Posted by jack darrow on August 17, 2010:

The Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland is wrong when it tells Alice that Fun is a KNOCK-DOWN DRAG-OUT FIGHT! FUN IS BEING WITH BOB MICHELA!! I know, I was lucky enough to room with him for more than 2 years (along with Steve Perryman for much of it) and be his Ranger Buddy for 8 weeks after Graduation. The memories of those days wash over me like the ocean waves that Bob loved to surf. I have so many! Sadly our careers took different directions after Ranger School, but we stayed in-touch between Class Reunions through phone-calls, and e-mails. As we all have experienced, When Bob grinned at us, our souls smiled back! Bob was just fun to be around, no matter what else was a strain in your life. From an early age, Bob showed a Goodness of Heart for life and people. He knew who he was, and WHOM HE LOVED (Cathy), giving him an aura of comfort in all situations. It was infectious, smoothing our emotions and lightening our lives. Bob didn't have to resist structure or directions, his spirit always found a way to express itself. The only "HOURS" he spent on The Area were courtesy of a Tactical Department Pop-quiz after the Holidays on material given just before Christmas. Those scoring 1.0 or below (over 100 of us) were invited to pound the pavement. I know, I also was 1 of the 100. Liz & I started dating Yearling year, and she quickly became close friends with Cathy on frequent double-dates at West Point, in New York, and at Navy Games. Cathy was kind enough to introduce Liz to the Manhattan cocktail one night at the Manhattan Hotel Bar. Unfortunately, she forgot to mention to Liz that you should stop after two of them. The evening ended with Liz wading shoeless to the front door of the restaurant, down a stream that divided the Tatami rooms. Liz is a true friend. After Bob and I had finished Ranger and were in Airborne training, she invited Bob to our apartment for dinner. Bob and Cathy had decided to forego the post-Graduation rush to the altar. Bob, always the gentleman, accepted despite a prior commitment to join some of "the Guys" at the Black Angus for steaks. Liz made a giant Lasagna from scratch, to show Bob the fine Italian cooking available to husbands at home on which he was missing out. Bob stayed a polite 30 minutes and left for the Black Angus. In order to do justice to Liz' magnum opus, I in-turn had the pleasure of cold lasagna sandwiches at lunch for the remainder of Airborne training. Thanks Bob! As an example of how "we roommates" stayed in touch, when Steve and I gathered in Southern California for a Chinese dinner with Jack Price & Dick Carr several years later, the conversation turned to stories of times with Bob. Overcome with nostalgia, we all piled our leftovers into a styrofoam box, writing personal greetings to Bob on the lid. Steve thoughtfully Fedexed the box to Bob's office in Washington, so all around him could see how special he was in our hearts. A nice touch Steve -- Kind indeed!! The opportunity to know and live with someone such as Bob comes rarely, if ever, in most of our lives. While the memories of those days are crisp, we should lovingly roll them over in our hearts, and set them down in a handy place for use in the future, when life gets tough. Finally, LOVE is the essence of our SOULS. It is pure energy that can be felt in a kiss, a touch, a glance from across a room, or a letter from around the world. Love is the only part of this world that can cross THE BOUNDARIES OF LIFE into the next. So Bob please keep your eyes peeled for me -- I'll be along in a while, and I want to have a lot more fun with you. I love Ya! Your Buddy - jack.

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