Louis Okyen

Day is done, gone the sun, from the lake, from the hill, from the sky. All is well. Safely rest. God is nigh. -“Taps” Colonel (ret) Louis Okyen, 88, passed away on Sunday, March 18, 2018 at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland where he was surrounded by loving family and friends. He was born in Manhattan, New York on April 2, 1929. From a young age he was raised in Baltimore, Maryland and was a 1947 graduate of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (Poly) High School. Lou was a veteran of the Korean War and served two 12-month tours in South East Asia during the Vietnam War. During his 29 years on active duty in the U.S. Army, he received numerous awards, including the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart. In addition, Lou was inducted in 2007 as a member of the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School (OCS) Hall of Fame. Soon after the outbreak of the Korean War, Lou left his position as a Junior Executive Intern at the Baltimore Gas and Light Company in response to being drafted into the U.S. Army in April 1951. In 1952, he was selected to attend Army OCS and subsequently attended the Army Officer Leadership School where he was the Honor Graduate and retained as an instructor. Spanning 1953 – 1954, Lou spent 15 months fighting on the Korean peninsula as a 1st LT infantry platoon leader where he sustained combat wounds, yet remained in theater to continue the fight. Lou served in Berlin, Germany from 1957 – 1960, the tense intersection of the Iron Curtain, where he rose to the rank of Captain and led 222 soldiers as the commander of an infantry company, D Company. Following Berlin, Lou was assigned to duty at the Pentagon and while there was tapped in January 1963 for his first tour of duty in Vietnam where he was promoted to Major. While in Vietnam, Lou was instrumental in working to establish the Hamlet Program, an initiative designed to train Vietnamese civilians in rural areas to provide intelligence assistance to the U.S. war effort. He served and commanded at various U.S. Army posts to include Ft Benning, Ft Hood, Ft Bliss, and Ft Leavenworth. During 1966 - 1967, Lou transitioned from infantry to military intelligence and attended the U.S. Army Intelligence School at Ft Holabird, MD where he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. After a year at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Ft Leavenworth, Lou was assigned in 1969 to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in Washington D.C. where he led in the in the newly established DIA HUMINT Current Collection Division. In early 1972, Lou returned once again to Vietnam where he served as Deputy Commander of the 525th Military Intelligence Group and promoted to the rank of Colonel while in theater. Following his tour in Vietnam, Lou was re-assigned to DIA at the Pentagon and subsequently landed a post at the Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA) in Alexandria VA where he served as Director of Intelligence and Security. Lou’s leadership at DNA included ensuring critical security preparations were in place in advance of nuclear tests at the Nevada Test Site. Retired from active duty on 1 November 1979, Lou spent the following ten years as a civilian working with industry in support of Department of Defense programs and initiatives. Colonel Okyen was a brave, rugged and loyal soldier, and a very loving and compassionate husband, father, and grandfather. He married the love of his life, Joan Gloria Commins of Cincinnati, Ohio in 1955. After Joan’s untimely passing in 2003 from ALS, Lou found great companionship, comfort and joy from his relationship with his very special friend, Linda Eppse. Lou enjoyed fishing on the back waters of the Potomac River with his basic Zebco rod, reel and bobber, swimming in the ocean at Ocean City or VA Beach, going to restaurants and movies with friends and neighbors, and most importantly, spending time with his entire family whom he loved with all his heart! He is survived by his three children, Debbie and Phil Meadows of Virginia Beach, Colonel (ret) Marc Okyen and his wife, Jean of Yorktown, VA, and Kathy and Jim Chrisman of Sterling, VA. Furthermore, Lou leaves behind his most proud legacy—his grandchildren: Ashley Chrisman, Michael and Jessica Okyen, Brooke and Dan Lockbaum, Michelle Meadows, and Chris Okyen. Lou is preceded in death by his loving wife “Joanie.” Lou will be laid to rest with his wife Joan at Arlington National Cemetery. The date and time of the service, burial, and reception will be announced at a later date. If so inclined to act in honor of Lou and his dear wife Joan, request all monetary gifts be made to Lou’s charity of choice, The ALS Association, Rockville Administrative Office 30 W. Gude Drive, Suite 150 Rockville, MD 20850