His father and grandfather, John Thomas Honeycutt, were both graduates of the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York.

[1][2] His brother, Lieutenant Frederic W. Hinrichs, III, was a pilot in the United States Navy Reserve and died in an airplane crash during World War II.

In this position he was responsible for improving equipment and weapons readiness by analyzing data to identify systemic causes for breakdowns and repairs, and developing solutions to minimize the time these items were non-mission capable.

[13] In the late 1940s Hinrichs served as Ordnance Officer for United States Army Forces, Middle Pacific.

In April, 1962 he gave Congressional testimony defending Nike Zeus Missile contractors against charges of excessive profiteering on previous projects.