Colonel Marcel Arthur Wiedmaier USAF/HAC (Ret.)

AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY OF A WONDERFUL HUSBAND, PARENT, GRANDPARENT AND GREAT AMERICAN

Marcel Arthur Wiedmaier (Mike) was born Marcel Arthur Clement Joseph Laurent in Antwerp, Belgium in Catholic Flanders on June 24,1932 and died on December 8, 2013 at the age of 81 in Washington DC from a long battle with Parkinson's Disease.

He was the son and only child of Marcel Van Robaeys and Leopoldina Adolphina Maria Ferdinand Laurent. His mother's and father's family owned and operated successful master diamond cutting and export/import businesses in Belgium, respectively. His father had a very courageous and adventurous spirit, a real "Indiana Jones" type character, who had many adventures and voyages to Africa and the Middle East on his boats the "L'Avenir" and the "Mercado". Unfortunately, his father died far too young at the age of 27 years old. Prior to his death, he had been missing for over a year in the Middle East suffering from amnesia and head trauma inflicted upon him when he was robbed and brutally beaten for his diamonds on his motorcycle ride between the Port of Haifa and Jerusalem. The road bandits threw him into a ravine and left him for dead. Miraculously, a British Army Officer just happened upon him and saved his life by delivering him safely to the British Hospital in Nazareth. The bandits had also stolen his identification papers, but in 1933 no one had cell phones, internet or 24-hour news stations, therefore, it took his family a year of searching before they found him and brought him back to Belgium. Thereafter, he suffered through multiple brain surgeries, tremendous physical and mental anguish and never fully recovered. He soon died in Brussels in 1935.

However, before his father left Belgium to go on what would be his last voyage, he had fallen in love with young Marcel's mother, who was the love of his life, Leopoldina. They were planning to be married upon his return, but instead of a promise ring, he gave her his most prized possession since childhood, a Stradivarius Violin. During the same time that his father was missing, his mother gave birth to the young Marcel and named him after his father. Unbeknownst, to both Leopoldina and young Marcel, his father had tragically died, never to re-unite with his two great loves, his son and intended wife. Young Marcel was only three years old at the time of his father's death and sadly would never meet him. However, he was blessed to be raised by his loving mother, aunt and grandparents. They enrolled him in a notable Jesuit Boarding School in Antwerp where he received an excellent education that would serve him well the rest of his life. When Marcel was a mere teenager, his entire family was forced to flee for their lives from Antwerp to the South of France as the Nazi invasion had taken over his homeland of Belgium. Subsequent to the end of World War II, he and his family returned home to their beloved Belgium. During this same time period, his mother met and married Wilmot "Harry" Wiedmaier, a US Army Officer, who adopted Marcel at the age of 16 and moved him and his mother to The United States of America. During the adoption process, young Marcel's last name was changed from Laurent to Wiedmaier.

Marcel arrived in the USA speaking fluent Dutch, Flemish, French, German and limited English. He attended Monterey High School in California for one year and later graduated from High School in the San Francisco Bay Area. He played middle line-backer in the first High School football game he saw and did so well, that his team mates called him "The Belgian Basher". It was there that his American high school teacher gave him the nickname "Mike". It was also there, in Spanish class, that he met his beloved, Virginia Walker, who would soon become his wife. Shortly after graduating from high school, he married the love of his life, "Gini", with whom he would spend the rest of his life. During this same time, he enlisted in the US Air Force as a Private First Class (PFC) and was assigned to Okinawa and Formosa during the Korean War. He performed critical intelligence and recognizance mapping missions for the US military. Subsequent to the war, he enrolled and graduated from the University of California at Berkeley majoring in International Affairs and Political Science and was a member of Delta Phi Epsilon a professional fraternity for Foreign Service. After graduation, he was commissioned as an Officer in the United States Air Force and over the years his career soared from a PFC to a "Full Bird" Colonel. He was honored and privileged to serve under the legendary General Curtis LeMay, The Chief of Staff to the Unites States Air Force for the Kennedy Administration during the Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis and later in the Office of The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) under General David C. Jones, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at the Pentagon in Washington DC. In addition, he worked under The Secretary of Defense Harold Brown during the Carter Administration and Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger during the Reagan Administration while he was assigned to the Office of the Secretary of Defense. During the Ford Administration he accompanied Vice President Nelson Rockefeller on "Air Force Two" several times to Paris and to the 1976 Republican National Convention in Kansas City. Further, he was a decorated intelligence officer that spoke six languages with a top-secret clearance. He was also awarded both the Bronze Star and Meritorious Service Medals for wartime bravery and excellence in service during the Vietnam War.

After retiring from the US Air Force, he was recruited by Hughes Aircraft Company where he spent over a decade as a Corporate International Marketing Executive leading their Missile Systems Group for the European Region and coincidently returning him back to his native country of Belgium. This assignment gave him the special opportunity to reunite and spend time with his father's dear Belgian family. While working there, he reported directly to the Hughes Corporate Offices in Los Angeles, California as well as the Missile Systems Group located in Canoga Park, CA and Tucson, Arizona. Subsequent to his assignment with Hughes in Europe, he was relocated to the US to Tucson, AZ where he worked for four more years with Hughes as an International Business Development Executive until he officially retired in Arizona. However, after retirement, Hughes executives convinced him to work again with them as an International Marketing Consultant assigned exclusively to Hughes Aircraft Company and General Motors Hughes Electronics. After finally being retired, he and his wife decided to move back to Washington DC to live at the Watergate.

He was the proud father of three children and four grandsons who he loved dearly, Marcel Arthur Wiedmaier (MARC), Robert Scott Wiedmaier (BOBBY), Debra Ann Wiedmaier (DEBBIE), Kiefer Marcel Wiedmaier (KIEF), Chadwick Robert Wiedmaier (CHAD), Marcel Laurent Wiedmaier and Charles Wiedmaier (BECK).

He and his family had three magical tours in Europe spending a combined total of 25 years overseas with the US Air Force in Germany and later as an expatriate with Hughes Aircraft Company in Brussels, Belgium. He loved snow skiing in Europe and Colorado with his children and grandchildren, family reunions at his mountain home in Telluride, Colorado and desert home in Tucson, Arizona. He had a wonderful laugh, playful sense of humor, loved to play chess, watch football and devour ice cream. While living in Europe he purchased several horses so that together, he and his three children could learn equine appreciation and equestrian skills. He was also very active in his two sons martial arts competition. He would loyally drive them two to three times a week to their practices and international competitions in Europe. After judo practice in Wiesbaden Germany he would stop to get them either a pizza or "bratwurst mit brochen und senf" at the "Schnell Imbiss" stand for the long drive home to Wingsbach. He was also a devoted father to his daughter accompanying her throughout Europe in her quest to become an Olympic Dressage Champion. He was unwavering in his support of his son's passion to pursue a career in the culinary arts and helped to facilitate an important experience in the Netherlands which would be a springboard for great things to come. Further, he would climb any mountain and cross any sea to spend time with his grandsons. Whether it be attending their sporting events or school functions, or accompanying them skiing, fly-fishing, camping and hiking in the mountains, he loved being with them as they completed him. He was a tender and loving husband, father and grandfather that encouraged everyone to "Aim High" and be their very best.

He loved his family, his country and was so proud to be an American. He is dearly missed but will never be forgotten. We love you Dad, may you rest in eternal peace along with your beloved wife, our dear mother.