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Frederick Byrd Bowling entered West Point in 1950
from Memphis, TN. The “system” came easy to Fred, as did academics. He
epitomized the old saying, “it’s not inspiration, but perspiration,” however,
and was driven to do well. Not only did he graduate high in his class, he also
achieved the rank of cadet captain. Though he worked hard and accomplished much,
Fred was one of those who always found time to help someone struggling with the
academic load, and there are many classmates who will gladly testify they might
not have made it without his help.
While at West Point, Fred dated a beautiful young
lady from Pennsylvania, Lynne Baldwin, who was later to become his bride. After
graduation, Fred, as an infantry second lieutenant, was assigned to Ft. Benning
where he graduated from the Infantry Basic Course and the Airborne and Ranger
schools, but his first assignment was to Iceland.
One of the best days of his life (his words) was
Nov 16, 1957, when he married Lynne Baldwin. Among their first assignments was
West Point, where Fred was aide-de-camp to the commandant of cadets. They later
returned to the Department of Mechanics, where Fred taught for three years. He
was one of the first in his class to attend the Command & General Staff College
at Ft. Leavenworth in 1966, and he graduated on the Commandant’s list. After
graduation, Fred served as an advisor with the Military Assistance Command,
Vietnam, stationed with the South Vietnamese Ranger Regiment from 1966 to 1967.
He then was assigned to the Army Staff in the Office of the Deputy Chief of
Staff for Operations for the next three years. An unaccompanied tour on the
staff of I Corps in Korea followed. Then Fred was selected to command the
Army Personnel Center at Ft. Lewis, WA, followed by command of the 2d Battalion,
1st Infantry, there.
Fred was selected to attend the Navy War College
in 1973, but then it was back to the Far East for a tour in the Joint U. S.
Military Assistance Group, Thailand, for three years. Next, Fred commanded the
Army Institute for Administration at Ft. Benjamin Harrison, IN. His final
assignment was Chief Readiness Group at Ft. Lee, VA, where Fred retired as a
full colonel with 29 years of outstanding service to the Army and the nation.
His awards include the Outstanding Civilian
Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, three Meritorious Service Medals,
the Combat Infantryman Badge, Vietnamese Ranger Badge, Army Staff Badge,
Airborne Wings, and Ranger Tab. Fred dashed headlong into his second career, as
a leader/teacher of young men and women in secondary education. He served as the
Commandant of Cadets at Castle Heights Military Academy and later at the Kemper
Military School. Then he served three years at Red Bank High School in
Chattanooga, TN, as senior Army instructor and eight years as Hamilton County
Director of Army Institution. Fred served 15 years in his second career,
continuing his service this time to his city and state. Fred and Lynne worked
tirelessly in support of the Boy and Girl Scout programs, donating hundreds of
hours of their time. They had two daughters, Marilyn Barber and Sarah Mankel.
Both married into the military; LTC Barber was a U-2 pilot, and LTC Eric Mankel
was an army officer recently retired at Ft. Eustis, VA, and now teaching JROTC
in North Carolina. Fred and Lynne have five grandsons and two granddaughters;
one grandson is on his way to Afghanistan and another just entered the U.S. Air
Force Academy; the tradition of service continues.
Toward the end of Fred’s teaching career, he
received word that the Tennessee Board of Education was considering cancelling
the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program. Fred made a special trip to
Nashville to appear before the Board and convinced them to keep the program. As
a result of that, plus his many years of involvement in JROTC, the American
Legion of the State of Tennessee named a scholarship, “The COL Fredrick B.
Bowling JROTC Scholarship,” in his honor. It is a statewide scholarship, and it
has already benefitted scores of young men in the state. Because of Lynne’s
dedicated service to the Red Bank High School JROTC, the school also named a
scholarship in her honor.
Fred lost his final fight with cancer on Feb 15,
2000 and was interred in the Chattanooga National Cemetery with full
military honors. So, Fred — scholar, soldier, teacher, leader, loving husband,
father, grandfather, friend — we all say, “Well done, be thou at peace.”
— The Bowling Family and
Bill Klein, classmate |
