Fredrick George Kaiser

Fredrick George Kaiser (LtC, ret.), 77, a long-time resident of Quinton, went to join his beloved wife on Thursday, May 21, at Memorial Regional Medical Center. His son and daughter were with him. Fred was born in 1943 in Ilwaco, WA to Fredrick and Mildred Kaiser. He was the older of two sons. Fred married Jerri Rich in 1966, and was drafted for Vietnam almost immediately afterwards. The Army quickly recognized his leadership abilities and sent him to Officer Candidate School. After finishing OCS, he chose the highest-paid specialty: Forward Observer for the Field Artillery. He didn’t realize until later that the reason it paid well was that it was so dangerous! Fred served in the U.S. Army for twenty years with great distinction. He earned many decorations, including the Silver Star and Bronze Star for valor and the Purple Heart (twice) for being wounded in action. Fred won the Silver Star by saving his infantry platoon from a Viet Cong ambush after having been wounded himself. He single-handedly held off the enemy and called in artillery fire on his own position. Fred served in Vietnam, Korea, and Germany, as well as in Oklahoma, Nebraska, Virginia, Kansas, Washington and California. While in the Army, he earned a BS in psychology from the University of Nebraska (Omaha) and an MA in Human Resources from George Washington University. Upon Fred’s military retirement in 1986, he and Jerri moved to Springfield, VA, from which he worked as a defense contractor until 2000. They then moved to Quinton, where Fred spent his retirement spoiling his grandchildren, watching John Wayne movies, smoking the world’s best ribs, and reading vast quantities of military science fiction and history. Fred knew how to fix everything and always had useful advice. He was brave, tough, stubborn, a wonderful public speaker, a gifted woodworker, an incredible shot, a passionate debater (he would always say that he loved us, even if we were wrong!), a good sport, and a creator of pithy sayings that stuck with his listeners. He had a wicked sense of humor and loved a good joke, even at his own expense. He made sure his family knew the importance of patriotism, integrity and a good handshake. Everyone who knew Fred and Jerri benefited from their generosity and hospitality. Fred was a devoted husband and loving father, grandfather, father-in-law, brother and friend. He is survived by his daughter, Kelly (Dan); his son, Jason (Meredith); five grandchildren: Evan, Analiese, Ames, Elizabeth (Joshua) and Stephen; and his brother, Kirk (Marilyn) . A private service will be held at Christ Presbyterian Church and will be livestreamed on Friday, May 29 at 11 a.m. and can be watched at https://www.facebook.com/NelsenFuneral/. Interment for Fred and Jerri will be in Arlington Cemetery at a future date. Memorial gifts may be made to the church. Decorations: Silver Star; Bronze Star; Purple Heart; Meritorious Service Medal; Army Commendation Medal; Valorous Unit Award; National Defense Service Medal; Vietnam Service Medal; Vietnam Campaign Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; Oversea Service Bars (2); Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm; Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm; Sharpshooter Qualification Badge (M-16); Navy Commendation Medal