The Chief blew in from South Dakota, weathered the initial shock and awe of Beast Barracks, and by the beginning of the academic year had secured a defensible position on corps squad tables safe from upper class hazing. On the first day of Beast, The Chief realized that the upperclassman who was running the clothing drill could not keep track of every plebe, so The Chief sat out every other uniform change, relying on less daring classmates to advise him of the next uniform. Well known throughout the Corps of Cadets for his speed and athletic ability, his friends and teammates may remember him more for his penchant for practical jokes, irrepressible sense of humor, and a cackling laugh not unlike that of a rooster pheasant busting out of a South Dakota cornfield. A truly memorable character, The Chief will be remembered fondly by all who knew him.
Larry Allen “The Chief” Lemaster was born on June 24, 1947 in Canova, SD, a small farming community near Sioux Falls. Larry was an adventurous boy who pushed the limits. A boyhood friend recalled that Larry would climb a tree higher and higher until a branch broke, while agilely managing to escape a fall. As a boy Larry developed a love of the outdoors and a passion for pheasant hunting and Labrador hunting dogs.
When Larry was in high school, his family moved to Rapid City, SD, where Larry starred in high school track and football, earning a state‐wide reputation. Larry’s athletic exploits overshadowed his keen intellect. Smart and athletic, Larry was made to order for West Point.
At the Academy, Larry found a welcome home in the F‐2 Zoo. He ran cross country, played 150 lb. football, and ran indoor and outdoor track, lettering all four years. In his senior year, Larry was selected by his teammates as captain of the Indoor Track Team. Larry acquired his nickname, “The Chief,” at a track meet. Mischievous teammates told a gullible New York Times reporter that The Chief was part Sioux Indian from South Dakota, and so a legend was born. Larry wore the nickname proudly for the next 50 years.
Despite an easygoing manner, Larry was a fierce competitor, physically and mentally fearless. One of his most memorable races came in a 1969 indoor meet against Harvard at the West Point Field House. The outcome came down to the final event, the two‐mile relay. The team that won the race would win the meet. For the anchor lap, Larry got the baton with a slight lead over Harvard’s anchor. The Harvard runner had an international reputation and the field house was rocking. Harvard pressed for lead, but Larry simply wouldn’t be denied and held him off at the finish line. A photo of that finish is in our Howitzer yearbook.
After graduation, one of Larry’s early assignments was the Army Track Team. He was also posted to Fort Lewis, WA and served a tour of duty in Korea. After returning from Korea and discharge from the Army, Larry decided to become a medical doctor and enrolled at the University of Washington in Seattle for pre‐med schooling.
While at Fort Lewis and in Seattle, Larry took full advantage of the outdoor adventures offered in the Pacific Northwest, including mountain climbing, back country skiing, and alpine backpacking. Larry climbed most of the Northwest’s snowcapped volcanoes, including Mount Rainier at 14,410 feet. One Northwest adventure Larry did not enjoy recounting was an ill‐fated trip on the Green River near Seattle, where he lost his canoe under a log jam. Larry barely survived, but his canoe did not and was never seen again.
After finishing pre‐med studies, Larry enrolled in medical school at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion—not far from his boyhood home. Back on the prairie, he was at home again, with a shotgun and a Lab. Seeking even more extreme outdoor adventures as a respite from medical school, Larry led several grueling back country ski trips to the Braun 10th Mountain Division Huts (above 11,000 feet) in the Colorado Rockies.
After graduation from medical school Larry served his residency in Sioux Falls, SD and Duluth, MN. He joined a medical group in Duluth practicing family medicine. He said that delivering a baby was one of his favorite experiences. In Duluth he met and married Kimberly Lindman, a nurse at St. Luke’s Hospital. Together they had three beautiful daughters: Libby, Maxine and Sylvie—two of whom have followed Larry and Kimberly into the medical profession. The family purchased a forest cabin north of Duluth and a condo in the Florida Keys, where they spent many relaxing weekends and vacations.
Finding no mountains near Duluth, Larry’s next adventure was racing sled dogs. His athleticism, love of dogs, and highly competitive nature enabled him to excel at this new sport, competing in the Beargrease Sled Dog Race, which at just under 400 miles is the longest sled dog race in the lower 48 states. Finally, Larry and his family moved back to his native South Dakota. In Sioux Falls Larry tailored his medical practice to reserve plenty of time in autumn and winter to hunt pheasant and ducks.
The Chief passed away in October 2016. His survivors include wife Kimberly Lemaster; daughters Libby (Westman), Maxine (Else), and Sylvie; brother Dave Lemaster; sister Janet Hill; a yellow Lab named Jazz; and many friends and hunting companions. His remains have been scattered in some of his favorite places with the blessing “Be Thou at Peace.”
— Roommates, teammates, family, and friends