EDWIN "AL" KUHN

KUHN EDWIN ALLAN KUHN "AL" (Age 91) Captain, U.S. Navy Al passed away on April 14, 2021, at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. His home was in McLean, Virginia. Predeceased by his loving wife of 58 years, Doris S. Kuhn ("Scotty"), and survived by his two sons, Edwin A. Kuhn Jr. (Lynda) and Douglas S. Kuhn, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He will be fondly remembered for his love of family and many contributions to his community and country. He grew up in Cleveland during World War II, was a Boy Scout Junior Assistant Scoutmaster and led hiking and camping trips; he also had various part-time jobs, including testing glass samples for General Electric Co., and as a dental lab assistant. In 1947, he received a Navy Scholarship to the University of Illinois. In 1951, with a B.S. in Industrial Administration, he was commissioned as an Ensign. After two years of Korean War service on a destroyer, USS Richard B. Anderson (DD 786), including combat operations in North Korea's Wonsan Harbor, he volunteered for submarines, and served for three years on USS Volador (SS 490), including a Far East deployment. This was followed by assignments as Assistant Material Officer on the staff of the Commander Submarine Force, Pacific and at the Bureau of Naval Personnel in Washington, DC. During the latter, he was assigned additional duty as a White House Social Aide to President and Mrs. Eisenhower. Notable visitors that he assisted included Winston Churchill and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, whose daughter he personally escorted (by limo) from the White House to Blair House. He then was executive officer of USS Sea Fox (SS 402), which included a Far East deployment, followed by attendance at the Naval War College. He commanded the USS Croaker (SS 246) when it received the "E" for Excellence award and, during a deployment, was described as "The Tiger of the Mediterranean" in a message from the fleet commander. Subsequently, he served as Personal Aide and Assistant for JCS Matters to the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Plans and Policy; War Plans Officer for the Atlantic submarine force; and in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, where his area responsibilities included Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, for which he was awarded the Legion of Merit. In 1966, he received a Master's Degree in International Affairs from George Washington University. During the 1973 oil embargo crisis, he was loaned by the Navy to the Secretary of the Interior, and helped establish the Federal Energy Administration that later became The Department of Energy. He served in senior management positions, including Associate Assistant Administrator for Energy Conversion. As a director of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), he strongly advocated standards for renewable energy equipment, and he also chaired the Supervisory Committee of the Navy Federal Credit Union, retiring from the Navy in 1974. In 1977, he became Director and subsequently Vice President for Governmental Affairs for Northwest Alaskan Pipeline Company, the operating partner of major oil and gas companies undertaking gas pipeline construction in the arctic. A key responsibility he had was obtaining a right-of-way on 745 miles of Federal lands in Alaska, which was granted in 1980. Since 1969, Al and Scotty lived in McLean, VA, and each was involved in community activities. He was active in the American Legion (Legion), and from 2002-2005 was Commander of Post 18, meeting at Ft. McNair. At two separate times, he was elected president of the Evermay Community Association, the latest being 2004-2006. He led successful negotiations with a large private school that wanted to increase enrollment and whose only road access was through Evermay, which resulted in a formal agreement to require student busing. He authored History of the Evermay Community, April 2007, published in an anthology of local histories by the McLean Citizens Association and the McLean Historical Society. In 2015, they moved to independent living at the Vinson Hall Retirement Community in McLean, and he arranged for the Legion to provide residents there with distinguished luncheon speakers. Inurnment will be at the Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. Contributions in his memory may be made to the Navy Marine Coast Guard Residence Foundation, 6251 Old Dominion Drive, McLean VA 22101.Inurnment will be at the Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. Contributions in his memory may be made to the Navy Marine Coast Guard Residence Foundation, 6251 Old Dominion Drive, McLean VA 22101.