Robert William Cone

West Point, 1979

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Jim Roberts on September 20, 2016:

Bob Cone exemplified a West Point graduate - he was a hard charging, clear thinking, Army leader. When we were Cadets, Bob and I both served on the Honor Committee. An example of Bob's input during an Honor Committee discussion demonstrates his clarity of mind and leadership abilities. One time, the entire Committee discussed a Cadet who lied to his squad leader about shining his shoes. Back in those days before "discretion", the Committee occasionally debated whether some "minor" honor violations should be punished as harshly as some of the "larger" ones. That evening, some Committee members thought that dismissal might be too harsh a punishment for such a "small lie". After a fair amount of back-and-forth discussion, Bob stood up and said, "If he is going to lie about something so small as shining his shoes, what will he do when something big occurs?" There was no way to argue with Bob's logic, and we moved on to other business. After we all graduated, the stories of Bob's many successes floated back to us as he earned his way up the ranks. You always knew that our Country was dutifully served and well protected when Bob was in command. I recall seeing him on TV during the tragedy at FT Hood. Bob was III Corps Commander. III Corps was getting ready to deploy to Southwest Asia when the shootings occurred. Bob's presence on national TV reassured the Nation that the situation would be carefully investigated, and the perpetrator would be dealt with. Once again, Bob demonstrated the presence of a true leader who could instill confidence, even in the midst of a tragedy. Eventually, Bob became the TRADOC commander. I visited my son's ROTC program at the University of Alabama a few times, and pointed out Bob's photo to him on their chain-of-command bulletin board. Each time, I tried to explain to my son that Bob was the ultimate example of an Army leader. As my son begins his career in the Army, I hope that he emulates Bob's dedication and fearlessness. The last time I saw Bob was at his retirement ceremony at FT McNair. He looked good, and spoke with strength and vigor during the ceremony, but he was obviously feeling tired by the end of the long day. It seemed understood by all in attendance that Bob's medical condition prematurely cut short a stellar career. Bob Cone - We were fortunate to have known him. Our Country lost a dedicated Army leader with his passing. "Well done. Be thou at peace."

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