More detail on this person: Dick D. Grube COLUMBUS, Ga. - Lt. Col. (Ret.) Dick DeWayne Grube, 77, of Columbus, Georgia, died Monday, March 29, 2010, at his home with his wife and daughters at his side. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 3, 2010, at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 2100 Hilton Ave., Columbus, Georgia. Honorary pallbearers will be the Friday Friars. Those wishing to share stories of how Dick touched their lives may speak at the service. There will be a reception following the service in the parish hall. Dick was a member of St. Thomas and faithfully served as a lay reader, chalice bearer, member of the Vestry and senior warden. He designed and will be interred in their Columbarium. Born in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, on February 9, 1933, Dick was the only child of the late Everett Norman Grube Jr. and Margaret Florence Van Kuren Grube Smith. He was a graduate of the class of 1951 from Punxsutawney High School where he served as representative for the Margaret Cabell Boles charity fund. Dick was a proud ambassador for Punxsutawney Phil, hosting parties everywhere he lived honoring the hometown prognosticator. Dick always said that he only had two employers, J.C. Penney's and Uncle Sam. He was the assistant manager at J.C. Penney's before his induction into the U.S. Army in 1952. Following infantry training at Indiantown Gap in Pennsylvania, he was selected for officers training and was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers. As an Army aviator, in both fixed wing and helicopter, he served in Korea, Vietnam, Panama, Peru, Columbia and the United States. He served in the 7th Infantry Division in Korea, where he was awarded the U.S. Army Commendation Medal. Following duty in Columbia, Peru and Panama, he was awarded the Legion of Merit. In Vietnam, he commanded the headquarters cavalry troop, 1/9 Cavalry Squadron, and was awarded the Air Medal and Bronze Star. Other decorations, medals, badges, commendations, citations and awards that Dick had received throughout his career include National Defense Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Armed Forces Reserve Medal (2d award), Good Conduct Medal, Vietnam Medal with three Bronze Stars, Senior Army Aviator Badge, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star, Army Aviator Badge, Master Army Aviator Badge, Presidential Unit Citation, three overseas service bars, Meritorious Service Medal. While stationed at Fort Rucker, Alabama, he received his bachelor's degree from Troy State University. Upon completion of 21 years of service, he retired from active duty at a lieutenant colonel. He remained in Columbus, Georgia, and went to work as the director of the National Infantry Museum. He was instrumental in its relocation to the original Martin Army Hospital building. Dick never wanted the museum to glorify war but to honor the soldier and to remind the public that the soldier was a human being. His wife, Deanna, says that the museum was his greatest love and that she was his second. In 2006, Grube was awarded the medal of St. Maurice for his distinguished contribution to, and loyal support of, the infantryman. Dick Grube had been an active participant in the Columbus community. He had a lifelong interest in antiques, history and preservation. He had served on the board of the Historic Chattahoochee Commission, the Columbus Symphony, Columbus Arts Council, Westville and the Historic Columbus Commission where he served as chairman. He was a member of Friday Friars, Executive Club, Golden Boys Investment club, The Chattahoochee River Club, MOAA and MOWW. He was a 32nd degree Mason. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Deanna Almina Cook Grube; daughters and sons-in-law, Betsy and Steve Cullinan of Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, Pegi and Mike Taylor of Columbus and Jennifer and Rick Brown of Columbus. Dick loved his grandchildren, Kathryn Deanna Cullinan Moore, wife of Christopher Moore of Athens Ga., Steve Cullinan Jr. and Kevin Cullinan of Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, Meredith Taylor, Elizabeth Brown and Andrew Brown of Columbus. The family would like to thank the nurses and technicians of St. Francis Hospital, Martin Army Hospital, VA Hospital in Tuskegee (especially Patricia Bryant), DaVita (especially Vickie Taylor), Care South and Vista Care (especially Jim Hildebrand) for the wonderful care provided. They would also like to thank Dr. Brian Ribeiro, Dr. Tamorie Smith, Dr. Denise Capel, Dr. William Macheski and Dr. Ferdinand Alcaide for their care and attention. Special thanks to Finley and Heidi Williamson, Fr. Doug Hahn and our St. Thomas family. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Thomas Episcopal Church or Chattahoochee Valley Episcopal Ministries Inc., PO Box 5811, Columbus, GA 31906. Dick Grube - Former Infantry Museum director Grube dies Dick Grube never wanted to glorify war, only the people whose job it was to play a part in it. In June of 2009, Grube said in an interview that his mission had always been to "honor soldiers and to let people know the infantryman is a human being." Grube, 77, the director of the National Infantry Museum from 1972-95, died around 1:30 a.m. Monday in the Columbus home where he had lived for 40 years. In poor health for a long time and bedridden for close to two years, he suffered a massive stroke last week while having tests done at St. Francis Hospital. "He always said he would leave this house feet first," said his wife of 51 years, Deanna. "It is really a sad day," said retired Maj. Gen. Jerry White, chairman of the National Infantry Museum Board of Directors. "Dick was a legend at Fort Benning and this new museum has his fingerprints all over it. Dick taught me what a museum was all about. He will be sorely missed." Frank Hanner replaced Grube and is now head of the Museum Division. "He was a very good fellow," Hanner said. "He always loved history and the material things that made our history, such as a gun or flag used in a battle. He did more than most to make the National Infantry Museum what it is today." Grube, a native of Punxsutawney, Pa., had a stellar military career. One of his three daughters, Betsy Cullinan, said her father was always proud to say he'd had only two employers in life, "JCPenney and Uncle Sam." As an Army aviator, he served in Korea, Vietnam, Panama, Peru and Colombia. He served the 7th Infantry Division in Korea and was awarded the U.S. Army Commendation Medal. In Vietnam, he commanded the Headquarters Cavalry Troop, 1/9 Cavalry Squadron and was awarded the Air Medal and Bronze Star. Upon completion of 21 years of service, he retired from active duty as a lieutenant colonel. Always collecting As a child, Grube was a collector. At 13, he would buy shaving mugs and other items at auctions and trade these to antique dealers for swords and other military items. He used to joke that when he retired from the service, he'd like to "go to the armory in Pennsylvania and dust cannons." Instead, he stayed in Columbus and went to work at the museum at Fort Benning. When Grube took over, it was still housed in wooden buildings on post. The roof would leak, and he'd have to go mop up. There was no heat, no air-conditioning. Guards set fires outside to keep warm. In 1977, the museum moved to a building that once housed the post hospital. "Dick told them what walls to take down, where to paint," his wife recalled. "He directed everything." Grube said he wanted visitors to understand the museum was "more than a collection of things painted olive drab." He acquired a liquor cabinet belonging to President Ulysses S. Grant, pay slips from the Revolutionary War and a violin made by a soldier from an empty ammunition box in Vietnam. He traveled all over the country to find items such as the diamond-encrusted baton of Nazi leader Hermann Goering. "We drove it home from Washington, D.C., with other items," his wife recalled. "My father loved history," said daughter Jennifer Brown. "It was not just the infantry museum. He was involved with the (Port Columbus) Civil War Naval Museum and was on the board of the Historic Chattahoochee Commission and Westville. He just loved Westville." Brown said he loved "beautiful things" and often gave art for gifts. Among the many honors received by the grandfather of six was the highest level of the Order of Saint Maurice in 2000 for his outstanding contributions to the infantry. "Once a soldier, always a soldier," he'd say. Daughter Pegi Taylor said her father did get a chance to view the new museum, and thought it was a "work of art."
Burial information: Saint Thomas Episcopal Church Columbarium, Muscogee, GA
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