Veteran of the Month – Lt. Colonel Carl Eisenmann

Name: Carl Eisenmann

Place of Birth: Bridgeport, CT

Date of Birth: March 20, 1928

Town: Simsbury, Connecticut

Military Branch of Service: U.S. Air Force

Service Dates:
Active 05 September, 1952 – 05 April 1957
Active reserve through 30 June, 1976

Highest Rank: Lt. Colonel

Military Jobs and Duties:
Staff Judge Advocate, including trial (prosecution) and defense counsel. Legal advice to the base commander; Military Judge; Summary Court Martial. Military service included serving in Libya for two years, sometimes conducting Court Martial proceedings in remote areas overseas, military court proceedings, including summary, special and general courts-martial. Advice to the base commander and commanders if all military units. Advice to supervisory personnel in discipline matters.

Unit, Division, Battalion, Group, Ship, etc.:
Hanscom Air Force Base, Bedford, MA; Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama; Otis Air Force Base, Cape Cod, MA

War, Operation, or Conflict Served in:
Libya

Military Schools/Training:
The Air Force University, called “The Air University,” Air Command and Staff School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama; ROTC in college

Air Force Bases Stationed:
Hanscom AFB, MA; Maxwell, AFB, AL; Wheelus AFB, APO 231, NY; Wheelus AFB, Lybia

Bio/Narrative/Memorable Events:

Carl Eisenmann grew up in Connecticut and graduated from Georgetown Law School. After being admitted to the Connecticut and Washington D.C.’s bar associations, Eisenmann decided that he wanted to serve his country and join the military.

At the time, lawyers were being commissioned as First Lieutenants. He joined the Air Force and in 1952 was called to active duty at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, MA.

In the Air Force, he served in JAG Corps as a Judge Advocate. In this role, he worked in the military judicial system where he could be a judge one day and a prosecutor or defense attorney the next.

From Hanscom he went to Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama for a time before returning to Hanscom. Then, Eisenmann was sent overseas to Tripoli in North Africa.

As a reward for his service in Tripoli, Eisenmann was allowed to request his next placement. When he returned from overseas, he was lucky to be assigned to his selected location: Otis Air Force Base, Falmouth, MA.

At Otis, Eisenmann met First Lieutenant Nancy Koenig, Security Officer for the 58th Fighter Squadron, and the 33rd Fighter Group, also the 551st Air Force Wing; Summary Court Officer, Commander of WAF Squadron. Their respective duties resulted in constant contact, and Eisenmann and Koenig often worked on specific duties jointly, e.g. they were both assigned to aircraft crash investigation boards and both on disciplinary investigations.

Five months after his arrival on Otis AFB, Eisenmann and Koenig were married in the Base Chapel on 19 May, 1956 – Armed Forces Day.

Together, Carl and Nancy have two children, now men, three grandchildren, the oldest a grandson who is headed to the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Carl Eisenmann served his country for over 24 years. He currently resides in Simsbury.