Bob was my First Sgt when I commanded B Detachment in August 1964. He had come to Bragg from an assignment in Alaska and I don't remember the date that he first came to Ft. Bragg. He was an SFC, E7. In those days, First Sgts in Dets were 7s. He stayed with me until sometime in mid-65, when he was transferred to D Det (I think), which was being split off from the rest of the Bn and sent to VN. I seem to recall that he volunteered to go, but am not sure about that. The Det went to Nha Trang, where it initially supported I Field Force Hqs. When the 1st arrived in country in Dec 65(or soon thereafter) D Det was reunited with the rest of the Bn. I think that Capt Mickey Moore was the Det CO, but he was pulled out of that job and Capt Pat Crane became the CO.

Bob worked for Pat Crane until some time in the Spring of 66, when he asked for a transfer and called me in Saigon to ask if I had a job for him. I was, by then, transferred to the 525th MI Gp Hq and I jumped at the opportunity to have Bob come to work for me. He came to Saigon and, within a couple of months, I got him promoted to E-8 and we were both happy campers. At the end of his tour, sometime in the Fall of 66, Bob went back to Bragg, where he joined (I think) the 14th MI Bn (could have been the 15th), I think as the S-3 Sgt.

I stayed in touch with Bob for several years and I knew that he retired in the Fayetteville area. I recently found out that he had died in 2002.

I was extremely lucky to have known Bob: he was a fine NCO and First Sgt. I couldn't have survived a year as the Det CO without him.

Bob, rest in peace, your work is done and you were a fine example for all of us.

Paul Reed

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