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SIERRA VISTA — The names of two more Sierra Vistans have been added to the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame.
Duane R. Brofer and Gerd S. Grombacher were honored at an event last weekend in Phoenix, which saw the fifth annual induction ceremony.
They were joined by Henry F. Hauser, who was inducted in 2003 but was too ill to attend at the time.
 The two Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame inductees from Sierra Vista are Gerd Grombacher (top photo) and Duane Brofer. (Courtesy of George Kirmse) |
The Hall of Fame is sponsored by Unified Arizona Veterans, Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services and the Office of the Governor.
“It recognizes state veterans who have honorably served their country through military service and who have continued to serve and inspire with deeds and accomplishments throughout their lifetime,” said a spokeswoman for the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services.
Brofer, 76, enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1948, was highly decorated during Vietnam and retired as an infantry colonel at Fort Huachuca in 1980.
From 1988 he served with the Cochise County Workforce Development, allocating funds for employment training for teenagers and adults and he was selected by Cochise Superior Court for training as a mediator/arbitrator to reduce court calendars, reviewing more than 160 cases.
Brofer is also active in the Military Officers Association and served two terms as chapter president. He also had successive appointments to Cochise County Planning and Zoning Commission, was instrumental in the formation of the Center for Academic Success and is a member of the Fry Fire District Board.
Grombacher was born in Germany in 1923, but naturalized in the U.S. in 1943. He served during World War II in the U.S. Army in Europe, and saw active duty in Korea and Vietnam, retiring after 39 years with the rank of major general and commander of Fort Huachuca.
He formed the United Way of Cochise County and served as executive director for 20 years while refusing a salary.
In 1986 Grombacher was appointed to the Cochise County Federal Emergency Management Board.
He is an adviser to the Greater Sierra Vista Area Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee, an active member of the Huachuca Museum Society, Armed Forces Communication and Electronics Association, Military Officers Association of America, Sierra Vista Symphony Association and the Cowboy Poetry and Music Association.
Hauser, 87, who retired as an Army colonel at Fort Huachuca in 1961, served as a Sierra Vista councilman from 1967 to 1969, when he was elected as the city’s mayor.
His many civic contributions were honored when the city opened the Henry F. Hauser Museum in 2000.
Herald/Review reporter Amanda Baillie can be reached at 515-4683 or by e-mail at amanda.baillie@svherald.com.
Tony P wrote on Nov 25, 2008 12:24 AM: