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ROBERT WILLIAM WELLS was an easy man to know because of his openness to people and his interest in so many aspects of life. An easygoing but hard working husband, father, and military professional, he made a difference for the many people whose lives he touched. He was born in St. Augustine, FL, the only son of Myrtle and Warner Wells. Growing up on the sunny shores of South Florida, he discovered a love for the outdoors. He also adored animals and won many awards for his prized cows. He was active in the Future Farmers of America and a star left tackle for the Ketterlinus High School football team. Rumor has it, however, that he spent many a school day playing hooky at the local fishing hole. This would haunt him at West Point, but like most challenges he faced in life, Bob discovered a way to get the upper hand.
Following graduation from high school, Bob attended Western Kentucky Teachers College for two years until his mother recognized he had the potential to play football at West Point. He joined the class of 1954. As did most plebes, Bob had an eye-opening experience when he was struck by all that was expected of him by the upperclassmen, the faculty, the coach, and just about everybody else. Upon graduation, he received a wristwatch presented by the Military Order of the World Wars, given to the cadet who made the greatest improvement during his time at the Academy. It is clear West Point prepared Bob for a full and demanding life of leadership and service.
Bob, sometimes referred to as “Tank,” chose Armor as his branch and was assigned to a unit at Ft. Knox until the summer of 1956, when he was assigned to Europe. There he served as platoon leader and S-3 for the 29th Tank Battalion before becoming aide-de-camp to the commander in chief of the Army forces in Southern Europe, based in Naples, Italy. Upon returning to the States in 1959, he commanded D Company, 1st Medium Tank Battalion, 34th Armor, Ft. Lewis, WA. In October 1961, he received the Army Commendation Medal for outstanding performance as the company commander and battalion S-2.
Bob’s interest in languages resulted in an assignment to the Language School at the Presidio in Monterey, CA, where he learned Arabic. In February 1963, he was assigned as a military intelligence officer in Saudi Arabia. After being promoted to major and upon his return the following year, Bob attended the Naval War College in Newport, RI. From there, he was assigned to the Foreign Language Office in Washington, DC, and completed the requirements for a master’s degree in International Affairs from George Washington University. Well educated in Spanish, Arabic and Italian and a lieutenant colonel in 1968, was assigned back to Libya as a military intelligence officer. He was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for his outstanding service to the Military Assistance Advisory Group as a result of his competence in the language and depth of knowledge of Libyan culture.
In June 1970, having already served in a number of intelligence positions, Bob returned to the States and transferred from Armor to Military Intelligence. He attended the Army Intelligence School at Ft. Holabird, MD, and was named the distinguished graduate of his class. Shortly thereafter, in November, Bob received orders for Viet Nam, where he served as S-3 to the 525th Military Intelligence Group and commander of the 571st Military Intelligence Detachment. He received the Bronze Star and the Republic of Viet Nam Gallantry Cross for meritorious achievement in connection with military operations against a hostile force.
Bob returned to the States in April of 1972 to work in the Office of the Secretary of Defense in the Evaluation Division of the Directorate of Information Security. He was promoted to colonel in October 1974. He retired from the Army on 30 Apr 1975, receiving the Legion of Merit for his work on developing an integrated Department of Defense monitoring system for information security classification programs.
Following his retirement, Bob went to work for the Interagency Classification Review Committee and later was deputy director of the Information Security Oversight Office. These entities were responsible for the declassification of information in the 70s and 80s. In 1982, he received a General Services Administration Exceptional Service Award for outstanding achievement in support of the President’s Information Security Program. In 1989, upon his retirement, he received a certificate of appreciation from the National Classification Management Society for his contribution to classification management.
Shortly after graduating from the Academy, Bob married Patricia Anderson. Unfortunately, their marriage ended in divorce; however, they had a daughter Teri, who is married and living in Colorado with her husband Lee White and their three children. In the 1960s, Bob was remarried to Elizabeth “Libby” Kory, with whom he had a daughter, Christina, born in 1966. Christy is married to Henry Prillaman and lives in Virginia with their two children. Libby died in 1993.
On 13 Sep 1990, Bob died at George Washington University Hospital from complications following surgery for a tumor. Bob was truly an exceptional fellow. He was warm and handsome with a great smile and a twohanded handshake. He was a perfectionist at work and at home. In addition to his technical, engineering and mathematical training, he was exceptionally creative. No holiday passed without a new hand-written poem, and he was an expert at photography and video-making. He was a wonderful woodworker and made wooden toys and furniture in his later years. He especially loved antiques and did a wonderful job refinishing furniture.
Bob truly appreciated his family and many friends and understood what it meant to serve as a member of the Long Gray Line. Grip Hands.
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