Colonel James Spackman

On June 25, 1965, James Spackman graduated from Michigan State University and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Engineer Corps. During his active duty career, he served in Germany as a platoon leader for the 517th Heavy Equipment Company and as the engineer material officer for the 81st Maintenance Battalion.

After leaving active service in 1967, Colonel Spackman spent the next twenty-eight years serving in a variety of command and staff positions in the Army Reserve and the Michigan Army National Guard, including battery commander, assistant S-3, and S-2 for the 4th Battalion 20th Field Artillery. He commanded both the 517th Engineer Battalion and the 46th Engineer Group, completing his distinguished military career with more than thirty years of service as the state engineer, Michigan Army National Guard.

Colonel Spackman has spent twenty-seven years of his civilian professional career with the City of Lansing. The last twelve years he served as the deputy planning director. After retiring from the city government in 1992, he has served as a community planning consultant.

In recognition of the great credit his exemplary service, superior leadership, and dedication to duty has brought Michigan State University and the United States Army, Colonel James R. Spackman is inducted into the MSU Army ROTC Hall of Fame, this seventh day of February, nineteen hundred and ninety-eight, in the one hundred and thirteenth year of Military Science