Sunday, July 18, 2021

 

 



 BOBBY ‘THE GATOR’ WALLACE (1939-2021)

About 17 years ago I received a strange phone call from my good friend and fellow Marine, Jimmy Richardson.  “Hey Bill”, he said, “They have got you listed as one of the Black Marines ‘Missing In Action’ “!  I was a little confused of course, since I had been retired from the Corps for nearly 24 years at that point.  Jimmy continued, “Bobby Wallace is making a list of Black Marines and didn’t know where you are living, what you are doing or whether you are even still kicking”

That was my introduction to the Black Marine Reunion concept and my reintroduction to Bobby Wallace.  We had originally met briefly way back in the 60’s at the old Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California.  Bobby was one of the many older, more squared away Black Marines who I count as friends and mentors during a time in my life when I was close to being invited to leave the Corps.  Luckily for me, his friendship and guidance went a long way towards enabling me to actually have a successful career as a Marine.  Our paths did continually cross through the years, inevitable given the small size of the Marine Aviation community, and we remained friends.   Years later we spent more time together after he retired and was working for Parker-Hannifin in Southern California while I was still on Active Duty as a Recruiter-Instructor in Los Angeles.  After I retired, living and working all over the US and abroad, we soon lost touch, although I would hear of his exploits from other friends.

Bobby joined the Corps in the fall of 1956, and if you are familiar with Marine Corps lore, you know that Parris Island at that time was the absolute definition of Hell.  In April of that year, a drunken Drill Instructor named SSGT McKeon,  (a combat veteran of WWII and Korea) woke his platoon late one dark night, and deciding to discipline them, marched them into the murky swamps of Ribbon Creek, resulting in the death of six young recruits! 

The intense, negative publicity made many young men avoid the Corps, especially men of color.  The Corps had only been integrated for 4 short years at that point and being Black in our Corps at Parris Island was no walk in the park, as some of you may well know.  Once out of Boot Camp, Black Marines were generally relegated to the most menial positions, rarely serving in technical fields such as aviation, usually assigned to combat arms, often serving as cooks and stewards, and broadly discriminated against when it came to promotions and assignments.

Yet Bobby volunteered despite all that; he persevered, graduated, and became a Marine that November in Parris Island, evolving into an acknowledged leader, eventually excelling in several Aviation fields, serving in many assignments, both domestically and abroad.  He went on to serve more than 20 years in the Corps, which included surviving two tours in Viet Nam, then retiring, working for various tech companies, and finally starting and running his own successful consulting firm for many years.  At some point after I retired, I heard through the ‘unofficial grapevine’, that Wallace (who I always thought of as a ‘West Coast Marine’) had moved to some place called ‘The Villages’ down in the ‘swamps of Florida’, and was now called ‘The Gator’.  I thought, “Boy, Bobby’s PTSD must have kicked in REALLY bad and pushed him over the edge”.

If you are on this email list, I know your life has been touched in some positive way by The Gator.  If I were to ask each of you to give me ONE word that describes Bobby Wallace, the list would surely include .. Integrity, Dependability, Honesty, Reliability and Sincerity .. I’m confident each of you had at least one of those in mind!

In today’s world, where our politicians lie to us, corporations can’t be trusted, insurance companies refuse to pay policies, social media misleads, and contracts and promises mean nothing, it was refreshing to know and have a friend like Bobby. 

When The Gator told you something, you could count on its veracity; if he gave you his word, you knew that was as good as money in the bank; if he took on any project, you knew it would be finished and would exceed expectations; if he joined your organization, you knew he would serve faithfully; and if he was involved in an organization or group, you could bet they were also legitimate; if you ever needed help, assistance or advice, you knew you could depend on The Gator.

Bobby was instrumental in getting the Black Marine Reunion off the ground as one of the six original founders in 2003 and setting up the first reunion in 2005.  The organization is dedicated to celebrating our heritage and the many unheralded, unpublicized contributions of Black Marines to our Corps and country.  He was responsible for building its membership listing from a handful, to over 480 Black Marines of all eras, and keeping it going all these years, assisted by some great committees and faithful members. 

His knack for getting things done was amazing, especially since he often organized these Reunions from out of town, via emails, text messaging and long-distance phone calls.  He planned, executed, and was involved in highly successful Reunions in Washington, DC, Las Vegas, Reno, Orlando, Virginia Beach, New Orleans, and San Diego.

 I recruited The Gator to be a member of The Friends of Distinction in 2008, a unique military reunion group, consisting of about 90 veterans of every branch of service, who have served our country faithfully and honorably, and represent well over 1,200 YEARS of service to our great nation.  As a dedicated member of this group, (founded in 1988 by a Navy Chief in Cleveland), Bobby attended the reunions nearly every year, provided his expertise where he could, volunteered wherever needed, and shared his talents with the group.  His demeanor, quiet leadership and understated manner made him extremely popular and a standout member in this group of exceptional veterans.

But all of his accomplishments would have meant little if he had no one to share them with….no partner in life to enjoy the well-deserved ‘Golden Years’ of retirement.  Fortune smiled on The Gator while in ‘The Swamps’ (I mean The Villages), and he met a young lady who would ultimately change his life, forever – his bride Kaye Wallace.  When I first met Kaye, my honest to God first thought was

‘Maybe Bobby DOESN’T have PTSD that bad after all’!! 

Kaye hails from nearby Leesburg.  Bobby and Kaye met on a blind date after a mutual friend told her she had the ‘Perfect Guy’ for her.  The friend said: “He’s nice looking, intelligent, single, owns his own home, is a retired Marine and a really nice guy”.  Kaye’s automatic response was Well if he’s all that, why isn’t he married’??  Luckily, she said it was OK to give Bobby her work number and that led to the blind date.  They dated for several years and were married thirteen years ago in The Villages.

Kaye has always been a super supportive wife and backed The Gator in any undertaking.  She was an integral part of the great work he did with the Black Marine Reunion, attending and participating in all the reunions.  She planned an amazing Surprise Party for his 80th Birthday a couple of years ago and notified some of us to ‘Save The Date’ during an event in Las Vegas the YEAR before.  Diane and I, along with many of his Marine ‘family’ attended and Bobby was so surprised it brought tears to his eyes.  It was wonderful to see and experience the joy they shared in life.

Diane and I were vacationing with family and entertaining company in Phoenix when Kaye called to let us know Bobby had suffered a stroke.  Our world literally stopped … our company, seeing the looks on our faces, realized the impact and left immediately.  I sat by the pool, in the dark, nursing a Hennessy, as I let the tears slide down my cheeks remembering a great friend.  Diane came out to the patio, and we toasted Bobby and talked quietly, reminiscing about our many times together.  It was a difficult night.

Friday, July 27, 2018


CLICK HERE

FOR FULL INFORMATION 

BLACK MARINE HERITAGE 2019 REUNION


ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA
JUNE 20, 2019 THRU JUNE 23, 20189

 ( CLICK HERE FOR DIRECT LINK TO REUNION HOTEL )