Frank Anton Camstra, Jr.
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force
Frank Anton Camstra, Jr. was born 6 June 1931, in Athens, GA, to Frank and Pearl Camstra. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1953, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.
He married Virginia Gail Dropp on 5 June 1954 in Key West, FL, and together they raised a family of five children. In 1962, he received his Master of Science degree at the University of Illinois. After a 25-year distinguished career in the Air Force, he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel.
As a C-130 aircraft commander and a veteran of the Vietnam War, his medals, awards and badges included:
Command Pilot Wings
Distinguished Flying Cross
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal (11)
Air Force Presidential Unit Citation
Air Force Outstanding Unit Citation
Vietnam Service Medal (2)
National Defense Service Medal (2)
Air Force Longevity Service Award (6)
Armed Forces Expeditionary Service Medal
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation
He was also a key developer for a state of the art aircraft guidance system.
In retirement, he pursued a career teaching computer science, math and physics at the DeVry Institute of Technology in Columbus, OH, for 10 years before moving to Leakey, TX, in 1995.
Frank was an excellent mentor, which fit well into his teaching career and significantly influenced those he met. He held a strong passion for photography, woodworking, electronics and computers, along with camping and fishing.
He was a member of the Leakey United Methodist Church, Real County Friends of the Library, the National Rifle Association (life member), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association, and the Military Officer's Association.
Death and Burial
Lieutenant Colonel Frank Anton Camstra, Jr., 79, died Tuesday, 18 January 2011, due to complications from Alzheimer's disease. He is buried at the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, MD.
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