 Major
General Claude W. Reinke retired this year after 32 years
of service in the U.S. Marine Crops, during which he showed
impressive leadership skills in many varied assignments
throughout the world--leadership skills developed on the
playing fields and in the classrooms of Sam Houston State
University.
A native of Bay City and graduate
of Bay City High School, he attended Sam Houston State
from 1961 to 1965, graduating with a bachelor of science
degree. Following graduation he remained for an additional
year as a graduate fellow.
While attending Sam Houston
State on an athletic scholarship, he lettered four years
in football. He was named an All-Texas and All Lone
Star Conference player in 1963 and 1964.
His
off-field leadership included
service as president of the
T-Club Lettermen's Association
and member of Alpha Tau Omega
fraternity.
Upon graduation, Reinke was
commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps.
In addition to service as a company commander in Vietnam
and in Okinawa, Japan, he has had a number of domestic
assignments.
He has been an infantry tactics
instructor, an associate professor with the Naval R.
O. T. C. unit at the University of Minnesota, and deputy
director of the Marine Corps Institute in Washington.
He served three years as assistant Naval attaché
in Athens, Greece and two years as the ceremonial parade
commander at Marine Barracks in Washington.
He
has been a political-military
plans officer at the headquarters
of the Marine Corps in Washington
and operations officer for the
First Marine Division in California.
He has also held the positions
of battalion commander, commanding
officer of Officer Candidate
School, and chief of staff for
the 3d Marine Division.
As a general officer he has
served as the commanding general of Camp
Butler in Japan, as the facilities
director of Marine Headquarters
in Washington, and commanding
general of Camp Pendleton in
California. During his career
he was a distinguished graduate
of the Marine Corps' Amphibious
Warfare School and the Command
and Staff College in Quantico,
Virginia. He also graduated
from the Foreign Service Institute
in Washington and was a senior
fellow at the National War College.
He has been awarded the Distinguished
Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with
Combat "V", Meritorious Service Medal, Combat Action
Ribbon and numerous unit citations.
He is married to the former
Abby Holley of LaCrosse, Wisc. They have five children:
Kathryn, Kari, Kelli, Kati and Christopher.
Following his retirement this
year he assumed the position of publisher of The Californian,
a daily newspaper in Riverside County in Southern California.
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