Robert Bruce Brown

West Point, 1955

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Bill Hadly on December 8, 2003:

USMA 1955 Eulogy to Robert Bruce Brown as prepared, and delivered at Bob's Memorial Service 8 December, 2003, by Bill Hadly. Bob Brown arrived at the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY in the summer of 1951. There were some 650 cadets reporting with him. The war in Korea was ongoing. Bob had some military service and a semester at Perdue before he became a cadet, more mature than most. It was at West Point that cadets were imbued with the academy code of DUTY, HONOR, COUNTRY that would remain as the hallmark of Bob's service to the nation. In June of 1955 along with 470 fellow graduates, Bob was handed his diploma by a fellow West Pointer, President Dwight David Eisenhower. A vignette provided by one of his classmates, Tom Turner, was the memory of 3 young ladies sitting on the iron rail by South Area watching the cadets marching to supper every Sunday night Lou Crandall's Joanie, Tom's Marianne, and Bob's Helene. Bob called them, "The naughty Ladies of Shady Lane." Funny things, always good things, when it comes to Bob and Helene. Shortly after graduation, Bob and Helene were married. Through the ensuing years of military service, during the era of the Cold War, Bob was sent to Vietnam and they spent some time in Germany. Bob also attended the Command and Staff College at Leavenworth Kansas and the prestigious Naval Post Graduate School at Monterey, California. Some of this service was with Helene and the family, some not. It was during his military service that Bob augmented his code of life. Now added to his code of life were GOD, FAMILY, COMMUNITY. After his retirement from the Army, Bob became a teacher, a school principal and superintendent , and a professor at Flathead Community College. He also became active in his church and community. He loved and was loved by his students whom he provided more than just education. He was so proud of helping his former students, one of whom he assisted in getting into the Air Force Academy. His former students would stop and chat with him about their families, jobs and life in general. Bob closed each of his emails to his classmates and friends with the following phrase; "Choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong." That's the way Bob lived his life Love and Service to GOD, FAMILY, COMMUNITY, DUTY, HONOR, COUNTRY. We your approximately 360 remaining classmates and comrades in arms of the Long Grey Line, salute you Colonel Bob Brown be thou at rest! Bill Hadly for USMA 1955

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