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John C. Bard

John C. Bard

No. 1953222 November 1929 - 28 June 2005
Commandant USMA, 1977–79

Died: Richmond, VA
Interred: West Point Post Cemetery, West Point, NY


JOHN CHAPMAN BARD
was a remarkable father, soldier, and leader driven by high personal standards and a strong sense of duty. His respect for, and interest in, others was reflected in a humility uncommon in one so accomplished. John once had the opportunity to visit the King and Queen of Greece with West Point classmate and Rhodes Scholar Dale Vesser. Remembering that adventure and how easily John fit in with those around him, Dale said of John, “He could walk with kings and still keep the common touch.”

John was born in Akron, OH, the son of Eugene, a business manager for B. F. Goodrich, and his wife Louise. John grew up in the Midwest, enjoying ice skating, tobogganing, fishing, and swimming at a lake. In his childhood, John was generally mischievous and often in trouble, but he was also an active member of the Boy Scouts. Of particular pride to John and his parents was his becoming an Eagle Scout at the age of 14.

John had wanted to attend the University of Michigan Law School, but his family could not afford the tuition. In 1946, therefore, he enlisted in the Army (at the age of 16) to make himself eligible for the GI Bill. Once enlisted, he was quickly recognized as a potential leader and was offered a chance to attend OCS, where he earned his commission in 1947. John realized he could get a first-class college education at West Point, but to do so he would have to resign his commission and improve his entrance exam scores to get an appointment. us, he attended the USMA Prep School prior to spending a semester at Wayne State University and one at Olivet College to prepare himself for the Academy. He was admitted in the summer of 1950.

At the Academy, John compiled an outstanding record in leadership, academics, and athletics. He was appointed First Captain, graduated second in his class, and earned a letter in track for the hammer throw. William T. Huckabee III ’57, a plebe when John was First Captain, recently wrote, “In the capacity of Cadet First Captain, his manner, demeanor, and bearing set and maintained a standard of excellence . . . .” While at West Point, John also met his future wife, Marjorie Field Jackson, on a blind date. She was attending Smith College, and they planned to marry after they both had graduated from college. John and Marge had to postpone their wedding when John was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to attend Oxford University. While earning a bachelor of arts and a master of arts degree there, he also competed in track. In July 1956, John and Marge were married at Cape Cod.

Having chosen Infantry, upon graduation from West Point John was assigned to Ft. Campbell, KY, and the 101st Airborne Division, leading a platoon in Little Rock during the racial integration of the schools there. He remembered that assignment as one of his best, not only because he enjoyed being with the troops, but because he put into practice all he had learned as an enlisted soldier and as a cadet.

After earning a master of science degree from the University of Michigan, John returned to West Point as a professor of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics. There, his enthusiasm for the Army and experience as a soldier and officer gave him a unique perspective on leadership and life in the Army. This perspective enabled him to impart invaluable lessons on officership to the cadets, woven into his academic instruction.

In 1965, John left for the first of two tours in Viet Nam, working for GEN William DePuy in the Big Red One. He was the senior advisor of a 20-man team in Phu Bon Province.

After tours in the Pentagon and the State Department and attending the National War College, John received orders to return to Viet Nam for assignment with the 101st Airborne Division. Reporting in 1970, he served as brigade XO, then as battalion commander, and finally as the division G-3. For his service in Viet Nam, John received the Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit, and the Purple Heart.

After a stint at the National Military Command Center in the Pentagon, John was promoted to colonel and sent to Ft. Hood as a brigade commander in the 2nd Armored Division. He was so enthusiastic that he painted the division crest on the trunk of his 1972 Buick Skylark convertible. In 1975, John received his first star and was assigned to SHAPE headquarters in Belgium as the executive officer to GEN Alexander Haig, SACEUR.

John’s final assignment, as Commandant of Cadets at West Point, came at a time when the corps had just introduced women and was recovering from a cheating scandal. John’s pragmatism and high moral standards provided inspiration when the Academy and its reputation needed it most. He particularly enjoyed shaping the values of the future leaders of the Army. In spring 1979, John earned his second star and was slated to go to Ismir, Turkey. Given the political situation at the time and concerns for his family, John made one of the most difficult choices he had ever faced. After 29 years of service, he retired from the Army.

After retiring, John worked for two years as a vice president at the International Bank in Washington, DC, and then became president of the Aluminum Association for eight years. In 1989, he resigned to pursue his interest in law. In 1993, he graduated from William & Mary Law School, where he was the oldest graduate to ever receive his JD. He then became the chief operating officer of Gulfstream Limo, a small transportation company in Richmond, VA.

John and Marge were married for 32 years and had four children: John, born in 1958; Lisa, born in 1960; Cathy, born in 1964; and Jim, born in 1968. John and Marge divorced in 1988.

John later met Courtney Cash Mustin and spent his last fifteen years devoted to her and her three growing children from her previous marriage. He leaves them behind along with his four children and eight grandchildren. As John T. Miller, president of the Class of 1954, recently wrote, “John will always hold a unique place in our hearts. He was one whom, even as a cadet, we all looked to for leadership.”

Well done, John, be thou at peace.  

 

Originally published in TAPS JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2006

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