Person:David Einsel (1)

David W. Einsel Jr.

Maj. Gen. David W. Einsel Jr., 77, passed away Monday, Oct. 30, 2006, at Autumnwood Nursing Home in Tiffin.

He was born Nov. 4, 1928, in Seneca CO to David and Naomi (Williams) Einsel. On June 16, 1956, he married Elva (Aylor) of Charlottesville, Va., and she survives.

General Einsel is survived by two daughters (both OH State University graduates, along with their husbands), Mrs. James A. (Susan) Vagnier, M.D., of Westerville and Mrs. Brian J. (Mary) Kost of Waukesha, Wis.; and four grandchildren, Brian J. Kost Jr., (a junior at OSU), Julia Kost, Janelle Vagnier (a freshman at Indiana Wesleyan University), and Renae Vagnier.

General Einsel was raised on the family farm on North River Road, began school in a one-room schoolhouse and graduated from Columbian High School in 1946. He graduated from OH State University in 1950 in an honors program, receiving a bachelor's degree cum laude with distinction in chemistry and a master's degree in physical chemistry. He also is a 1956 graduate of the University of Virginia with a master's degree in physics; a 1972 graduate of the Management Program for Executives at the University of Pittsburgh; and a 1979 graduate of the Senior Managers in Government course at Harvard University, as well as having graduated from all of the military schools through the Army War College.

From 1980-85, General Einsel was deputy assistant to the secretary of defense and executive secretary to the Military Liaison Committee to the Department of Energy, where he was involved as the senior uniformed officer for Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinburger in the development, deployment and planning for all U.S. nuclear and chemical weapon systems.

After his Army retirement in 1985, William Casey, the director of Central Intelligence Agency, selected him as the National Intelligence Officer at Large, and he served until 1989, following potential international proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and the missile systems to deliver them.

He served six years on the OH State University Alumni Advisory Council and served for more than 10 years on the Dean's Advisory Council of the College of Mathematics and Physical Sciences and was an OSU Advocate, as well as being a consultant to the director of Central Intelligence and several firms.

In 1991, he was selected as a distinguished member of the U.S. Army Chemical Corps. In 1993, he was elected to the U.S. Army Chemical Corps Hall of Fame and to the OSU ROTC Alumni Hall of Fame. He was elected a 33rd Degree Mason in 1995. He was selected in 2004 for the Tiffin Area Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Citizenship Award. He held a [[U.S. patent on automatic electrolytic titration.

He began his Army career in September 1950, and from 1951-53 served in various field artillery command positions at Fort Sill, Korea and Fort Bragg. He served in Vietnam as the chemical officer and deputy G-3 of the First Cavalry Division (Airmobile) operating in the Pleiku, DaNang and the First and Second Corps areas.

He was an assistant professor of chemistry at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point for four years. He also had a number of technical assignments. In the early 1950s, he spent two years as a research physical chemist determining which chemicals would make the best chemical agents. From the mid-1950s until his retirement, he was frequently involved in U.S. nuclear weapon tests in the Pacific and at the Nevada Test Site. For five years in the early 1970s, he commanded the Army's senior electronic research and development laboratory, the Harry Diamond Laboratory, where he was responsible for the development of new electronic fuses for artillery, rockets and bombs, special-purpose radars, fluidic sensors of the type now routinely used on aircraft and the development of measures to assure the nuclear survivability of U.S. strategic and tactical weapon systems. From 1976-80, he was the deputy commander of the Army's largest research and development command responsible for the gun munitions, explosives and propellant development of the U.S. Army from new pistols to new ammunition and fire control systems for the M1 tank and Patriot missile systems.

He has had four staff assignments in Washington, D.C. He served as the nuclear advisor to the deputy chief chemical officer; was chief of the Nuclear Weapons Effects and Research Branch; was chief of the Nuclear-Chemical Office for the deputy chief of staff for operations and served two years as a Joint Staff planner.

He was the initial executive director of the Strategic Defense Initiative, when President Reagan announced the initiative in March 1983. In 1983, he also chaired the Army Surgeon General's Commission on Drug Testing and, in 1985, he was executive director of Reagan's Commission on Nuclear Weapon Planning and DOE/DOD Organization.

In retirement, he was active in a number of volunteer church and civic activities. He has been chairman of the board of trustees for his church and was chairman of the finance committee and church historian. He has served for more than 10 years with the Tiffin-Seneca Heritage Festival, being a board member for six years, a past president and treasurer for four years. He was president of the Tiffin-Seneca Library Foundation; president and a board member of the Kiwanis Manor board; past president of the Tiffin Kiwanis Club and past president of the OH United Methodist Historical Society. He has been a member of the advisory board of the Association of the U.S. Army and president of the Tiffin Shrine Club, the Seneca CO Scottish Rite Association and the Seneca CO OH State Alumni Clubs.

General Einsel was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Society of Sigma Xi, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Legion Post 169, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2858, Disabled American Veterans, AMVETS, Tiffin Kiwanis Club, Seneca CO Convention and Visitors Bureau, Tiffin Masonic Lodge and a number of Masonic organizations.

His decorations include the Intelligence Medal of Merit, Defense and Army Distinguished Service Medals, the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star for Valor with an Oak Leaf Cluster for Meritorious Service, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal and Presidential Unit Citations from the United States, the Republics of Korea and Vietnam.

Visitation will be 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2, 2006, at Engle-Shook Funeral Home in Tiffin, and services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 3, 2006, at Ebenezer United Methodist Church. Entombment will take place at Greenlawn Cemetery. Military graveside services will be conducted by the United Veterans Council.

Memorial contributions may be made to Ebenezer United Methodist Church.

Section: Obituaries Posted: 11/1/2006 in the Advertiser-Tribune (Tiffin, OH) NOT for commerical use. Reference this Gedcom as Rebecca Pachasa's OH Interweavings