August Ray Raymond Specht Jr.

Raised in San Francisco, he attended Madison Grammar School, Roosevelt Junior High School and George Washington High School.

Upon graduation from high school in 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and entered service at the Presidio of Monterey. He received his basic training at Camp Fannin, just outside Tyler, Texas qualified for the Army Specialized Training Program and was transferred to Washington and Jefferson College in Pennsylvania.

When the ATSP program was terminated in 1944, Specht was transferred to the 84th Infantry Division at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana where he became a First Scout in Company C of the 334th Infantry Regiment.

In September, of 1944 the division was moved to the embarkation station at Camp Miles Standish in Massachusetts before being sent to England for a month and then joining the assault on the Siegfried Line Germany.

Captured by the Germans he was a prisoner of war for a time at Stalag 11 near Hanover and then at a prison camp and work camp at Neu Brandenburg north of Berlin.

He escaped from the Germans shortly before the end of the war in Europe and made his way back to the American lines.

Discharged from the army in December 1945, he attended San Francisco junior college and graduated from Stanford University in 1949.

After working for a few years for the BF Goodrich Company he joined the state of California where he worked as Personnel analyst for the State Personnel Board, Personnel Officer for the Department of Corrections and Business Manager at Folsom State Prison. He retired in 1983 as General Manager of the Prison Industry Authority.

Preceded in death by his loving wife of 39 years, Marcelle G. Specht, he is survived by his wife Donna M. Specht his sons August R Specht, III of Folsom and Karl S. Specht of Parker Colorado, four grand children and one great grandchild.

Private services will be held at Mount Vernon Memorial Park in Fair Oaks, California. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be sent to Sammie’s Friends, 128 High St. Grass Valley, CA 95945.