Eighth Army officials identified the soldier struck and killed by a Seoul city bus Jan. 5 as Lt. Col. David F. Frankenhauser, who, according to a report, was three weeks shy of retirement.
Frankenhauser, 54, was pronounced dead at 11:45 p.m. at Joong-Ang University Hospital after he was hit by the bus near Yongsan Station, according to an 8th Army news release.
Frankenhauser was jaywalking across a bus lane when he was struck Monday night, a South Korean police officer said Thursday on condition of anonymity. The police spokesman said the case remains under investigation and that the U.S. military is to conduct an autopsy.
Eighth Army officials were unable to comment on the autopsy Thursday.
Frankenhauser, a Lake County, Ind., native, worked as transformation chief of the Future Operations Division, Operational Maneuver Directorate, assigned to the Operational Command Post-Korea on Yongsan Garrison.
His wife, Marian, was quoted by WBAL-TV News 11, in Maryland, as saying she last spoke to her husband the day before he was killed.
"They were such words of love, and then there were one or two e-mails ... so his last written and spoken words were love to each other, and I thank God," she said, according to a story on wbaltv.com.
She said in the story that her husband, who had served also in Iraq, Afghanistan and Bosnia, was to retire in three weeks.
Frankenhauser enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1974 and was commissioned an Army officer in 1983, according to the Army release. He was assigned to the 8th Army in June 2007 and was selected for promotion to colonel in 2008.
Members of www.steelsoldiers.com, a Web site for people interested in military vehicles, mourned Frankenhauser, saying he was a popular and well-liked contributor.
"David was one of those guys who would give you advice, and from his simple messages over the board you could tell he was a honest upright man," wrote one anonymous contributor.
"I just found out this terrible news today and like everyone else on here I was proud to consider David a friend on this board," wrote another contributor. "I wish I had the chance to have met him in person, not just to thank him for his service to our great nation but to thank him for his … gift for comforting all of us when needed."
Frankenhauser is survived by his wife and four children.
A memorial service was to be held at Yongsan Garrison’s main chapel Friday afternoon.
