William B Hankins Jr.

Retired Army Colonel William Brevard Hankins, Jr., 92, peacefully passed away due to natural causes the morning of Oct. 19, 2016, at The Army Residence Community (ARC), San Antonio, TX. Col. Hankins and Dorothy Ann Granholm Hankins (D.A.), his beloved wife of 66 years, moved to Texas in 2008 from Williamsburg, Va., where they had lived for 28 years following his retirement from active duty in 1975. He was known as Bill to his North Carolina family and called Hank by his Army friends.

Born in his maternal grandmother's home in Salisbury, N.C. on August 29, 1924, to Rachel Elizabeth Hope Miller and William Brevard Hankins, he was raised in Lexington, N.C. with younger brother John Charles Hankins (Jack). He held fond memories of his small town childhood and friends and he told great stories of games played in the surrounding forests and sports played in vacant lots.

Following his graduation from Lexington High School and a year at North Carolina State, Hank attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. He graduated and was commissioned an Infantry officer in June 1945. He served a distinguished 30-year career as a solider, a combat leader, and a logistician. Among his awards were the Legion of Merit with 3rd Oak Leaf Cluster (OLC), Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal 2nd OLC, Combat Infantry Badge, Parachute Badge, and Gliders Badge. He was a veteran of WWII, the Korean War, and the Viet Nam War.

Initially posted to the 341st Inf. Regt. of the 86th Infantry Division in the Philippines, he served as a Platoon Leader, Company Commander, and Commander of the garrison on Corregidor Island. He returned to the U.S. in 1947 to attend Army Jump School and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne at Ft. Bragg where he met D.A. They married at the Post Chapel.

During the Korean War he commanded an infantry company in the 27th Inf. Regt. and was posted to Heartbreak Ridge where he engaged with the North Korean Army on numerous occasions. In Viet Nam he commanded the Support Battalion and the Brigade Base Camp at Phan Rang. He attended the Industrial War College and GWU earning a MS in Business. In the later half of his career, he served in numerous staff logistics positions from the Pacific to Europe for the Army Chief of Staff, CINCPAC, CINCUSAREUR, CONARC, and CINCEUR. In retirement he served as the U.S. Representative to the NATO Industrial Planning Committee.

In retirement D.A. and he shared a passion for genealogy and together they spent thousands of hours researching their ancestors and their ancestors' stories. They also shared a passion for travel, foreign cultures and cuisine, which they enthusiastically shared with their four children. Hank loved the American West, its beauty and romance and he often went stretches of days devouring Louie L'Amour western novels, one per night.

Hank is survived by his wife D.A.; children Andrea Hankins Schellman (James M.), William Brevard Hankins III (Patricia K.), Matthew Granholm Hankins (Judith O.), and Elisabeth Hankins Dillon (Edward J.); sister-in-law Lynne Puett; former sister-in-law Carolyn Hankins; twelve grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and three nephews.

Funeral services will be held at the ARC Chapel Nov. 1 at 10 am with Chaplain Ray Davis officiating. A reception at the ARC will follow. Interment will be that afternoon at 1:30 pm at the Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery with Full Military Honors.