445 Defense Highway, Annapolis, MD 21401.
Born Dec. 29, 1919, and reared in West Liberty, Iowa, Gen. Koster excelled in athletics and academics. He graduated from the Military Academy in 1942, and became an infantry officer.
While in training at Fort Benning, Ga., he met and married Cherie Kadgihn from Iowa City, Iowa.
He went on to train and fight in Europe with the 104th Infantry "Timberwolf" Division, rising rapidly to became a lieutenant colonel and battalion commander by age 26. He helped to liberate a Nazi death camp and saw fiertce combat through to the German surrender, his family said.
His post-war assignments took him back to West Point, to the Pentagon and to Japan as part of the U.S. Occupation. During the Korean war, he served with the Eighth Army on the front lines and led the gathering of key intelligence by deep reconnaissance behind North Korean lines. Later, he was assigned to NATO headquarters in Paris.
During the Vietnam war, he was promoted to major general and commanded the Americal Division. Subsequently, he became superintendent at West Point. His final assignments were at Aberdeen Proving Ground and Fort Meade, before his retirement after 31 years of service.
Then for 12 years he was executive vice president for the Power Transmission Division of Koppers and Hanson Industries in Baltimore, overseeing plants in the United States and Canada.
In addition to his wife of 65 years, he is survived by five children, Army Col. Samuel Koster of Burke, Va., Susanne Henley-Ross of Annapolis, Nancy Sroka of Crofton, Army Col. Bob Koster of Vienna, Va., and Army Col. Jack Koster of Picatinny Arsenal, N.J.; 15 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Visitation is from 6 to 8 p.m. tomorrow at Barranco and Sons Severna Park Funeral Home, 495 Ritchie Highway. Services will be held at the Naval Academy Chapel February 17th at 10:30am. Burial will be at West Point. Online condolences may be made to www.barrancofuneralhome .com.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Hospice of the Chesapeake, 445 Defense Highway, Annapolis, MD 21401.
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