Richard Wright Hobbs

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Colonel Richard “Dick” Wright Hobbs (Ret), who departed this life peacefully on August 27, 2025, at the age of 94. Born in Catonsville, Maryland, son of Col. Edgar Orwig Hobbs and Frances Choate Hobbs, and loving husband to Diane Hobbs (deceased, 2022). He is survived by his daughter, Deanna Hobbs, and his grandchildren.

Dick was a man of wisdom, kindness, laughter, and unwavering guidance. He was a scholar, author, and teacher.

Some of Dick’s decorations include the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star with “V” with five oak leaf clusters, 7 Air Medals, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with “V” with oak leaf cluster, the Purple Heart, and the Viet-Nam Gallantry Cross with Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stars. He served on the Board of Directors of the George Olmsted Foundation, and on the National Advisory Committee American-Arab Affairs Council.

Dick started his military career at an early age, attending Augusta Military Academy in Virginia and junior high school in Washington, DC, Dick then graduated from Columbus Georgia High School as Valedictorian in 1949. After a year at the University of Colorado, he won his appointment to the United States Military Academy West Point in 1950.

He enjoyed academic life at West Point but also found his love in lacrosse. He spent all his spare time in the squash courts banging a ball against the walls to learn the techniques. His effort paid off to join A squad, mentioned for All America, and played the complete North-South Game after graduation. Dick was featured in the 1954 Sports Illustrated magazine.

That tenacity carried over into his military life. Having been turned down by the Air Force, he returned to his first love, the Airborne Infantry. While at Basic Course at Fort Benning, he met Diane, and after a whirlwind courtship through Airborne School, they were married in late March 1955, the day he graduated from Ranger School. They set off together to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg. There he served as a Platoon Leader, 505th Airborne Infantry, Instructor, Fort Bragg CBR School, briefer, G2 Section XVIII Airborne Corps, and Battalion Operations Office (as 1st LT) – ready to go as the alert battalion during the Suez crisis in 1956. After training and taking an 800-man composite battalion to President Eisenhower’s 2nd Inauguration Parade, he and Diane set off to be stationed in Hawaii.

Dick attended the British Jungle School in Malaya while the Emergency against Communist Terrorists was still active. Upon his return, he was Officer-in-Charge of Tropical Training for the Division and an Assistant Battle Group S3. He completed his tour in Hawaii as Aide-de-Camp to 1959, he went to Iwakuni, Japan for six weeks as part of a Joint Task Force which was to go into Laos but it was not committed.

In the Fall of 1959, he was selected to be one of the first Olmsted Scholars and to study in France. General George Olmsted ’22 created the scholarship based on the criteria for the Rhodes Scholarships except that the studies had to be outside the English-speaking world. He and Diane studied French at the Army Language School, Presidio of Monterey, California. After completing the Pathfinder Course, the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, and two months interim with the Airborne Department at Fort Benning, he and Diane set off in August 1961 for another great adventure at the University of Lyon, France. Prior to starting school, he attended the French Jump School at Pau. At Lyon, he was a student in the Faculty of Law to study International Relations and International Law receiving the degree of Docteur de l’Université de Lyon (Law) in June 1963 with highest mention. His thesis was The Great Delusion: Total Victory that later he would publish in 1979 as The Myth of Victory, What is Victory in War?

Upon returning to the 82nd Airborne, he commanded a company in the 325th Airborne Infantry and was Assistant Battle Group S3 prior to departing for Viet-Nam in April 1964. He was Senior Advisor to the 6th Vietnamese Airborne Battalion with operations in the north and south of the country. He was then Executive to LTG J. L. Throckmorton ’35, Deputy Commander, Viet-Nam, traveling all over the country, observing several coups, and serving as interpreter during one between the Vietnamese general coup-leader and the US general representing the US ambassador.

After rejoining Diane, they moved to West Point joining the Department of Social Sciences where Dick taught Comparative Political Systems and International Relations. During that time, he worked at the Policy Planning Council, Department of State on Viet- Nam. During those hectic times on campuses, he enjoyed speaking at various universities about Viet-Nam, where most of the students had never seen anyone in uniform. Their daughter, Deanna, was born at West Point in 1967.

After a year at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Dick returned to Viet-Nam. As Executive Officer, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, he ran a small city of US units complete with an airfield plus the responsibility for security and coordination with the French in the Michelin Rubber Plantation. He assumed command of the 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry operating in the Trapezoid. Under the Dong Tien (Progress Together) Program, a Vietnamese battalion and a US battalion were in the same area with no boundaries! This was the showplace of Vietnamization. The complete chains of command visited up to and including the President of South Viet-Nam and the Vice President of the US. One of the commanders, Major Chau Minh Kien, was killed in action. Colonel Hobbs renamed Fire Support Base Mahone, FSB Kien. It was the only FSB in Viet-Nam named for a Vietnamese. General Creighton Abrams rebuked Dick for the problem it had caused his staff, but he stood by Dick as the commander on the ground. With the 1st Division returning home, he completed his tour as Senior Advisor, 7th Regiment, 5th ARVN Division.

In 1970, he joined the Pentagon where he developed the Foreign Area Operations Program for US Army officers. In 1971, he was selected as one of the first Army Research Associates in lieu of attending the Army War College and worked at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. The family spent five weeks traveling through Europe and Morocco and he wrote a paper on the military balance in the Maghreb which he later presented at the conference in Majorca.

He returned to the Pentagon as Military Assistant to the Deputy Under Secretary of the Army dealing with international affairs and security assistance matters. He was deeply involved in the efforts before and after the October 1973 War. In September 1974, Colonel Hobbs was assigned as the Politico- Military Advisor, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, Department of State, on exchange from Defense. He advised on military affairs, coordinated all Military Assistance to the Middle East, was instrumental in the Presidential Directive about Masirah (which was important in the 1991 War), and accompanied a DOD Survey Team to Bahrain.

After retiring from the military in 1977, he spent over 10 years in international operations as Vice President - International, Teledyne Industries, Inc. working in Washington DC with the Departments of State, Commerce, and Defense and foreign embassies on international policy questions and export licenses with extensive work in the Middle East and Africa, including negotiating multi-million dollar contracts with Egypt. He also served on the Sudan-US Business Council.

After retiring from Teledyne and moving to Reno, NV, he continued to write and publish numerous books relating to International Affairs and the Middle East. Dick took to the airwaves, hosting a Northern Nevada radio talk program, World in Conflict. In 2004, he joined the board of America Matters which had two radio stations, a magazine, serving as the chairman until early 2005. Dick served as President and 1st Vice President for the AUSA General William C. Westmoreland Chapter in Reno, NV.

Dick loved his troops and they seemed to reciprocate. Whenever he ventured out of his fire base to walk through the hamlets, some of his recon platoon always suddenly appeared stating that he could not go without them. Whether on the fields of friendly strife or in the rice paddies, Dick was always the Airborne soldier.

Colonel Richard “Dick” Wright Hobbs (Ret)

• Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, November 2, 2025 at 1:00PM at the Elks Lodge, 597 Kumle Ln, Reno, NV 89509.

• Dick will be interned at Arlington National Cemetery, at a date to be determined.

• Gifts in his name should be made to: Northern Nevada State Veterans Home, 36 Battle Born Wy, Sparks, NV 89431 – or – West Point Association of Graduates, Gift Operations, 698 Mills Road, West Point, New York, 10996.