Herbert Jackson Duke Jr.

March 31, 1923 - November 11, 2022

Arlington National Cemetery Interment: March 30, 2023, 11:00 a.m.

Colonel Duke was born in Berryville, Virginia on March 31, 1923. He graduated from Berryville High School with the Class of 1941. Following graduation, he attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute before enlisting in the Army. During his military career he rose through the ranks from Private to Colonel.

Col. Duke began his military career as an enlisted man serving in Europe in Patton’s Third Army, where he participated in five campaigns, including the “Battle of the Bulge.” When he was discharged in 1945, he returned to his hometown of Berryville, and was employed as an Assistant Engineer and Chemist at the Virginia Woolen Co. in Winchester, Va.

In 1950, at the beginning of the Korean War, he was recalled to active duty, and commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Artillery. He was on active duty from that point until his retirement as a Colonel in 1978. His last active-duty assignment was as the Public Affairs Officer for Sixth Army, Presidio, San Francisco.

During his career, his awards included the Legion of Merit (with 2 oak leaf clusters), Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal (with 2 oak leaf clusters), US Army Occupation Medal, National Defense Service Medal (with oak leaf cluster), European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (with Five Battle Stars), Armed Forces Reserve Medal, and the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge.

Col. Duke’s military career spanned WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, and covered a wide spectrum of duties. During his service he commanded an Air Defense Artillery Battery in Thule Greenland. He served on the Department of the Army and Department of Defense staff in the Pentagon as a public affairs officer. He also served on the staff of Hq. US Army, Europe, in Heidelberg Germany, and as the Public Affairs Officer for US Army Japan. Beside his service in Patton’s Third Army during WWII, he considered the highlight of his career to have been his assignment as the Commander of the 558th Artillery Group in Greece during the military confrontation between Greece and Turkey in 1968, and the attempted Greek military counter-coup, during which time, in addition to his military duties, he had close and continuous liaison with the U.S. Ambassador to Greece.

Following his last assignment as the Public Affairs Officer for Sixth Army, he and his wife retired to Newport News, Virginia. While there he became active in local community affairs. Through his interest in the local Neighborhood Watch program, he played a key role in organizing the Newport News Crime Watch Coalition and was appointed as its first Chairperson. In 1986 he was awarded the Virginia Crime Association State Citizenship Award for his efforts in strengthening community crime prevention. He was also very active in the Ft. Eustis Retiree Council, where he served as Chairman for 5 years, and was awarded the Department of the Army Commander’s Award for Public Service. Additionally, he was a Life Member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars organization. In 2016 he was presented with a Lifelong Citizenship Award from the Mayor of Newport News, Virginia.

His loving wife of 53 years Pearl (Jane) Duke passed away in 2005. He is survived by his daughter, Eula Duke Bond, his son-in law John M. Bond, two grandchildren: granddaughter Joanna Jackson Bond Heckert, and her husband Cdr. Reed M. Heckert; grandson Cameron Peiser Bond and his wife Shauna Lynn Bond; and four great-grandchildren: Hailey and Jackson Heckert, and Riker and Olivia Bond. He is also survived by his sister, Linda Butler. In lieu of flowers the family requests on Col Duke’s behalf that donations be made to the U.S.O.