ROBERT ERNEST LIICHOW'S life, like Caesar's Gaul, can be divided into three parts-his youth, his military service, and his civilian years. Each played a role in the development of his character and personality.

Bob was born in Coral, MI, the youngest of four. children of Emerson and Sarah Liichow. Brought up in the woods of the upper peninsula of Michigan, his childhood was spent fishing, hunting, and. working outside. He inherited a sturdy constitution and enjoyed physical activity. He learned every task should be done to the limit of one's ability. Living in the country, he went to a one-room school through the eighth grade, before attending high school in Newberry. He graduated in 1942, when he was 16. Too young for military service, he opted for a year at Michigan State University.

In December 1943, Bob's military career began in the Army Air Corps with air training. One morning, during physical training, a friend made the off-hand remark that they would be better off applying for USMA. Bob pursued the comment, obtained an appointment, and went to the USMA Preparatory School at Amherst first.

As a cadet, Bob participated in football, lacrosse, and boxing, and was a Ski Club member and cheerleader. His quiet strength of character and military promise were recognized by his selection as a cadet battalion commander.

Commissioned in Armor, Bob went through the Ground General School at Ft. Riley and then the Basic Course at Ft. Knox. Before leaving for his assignment to Germany, Bob married Mildred Haycraft.
Assigned to the 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment, Bob's ability was displayed by his rapid progress from platoon leader to company commander. When Bob was promoted to first lieutenant, the regimental commander, COL Robert Porter, Jr., personally gave his own silver bars to Bob. They remained special for Bob, not only because of their unusual crosshatched design in silver, but because of his regard for (the later) GEN Porter. The tour in Germany also heralded the birth of their daughter Ellen in 1952.

Changing military direction in 1953, Bob became a tank company commander in the 1st Armored Division at Ft. Hood for a year before returning to Ft. Knox for the Advanced Course.

After finishing the Advanced Course, Bob, Millie, and Ellen moved to Ann Arbor, Ml, where Bob earned a master of science degree in mechanical engineering, with a major in automotive engineering, and he and Millie's son, Robert "Rob" Stuart, was born. For his utilization tour in 1957, Bob was assigned to the Armor Board at Ft. Knox, where he conducted the test and evaluation of the M-60 battle tank. There, he received the first of four Commendation Medals. Next came a hardship tour, with Bob going to Korea for a year with classmate Bob Bradley. Millie and Bette Bradley went to Green Cove Springs, FL, to live with the children in excess Navy housing.

Bob returned to Ft. Leavenworth for CGSC, promotion to major, and a troop assignment as S-3 of a tank battalion at Ft. Irwin, CA. Although Bob left the unit after 18 months, the family stayed in California at the Language Institute in Monterey, where he and Millie became fluent in Russian before going to Moscow for Bob's duty as an Army attache. His climactic assignment came in 1967 when he returned to Ft. Hood to command a tank battalion. Within six months, in February 1968, he was diagnosed with aplastic anemia and was medically transferred to Walter Reed Hospital and the National Institutes of Health. In March 1969, Bob was medically retired as a lieutenant colonel.

In Washington, DC, Bob's life shifted radically in perspective-then geared toward coping with a disease expected to be fatal. It proved not to be, but he had to endure eight years of transfusions, coupled with a changing array of experimental drugs and procedures. Eventually, he recovered and was able to live a fairly normal life, but was physically troubled by the effects of the disease. Mentally and emotionally, however, Bob achieved a peace of mind by means of a strong religious belief that enabled him to hope for the best but accept the worst if that came to pass.

The Liichow family lived in Chevy Chase, MD, with Bob working for a defense contractor. In 1972, true to his roots, they moved to an early 19th Century farmhouse on five acres in the country outside of Hagerstown, MD. He continued to commute to work in Washington, DC for another year before concentrating solely on the restoration of the farmhouse. In the process, he learned and discovered new skills, among them being an affinity for woodworking that lead him to design and craft furniture and decorative pieces. In 1974, he began working for the Maryland Civil Defense Office, where he worked until his retirement in 1985 as the scare Deputy Director.

In 1989, Bob's life changed yet again when he and Millie sold their home and moved to North Carolina to care for Millie's aging parents. It meant severing their ties in Maryland and completely relocating, but typified their deep sense of family loyalty and responsibility. After the death of Millie's parents, Bob and Millie picked McCall, ID, as their next home. Once settled, the same pattern emerged. Bob embraced the life of the local community, joining the church and volunteering for civic projects especially those where he could use his woodworking skills. Summers were spent polishing his golf game and winters were spent cross-country skiing.

Ben Benitez '49 says four words best describe Bob's character: strength, goodness, likeableness, and honor. Former roommate Bob Kemble remembers Bob's unfailing equanimity and whimsical sense of humor.

These traits, along with his faith, made Bob a dedicated soldier and servant of God and country. He was loved and respected by his family and friends. His life came to an end in December 1997 when he died at home after an almost 30-year battle with his illness.