On 1 Aug 2007, we lost a loving husband, brother, father, grandfather great friend, and wonderful classmate when Arlyn passed away after battling lymphoma for several years. He was fortunate enough to attend his 50th Reunion of the great Class of 1957 and had a wonderful time reconnecting with friends. Shortly thereafter, he lost his valiant fight against cancer.

The son of an Ephraim, UT, sheep farmer, Arlyn Reese Madsen came to West Point in 1953 after spending a year attending Snow College in his hometown. It was quite a switch for Arlyn, from the bucolic Ephraim to the shock of "Beast Barracks" during his first two months at West Point. Upon completing his rite of passage, he was fortunate enough to be assigned to H-2 Company, located in the "Lost Fifties." He quickly acquired the nickname of "Mort" from several H-2 upperclassmen.

In his first two years, he tolerated academics and spent numerous hours studying German while his roommates, who had wisely chosen Spanish, played wastebasket basketball. In the 1957 yearbook, it was noted that Arlyn was a firm believer in start­ing every day with the lights on and that "his sense of humor, coupled with a constant readiness to do things out of the ordinary, has led him to do things like placing a bed intact on the alcove rail, and stuffing a ripe banana in a shoe for reveille." His motto was: "I'll try most anything once." One of the other pranks that he and one of his roommates did (which can only now be told) was to dangle another roommate out the window, allowing him to toss water filled balloons through the open window of the room one floor below.

His destiny changed during his First Class year when he had the good fortune of meeting the lovely Sally Rosser at an Army football game He married this eastern maiden in June 1958 and spent the next 49 years with her, always referring to her as "my bride." They had four wonderful children: Marjorie, Betsy, Reese, and Evan, who all went on to outstanding careers.

Following graduation, Arlyn attended the Infantry Officer Basic Course at Ft. Benning and then Ranger School. Arlyn was in a truck that overturned during training and injured his knee, resulting in a hospital stay of several weeks. Although a die-hard Infantryman, Arlyn was told he needed to branch transfer and, thanks to the influence of one Tom Rienzi, chose the Signal Corps and went on to a brilliant career in that field. Assigned to the 3rd Armored Division in Germany, he fought for an Infantry position until the Corps Signal Officer determined that there was a huge need for Signal Officers. Arlyn was ordered to quit playing Infantry—he was needed as a Signal Officer. He embraced the Signal Corps, especially its branch color, orange.

From then on his assignments were a combination of signal and intelligence jobs. After a tour at Ft. Monmouth, NJ, he went to Viet Nam in 1963 as an advisor with the Military Assistance Command. From there it was on to the Foreign Science and Technology Canter in Washington, DC, and then the National Security Agency at Ft. Meade, MD. Following graduate school at Tucson, AZ, he was off to Thailand; Bethesda, MD; and the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, VA. Another tour in Viet Nam followed, this time as a battalion commander in the 1st Signal Brigade. Tours at Ft. Ritchie, MD; the Pentagon; and HQ Army Material Command followed. He was specifically selected for an assignment to NATO in Brussels, Belgium, where Arlyn played a major role in the Electronic Warfare arena, working smoothly on the international staff. Sally and Arlyn did extensive traveling during this tour and engaged their new favorite hobbies—fine dining and flea marketing— the latter providing an opportunity to acquire family treasures. Arlyn and Sally were a good team—she having an eye for hidden treasures and he having the craftsmanship to rejuvenate the many antiques acquired.

Arlyn's final tour was at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, as deputy commander of the Army's Test and Evaluation Command, He retired in June 1987 after 30 years of dedicated service,

Upon retirement, Arlyn found a position that young boys dream of, playing with real "Tonka" toys as Chief of Highways for Harford County, MD. For thirteen years he led the county's efforts at maintaining, building, and clearing snow from the roads of Northern Maryland. He did this job with his typical good humor and "let’s get it done right" attitude. In December 2001 he retired a second time to devote more time to his family and enjoy the fruits of his labor. He particularly enjoyed carving birds, caning all the chairs acquired in Europe, serving his Church, feeding friends and family Danish aebleskivers, attending Gilbert and Sullivan performances, and spending time with his grandchildren.

He was well known in Blue Ridge Summit, PA for his devotion to Signal Corps orange, and his orange truck was a local landmark as well as the talk of the town. At his funeral, the chapel was filled with all the orange flowers that could be purchased in southern Pennsylvania, and the local florists had to call in reinforcements to meet the demand. Arlyn is survived by his four children: Marjorie Madsen Killers of Los Alamos, NM; Betsy Madsen of Williamsport, PA; Commander A. Reese Madsen, Jr., U.S. Coast Guard (Retired) of University Park, MD; and Evan R. Markin of Chesapeake, VA; as well as four grandchildren and two sisters. Arlyn loved life—he had a fantastic outlook on life, a generous spirit, made new friends easily, and loved to watch people enjoying themselves. His yearbook ended with the phrase, "He was easy to live with." He truly was that, and he is and will be missed by all that had the gnat good fortune to know him.