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It has become a regular Journal feature to tell the stories of the heroes among us, the stories of Fellows who wore the uniform, who fought and bled to keep us all safe. This is one of those stories. If you have one, please share it with us . . .
HEROES AMONG US BOB BREWER
A leader is said to be an ordinary person with extraordinary determination. So, are real leaders born, or are they raised in some way that, like cream, makes them rise to the top? We all observe that leaders seem to possess something special. President Eisenhower argued that integrity was the prime quality of a leader; living a life of integrity and purpose, he believed, equips a person to lead. San Diego Fellow Robert Brewer, ’99, is a case study for thepropositionthataleaderissimplyapersonwiththeauthorityandopportunitytoserve
other people in some special way.
BornandraisedinIthaca,NewYork,BobBrewerwasaleaderfromthestart.Anaccomplished high school athlete, his athletic prowess took him to St. Lawrence University, where he excelled in soccer and track, and also became Student Body President. Working to make ends meet, Bob sought and was awarded an Army ROTC scholarship, which financed his last two years of undergraduate study. He graduated in 1968 with a degree in government and a yearning for law school, but first came serving his country and honoring the four-
year commitment his ROTC scholarship required. As a Distinguished Military Graduate, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Regular Army. Choosing the Army Branch in which to serve, the words of an ROTC mentor echoed in his mind: “Go with the Infantry...that’s where the real leaders are.”
1968 was a time of turbulence in America. Opposition to an unpopular war, the assassinations of MLK and Robert Kennedy, and racial unrest all made for trying times. Bob Brewer kept focus through Infantry Officer Basic School at Fort Benning, and he successfully powered through Airborne School and Ranger Training. His Winter Ranger Class 6-69 graduated several notable military figures, but amidst that crew, Bob Brewer held his own.
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