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Paul William Bucha
West Point, 1965
Be Thou At Peace
Posted by Russ Campbell on August 12, 2024:
I first met Buddy during "R day" at the varsity swimming pool as we were reporting for the swim team. His talent as a swimmer was recognized early. During his 4 years at West Point he became an All American Swimmer and captain of the team. His cadet career was marked by leadership, athletics, and academic success. After graduation our paths crossed several times. One of the first times was on a remote hilltop in VietNam in 1967. He stepped out of a resupply helicopter and greeted me . He wanted to gleam from me every aspect of artillery support that I could provide. He wanted to be prepared for any difficulties that were ahead for him and his men. His leadership was still apparent .
After we both left the Army our paths crossed in Paris in 1976/7 He was there on assignment for Ross Perot of EDS. We ran into each other on the Rue de Passy shopping for groceries. How surprised we were to see each other. A very special encounter. We continued to link up for lunch or dinner over several months. While in Paris he began collecting oriental rugs from the middle east and shared some of the adventures he had doing so. He was always interested in new ventures. His interests and energy knew no limits.
Several years later we worked on a couple of real estate development opportunities some of which are still active today for example Port Liberte, Jersey City. Again, his interests were numerous.
Over his lifetime he became a keynote motivational speaker, a supporter of the Wounded Warriors program, DAV, VFW, VA, American Legion, and numerous other organizations. I had the honor of being present at a number of his talks. His talks carried messages of love of country, passion for doing the right thing, and advice for each of us to keep growing.
Buddy was a true renaissance man. We miss him already "Grip Hands" with a true hero.
R. Campbell, friend, colleague, and WP '65 Classmate
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