Pascal H. Ringsdorff
Biography: Pascal Hoover Ringsdorff was born on August 25, 1898, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Charles Henry Ringsdorff and Anna M. Stevens and after graduating high school, he enlisted in the S.A.T.C. (Student Army Training Corps), which allowed him to train for the military and take college level courses as well. He was chosen to attend F.A.C.O.T.S. (Field Artillery Candidate Officer Training School), from October 1, 1918 to January 28, 1919, when he graduated as a 2nd Lieutenant.
He then entered West Point Military Academy and graduated in 1923. While at West Point, “Dorf”, as he was known would excel at numerous activities, including Choir, Orchestra, Bugle Corps, Band, Cheer Leader, Pistol Sharpshooter and was a regular Dance Manager at many of the organized dances. His charisma was well known and infectious. It was a difficult for some to stop calling him “Sir” since he was already an officer when he entered the school.
Service Time: After his graduation from West Point, he was initially assigned to the Filed Artillery and stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. On October 3, 1925, he married the former Lillian Hathaway Potter in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Dorf had a few assignments in the Field Artillery and continued his training with the Field Artillery Battery Officers’ Course in 1928, which is the same year he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant on June 1st. He and Lillian would have a daughter, Anne, born in 1932, and he was assigned to the Quartermaster Corps., beginning on June 27, 1935. He was promoted to Captain on August 1, 1935 and attended their Motor Transport School in 1937.
When WWII started, Pascal was chosen to help with the establishment of the Tank Destroyer Force and was assigned as commanding officer of the 608th Tank Destroyer Battalion in January, 1942. He led the fresh recruits and new officers to some of the highest scores of any of the tank destroyer units while stationed at Camp Hood, Texas, and the Tank Destroyer School.
He left the unit in December of that same year when he was picked to command the 2nd Regiment Training Unit of the Tank Destroyer Replacement Training Center. In that position, he would influence many hundreds of men and officers. He remained in that position until March of 1944, when he was given command of the 24th Tank Destroyer Group.
Dorf was slated to command the Tank Destroyer Replacement Training Center but sadly he suffered from headaches, which became more and more serious as the war went on. In September, he was forced to enter a hospital for diagnosis, which would ultimately force him to retire from the military. His health issues would continue throughout the rest of his life, but he always enjoyed life and loved taking care of his waterfront home in Clouchester, Virginia.
Pascal passed away on October 9, 1979, and was buried in the West Point Cemetery in West Point, New York, Section VI, Row F, Site 299.