In Memory of
MG (R) Richard S. "Sam" Kem
Richard S. "Sam" Kem, a retired two-star general who served at top levels in the U.S. Army Europe and the Army Corps of Engineers, died of complications from hip surgery on April 1, 2016.
Gen. Kem was in the Army from 1956 to 1990, retiring as a two-star general. He then became Director of Public Works in Arlington County from 1990 to 2004. He and his wife, Ann, lived in Arlington, VA until 2014 when they moved to Washington DC. He died in Washington DC of complications from hip surgery on April 1st, 2016.
After graduation from West Point in 1956 he served in Germany with the 3d Armored Division's 23d Engineer Battalion. He also served in the 82d Airborne Division in the Dominican Republic and then at Fort Bragg, NC. He served two combat tours in Vietnam, first as an Advisor to Vietnamese combat engineers and then as Commander of the 577th Engineer battalion in 1968-69. In 1976 he was selected to command the 7th Engineer Brigade in Germany, part of 7th U.S. Corps.
Gen. Kem was Commander of the Engineer School at Ft Belvoir from 1984 to 1987. While there, he initiated and successfully won approval of a major reorganization that provided an engineer brigade of three combat engineer battalions in each heavy division. The success of that effort earned him recognition as the "father of E-Force", the modern engineer force.
Gen. Kem also served in significant positions in the Corps of engineers civil works mission area.
In 1964, while assigned to the engineer district in Chicago he was sent to Kodiak, Alaska, where he was part of the post-tsunami recovery. While serving as the Commanding General of the Army Corps of Engineer's Ohio River Division from 1981 to 1984 he was responsible for military construction and civil works in 14 states and 31 Army and Air Force installations. During this time he was a Presidential appointee to the Mississippi River Commission which oversaw flood control activities on the Mississippi and its major tributaries.
Gen. Kem was serving as Chief of Staff at the U.S. Army Europe headquarters in Heidelberg Germany in 1989 at the time of greater contact between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. He met with the Chief of Staff of the Group of Soviet forces in Germany in Potsdam as part of the opening and later participated in the meeting the two CINC's (Commander in Chiefs). He returned to Washington later that year and completed his nearly 34 ½ year Army career as Deputy Commander/Deputy Chief of Engineers of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, retiring in October 1990.
His decorations included two awards of the Distinguished Service Medal, two awards of the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, and two awards of the Meritorious Service Medal. Gen. Kem was a fellow in the Society of American Military Engineers, a lifetime member of the Army Engineer association and also the American Society of Civil Engineers and served on the board of directors of the American Public Works Association and the Army Engineer Association
Following retirement from the Army, he joined Arlington County VA as the Director of Public Work. He retired from Arlington County in April 2004.
His first wife, Ann Callahan Kem, whom he married in 1960, died in 2003. He is survived by his wife, Adelaide (Ann) Mary Kem, whom he married in 2004; three children by his first wife, Michelle Kem of Falls Church, VA, Army Brigadier General John Kem and his wife Martha currently stationed at Fort Leavenworth, KS, and Steven Kem and his wife Gretchen of Ashland, OR; and step-daughters Deborah Brown of Minneapolis, MN, Suzanne Brown of Ocean Beach, Australia; four grandchildren Katy, Rob, James, and Kahlil, and three brothers, David of Edmond, OK, Jan of Portland, OR, and Bill of Gainesville, FL.
Services and burial at a future date at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in his honor to: Food Pantry, Our Lady Queen of Peace, 2700 South 19th St., Arlington, VA 22204
Gen. Kem was in the Army from 1956 to 1990, retiring as a two-star general. He then became Director of Public Works in Arlington County from 1990 to 2004. He and his wife, Ann, lived in Arlington, VA until 2014 when they moved to Washington DC. He died in Washington DC of complications from hip surgery on April 1st, 2016.
After graduation from West Point in 1956 he served in Germany with the 3d Armored Division's 23d Engineer Battalion. He also served in the 82d Airborne Division in the Dominican Republic and then at Fort Bragg, NC. He served two combat tours in Vietnam, first as an Advisor to Vietnamese combat engineers and then as Commander of the 577th Engineer battalion in 1968-69. In 1976 he was selected to command the 7th Engineer Brigade in Germany, part of 7th U.S. Corps.
Gen. Kem was Commander of the Engineer School at Ft Belvoir from 1984 to 1987. While there, he initiated and successfully won approval of a major reorganization that provided an engineer brigade of three combat engineer battalions in each heavy division. The success of that effort earned him recognition as the "father of E-Force", the modern engineer force.
Gen. Kem also served in significant positions in the Corps of engineers civil works mission area.
In 1964, while assigned to the engineer district in Chicago he was sent to Kodiak, Alaska, where he was part of the post-tsunami recovery. While serving as the Commanding General of the Army Corps of Engineer's Ohio River Division from 1981 to 1984 he was responsible for military construction and civil works in 14 states and 31 Army and Air Force installations. During this time he was a Presidential appointee to the Mississippi River Commission which oversaw flood control activities on the Mississippi and its major tributaries.
Gen. Kem was serving as Chief of Staff at the U.S. Army Europe headquarters in Heidelberg Germany in 1989 at the time of greater contact between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. He met with the Chief of Staff of the Group of Soviet forces in Germany in Potsdam as part of the opening and later participated in the meeting the two CINC's (Commander in Chiefs). He returned to Washington later that year and completed his nearly 34 ½ year Army career as Deputy Commander/Deputy Chief of Engineers of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, retiring in October 1990.
His decorations included two awards of the Distinguished Service Medal, two awards of the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, and two awards of the Meritorious Service Medal. Gen. Kem was a fellow in the Society of American Military Engineers, a lifetime member of the Army Engineer association and also the American Society of Civil Engineers and served on the board of directors of the American Public Works Association and the Army Engineer Association
Following retirement from the Army, he joined Arlington County VA as the Director of Public Work. He retired from Arlington County in April 2004.
His first wife, Ann Callahan Kem, whom he married in 1960, died in 2003. He is survived by his wife, Adelaide (Ann) Mary Kem, whom he married in 2004; three children by his first wife, Michelle Kem of Falls Church, VA, Army Brigadier General John Kem and his wife Martha currently stationed at Fort Leavenworth, KS, and Steven Kem and his wife Gretchen of Ashland, OR; and step-daughters Deborah Brown of Minneapolis, MN, Suzanne Brown of Ocean Beach, Australia; four grandchildren Katy, Rob, James, and Kahlil, and three brothers, David of Edmond, OK, Jan of Portland, OR, and Bill of Gainesville, FL.
Services and burial at a future date at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in his honor to: Food Pantry, Our Lady Queen of Peace, 2700 South 19th St., Arlington, VA 22204
