Decorated Combat Veteran Had Poetic, Scholarly Side

In some ways, Lt. Col. John F. Hillen Jr. seemed like a highly decorated, tough-as-nails retired Army officer, a former Army Ranger and Green Beret, who served two tours in Vietnam. He advised Iranian troops in the mid-1970s, before the Islamic Revolution, and developed a deep interest in Mideast policy.

Then there was the poem he wrote for his wife, a Fairfax County schoolteacher. He called it "A Teacher's Prayer," and it's widely reprinted, particularly as storms set in during early winter.

Col. Hillen, 72, who died April 27 in a traffic accident near his home in Sanford, N.C., was a complex and interesting man, said his son and namesake, who was assistant secretary of state for political and military affairs during the George W. Bush administration.

Almost 40 years ago, the elder Hillen was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions during the Vietnam War. In 1974, he received a master's degree in Middle East studies from George Washington University, and he became fluent in the language and culture of Iran before his deployment there.

Col. Hillen, who had been a senior parachutist, taught Iranian airborne and infantry troops military strategy and tactics.

"Here's a guy with a résumé of Hector and Achilles, but his writing of a funny teacher poem resonated in the teacher community," said John F. Hillen III, who himself became the senior government official working with Arab allies on issues involving Iran.

Col. Hillen's literary streak led him to appreciate the British style of obituary writing, particularly as practiced by the Telegraph, for its biting asides and sly wit. He had a facility for languages, learning Vietnamese and Farsi before his deployments to Vietnam and Iran, respectively, and practiced the Chinese martial art of tai chi.

John Francis Hillen Jr. was born May 24, 1936, in Brooklyn, N.Y. He graduated from the City College of New York in 1959 and joined the Army.

As a major on his second tour in Vietnam, he was aboard a helicopter Jan. 27, 1970, near the Tram Thien River in Phong Dien District when he spotted movement in the treeline below him and ordered the infantry into the area.

He directed the pilot to aim the chopper's spotlight and marking fire at the enemy. As the ground troops moved in, enemy soldiers fired on the helicopter, seriously wounding the major. "Despite his wounds, Major Hillen continued to direct the helicopter's fire until he lost consciousness," his citation for the Distinguished Flying Cross says.

After his tour in Iran, Col. Hillen joined the Middle East Institute and other policy and scholarly forums. He retired from the Army in 1979. In addition to the Distinguished Flying Cross, his military decorations included the Purple Heart.

He became one of the first employees at the information technology company SRA International, where he worked as a senior program manager on government contracts. Ernst Volgenau, the founder of SRA, jokingly called him a "wirehead," a term intended as a compliment because Col. Hillen had no background in computers or technology but "had that way about him that attracted people to his leadership. He was not only a mentor, but he coalesced people around a goal."

SRA gave Col. Hillen its Leadership Award in 1995, the top award in the 7,000-employee firm. He retired from SRA in 1996 and later moved to North Carolina.

In addition to his son, of Oakton, survivors include his wife of 48 years, Lisa Grassi Hillen of Sanford; a daughter, Jean Morgan of Cary, N.C.; a sister; and five grandchildren.