Max Verl Terrien was born on September 28, 1946 in Greenville TX, the son of Venita Swindell Terrien and Joseph S. Terrien, who was on active duty in the United States Army. Max spent some of his preteen years in Ethiopia but grew up mostly in the Washington, DC area, where his father was assigned to the White House Communications Agency. Max said that his dedication to God and Country was inspired by living at Fort Myer, VA in the 1950s, where he observed the sacrifice and service reflected in the many daily ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery. While serving as a bat boy for the White House NCO softball team, he became acquainted with many career soldiers. After graduation from high school, he enlisted in the Army and attended the USMA Preparatory School at Fort Belvoir, VA before joining the Class of 1969 at West Point.

At West Point, Max exemplified dedication to the ethic of service to his country, concern for his troops, and the accomplishment of every mission that came his way. As a plebe, during squad special inspections he often read letters describing personal experiences from his brother, who was serving in Vietnam during the early months of the first deployment of Army combat units there. This brought the reality of the war closer to Max and the other members of his squad. As part of his professional development, he volunteered one summer to attend the Jungle Operations Course in Panama, which motivated him to become an infantryman upon graduation. Among his extracurricular activities, Max pursued skydiving and participated in many of the activities and field trips of the Military Affairs Club. He capped off his final year at West Point by serving as a company commander for two of the three details during that academic year.

After graduation, Max married Sandra Gail Coleman. After a short stay at Fort Bragg, NC and the birth of his first son, Max V. Terrien Jr., he served with the 2-12th Cavalry Regiment in the 1st Cavalry Division and the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam. During that tour he was decorated three times with the Bronze Star for valor, the Purple Heart and three Air Medals. After serving as an instructor in the Army Ranger School and the birth of his second son, Jeb T. Terrien, he returned to Vietnam to serve as an adviser with a Vietnamese Airborne Division. After several subsequent assignments in the United States and earning a master’s degree from Webster University, he was assigned to the USMA Preparatory School, then at Fort Monmouth, NJ, first as a company tactical officer and finally as the commandant of the school. Although he impressed the people he led in every assignment, following his death the outpouring of admiration and respect from the Prep School students he mentored was impressive, a tribute every professional soldier and troop leader would hope for. Following his assignment to the Prep School, he attended the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, KS, where he earned a master’s degree in military art and science. Assignments followed in Korea, where he served as the joint plans officer for Eighth Army and as an infantry brigade executive officer in the 2nd Infantry Division and at the Pentagon, where he was assigned to the Army Special Operations Agency. He was awarded the Legion of Merit upon his retirement from the Army in December 1991.

Just prior to retiring, Max married MaryAnn Stanford, and they both worked in the Washington DC area for several years. Max continued to serve our nation in positions of great trust. He first worked with the Titan Corporation on continuity of government planning and preparedness. In the mid-1990s he joined Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) in McLean, VA. At the same time Max was working toward his doctoral degree at Virginia Tech with an appropriate emphasis on “ethics.” During the decade that followed he led a wide range of homeland security and military readiness programs on the frontiers of national preparedness, focused on chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats. He adapted and assembled teams of scientists, engineers, and operators to address problems that most Americans will never know threaten their way of life. He retired from SAIC as a vice president.

In retirement, Max loved being at home on Lake Gaston, NC, where he could fish when he wasn’t on more extensive trips to Canada with his son Jeb or hauling his boat around Virginia and North Carolina to his other favorite fishing spots. In April-May 2013, he made a special trip across the country to visit many of his classmates from the cadet company he had commanded at West Point. This illustrated once again his high regard for his friends and his continuing instinct to take care of his troops.

From the day that he graduated from West Point to the days of his retirement, Max earned the trust and confidence of a grateful nation and the love and loyalty of the many troops and coworkers who benefited from his wisdom, selfless support, and enduring friendship. His leadership and generosity were emblematic of a man who was ultimately humble but never shy in giving his honest assessments and always the teacher and gentleman. He was a soldier’s soldier—steadfast in the face of danger and always on point. In every West Point class, there are leaders like him, first to volunteer and last to return from the field. He was ours. His life was anchored in the West Point ideals of Duty, Honor, Country.

— Family, classmates and co-workers