Stanley Lawrence Falk

Born in the Bronx, NY, March 11, 1927, to Nat and Katherine Falk, Stan Falk graduated from Townsend Harris High School at age 15 and studied Journalism at Bard College. In 1945, Falk studied Japanese at the Military Intelligence Service Language School, followed by two years as a historical officer in the GHQ Historical Section, US Army Far East Command, Tokyo.

After separation from the Army, he retained his reserve commission for 30 years, retiring with the rank of Colonel. In civilian life, he had a long career as a military historian and national security affairs specialist with the US government. He received MA and PhD History degrees from Georgetown University and began his career at the Joint Chiefs of Staff Historical Division. Falk served as Chief Historian, US Air Force, and then as Deputy Chief Historian for Southeast Asia, US Army Center of Military History. He was a professor of National Security Affairs and International Relations at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. After retiring from government service in 1982, he continued to write, lecture, and serve as a consultant, including collaboration on efforts to achieve passage of the National Archives independence bill.

Falk was the author of five books, Bataan: The March of Death (1962), Decision at Leyte (1966), Liberation of the Philippines (1971), Bloodiest Victory: Palaus (1974), Seventy Days to Singapore (1975); textbooks on national security affairs; and numerous essays, articles, and reviews. He credited his time in the military with giving him a career and enabling him to write about both the American and Japanese sides of the War in the Pacific, a balance he felt was extremely important.

Falk was active in professional and scholarly organizations and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Japanese Americans Veterans Association (JAVA). With fellow JAVA member Warren Tsuneishi, he co-edited the book American Patriots: MIS in the War Against Japan.

In addition to his career legacy, Falk was an avid swimmer, enjoyed music, art, humor, and good meals, and was an ace poker player. He leaves behind a much loved family: his wife Lynn (married 70 years); their two daughters, Lisa and Karen (Michael Goldman); grandchildren Nina Goldman (Matt Winter), Julia Goldman, and Alex Leal; and newly arrived great-granddaughter Phoebe Goldman-Winter.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the Japanese American Veterans Association https://java-us.org/donation/