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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.
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