Lt Col Otto John "Rip" Herzog Ret.

Rip was born on April 28, 1934 in Minneapolis MN to Gladys and Otto Herzog. He was an only child of a Lutheran Minister and spent most his childhood years at different Country Parishes in the Midwest. From 1942 to 1950 the family lived in Ithaca and Beatrice Nebraska. In 1950 the family moved to Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg, Missouri where his father eventually retired in 1973 and moved to Oregon.

Rip attended SE Missouri State School of Mining and Engineering from 1952 to 1954 and then transferred to Louisiana Tech and graduated June 3, 1954 with a degree in Aviation. With this degree, his dream was to become a pilot in the USAF, he entered the Air Force one month later. He wanted to become a fighter piolet but because of a rare disease contracted as a young boy called Histoplasmosis, the USAF wasn’t certain the body could take the g’s of a fighter plane. After much testing and many physical demands, Rip was given the controls of a KC-135 Stratotanker which is a military aerial refueling aircraft and shortly thereafter became Captain. He was able to travel the world and enjoy one of the things he loved the most which was flying. He retired after a 25-year career as a Lieutenant Colonel. After retirement, Rip elected to continue his love of flying and over the next 15 years worked as a pilot and co-pilot flying private jets.

Rip was an avid reader and loved murder mysteries. He also read every aeronautical, model airplane, and woodworking magazine ever printed. He loved detail and precision and is most certainly why he choose the profession of flying.

After retiring for good in 1989, Rip would spend the winter months in San Antonio TX and the summer months with his parents in NE Portland. He moved to Oregon fulltime in 1996 after the death of his father. He spent the next 10 years devoted to the care of his mother who passed away in 2006.

Rip enjoyed many things after retirement, he focused on Radio Controlled model airplanes, golf, and his love of woodworking. He was an exceptionally skilled woodworker and loved the detail and precision that it took. He made everything from picture frames with dovetail corners to cutting boards with troughs. Possibly his greatest project was replicating a stunning dashboard out of African Cherrywood for a friends Triumph GT6.

A Full Military Service will be held for LTC Otto John “Rip” Herzog at Skyline Memorial Gardens 4101 NW Skyline Blvd. Portland OR. 97229 on Friday June 9, 2017 at 1:00. Reception to follow. In Lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Legacy Hope Well House at 6171 Capitol Highway Portland OR. 97239 in his name.