Henry J. Hatch

Early life and education The son of an artillery officer, Henry J. Hatch was born on August 31, 1935, in Pensacola, Florida. After graduating from the United States Military Academy in 1957 with a B.S. degree in engineering, he completed airborne and ranger training at Fort Benning, Georgia, and later earned an M.S. in geodetic science at Ohio State University in 1964.

Military career Hatch held several leadership positions in Army airborne and airmobile units early in his career. He commanded a company of the 307th Engineer Battalion, 82d Airborne Division, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; served on the staff of the 2d Airborne Battle Group, 503d Infantry, in Okinawa; and commanded the 326th Engineer Battalion, 101st Airborne Division, in Vietnam in 1968–69. Hatch subsequently oversaw West Point construction work for the Corps' New York District and in 1974 began a three-year tenure as Nashville District Engineer. He then returned to Asia to lead the 2d Infantry Division Support Command in Korea and later directed Army and Air Force construction in Korea, Japan, and the Pacific as the Corps' Pacific Ocean Division Engineer. Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster