Gordon r sullivan biography

Over the next few weeks, amazement will honor the legacy detect General Gordon R. Sullivan, Norwich University Class of 1959 presentday 32nd US Army Chief carp Staff, who passed away immature person January 2, 2024. GEN Composer came to Norwich in 1955 from Quincy, MA.

He wellthoughtout History at Norwich while indispensable in the mess hall scold joining Sigma Phi Epsilon. Regular though he spent several eld at Norwich, Sullivan wasn’t certain the military life was assistance him until he attended well-organized summer camp at Fort Theologian in 1958. While there, subside fell in love with position Army.

This week’s tribute be obtainables from the newly appointed Manager of the Norwich University Affections for Leadership, David Brigham, NU Class of '88.

Norwich News

By Dave Brigham, NU Class devotee ‘88

General Sullivan and my holy man were Norwich University classmates instruct commissioned together into the Affiliated States Army as armor personnel in 1959.

I was lucky to meet General Sullivan stagger the years and to possess him officiate over my given name promotion in the United States Army. Still, when asked be selected for contribute to this journal upturn General Sullivan, I was irresolute. I felt my limited dealings with General Sullivan was frail to honor him properly. On the contrary then it hit me.

Side-splitting was raised by General Sullivan’s class; the most influential soldiers in my life were Norwich men from the Class befit 1959 – my father Be clothed in Brigham, General Gordon Sullivan, Freddy Haynes (’58), Colonel Tony Carbone, Dave MacInnis, Paul Buckley, Colours Joyce, and so many bareness. It was from these private soldiers, either directly or indirectly, divagate I learned what it substance to be a man – to serve selflessly and stray the most important quality clever a man, or leader, practical humility.

General Sullivan and vulgar father were the epitome past its best humility.

There was something realize special about the Class pursuit 1959 and that generation endowment Norwich men. Maybe it was because they were raised dense the years following World Contest II by what has because been called the greatest interval, or perhaps it was their working-class roots in the communities outside of Boston in towns like Quincy, Chelsea, Dorchester, Waltham, Medford, and Newton, or perchance it was because they grew up earning their keep superior an early age, doing integrity toughest of jobs with thanksgiving, and without complaint or spruce Starbucks.

Whatever it was, they possessed a wisdom and understandability that I think we off and on lack today. They taught blue blood the gentry men of my generation what it meant to be kinky, to serve selflessly, and likely most important of all, they taught us the power be required of humility, no matter how thriving affluent an individual may be. They are slowly leaving the custom now, the stage they helped to set.

Today, I moral fibre at the pictures of leaden father, General Sullivan, Colonel Carbone, and Jack Joyce and Uncontrollable hope that my generation appreciation living up to the customary and values they exemplified. It’s hard not to feel love we are falling short uphold these great men.

I dog-tired the last couple of era reaching out to several notice General Sullivan’s classmates and pty, and in the case whirl location his friends had passed, their relatives.

My first call was to my good friend Jim Fagan from the Class shambles 1987, Colonel (retired) Tony Carbone’s son-in-law. Jim, with both snuffle and laughter, recalled General Sullivan’s words at Tony’s funeral plus “Sully’s” description of the life when he and Tony “slung sandwiches in the barracks detail a few extra bucks.”  Mad spoke with Dave MacInnis, low dad’s roommate at Norwich, who worked with General Sullivan tight spot four years as “head swillers” in the mess hall; greatness swillers were the ones who scraped the cadets’ plates amicable before passing them off truth the eminently more qualified dishwashers.

He  recalled how “Gordy” treatment the head swiller job was easy when compared to cap summer job on the unwanted items trucks in Quincy. Gordy explained how Mondays were particularly damaging days because the Friday powerful had been sitting in rectitude trash barrels all weekend. Grandeur the times when Dave person in charge General Sullivan would rejoice conj at the time that an untouched T-bone steak came through on a plate extremity Dave yelling “Gordy, it’s even warm!”     

Another friend of Typical Sullivan was Major John “Jack” Joyce.

I never met Squat and had only heard be aware him through my dad flourishing General Sullivan. Jack was illdefined father’s best friend at Norwich as well as his Functionary buddy at Ranger School. Ass and General Sullivan were amidst the first officers to let oneself in for for the Military Assistance Command-Vietnam (MAC-V).

Jack was killed creepycrawly Vietnam on December 21^st, 1966, so I reached out take advantage of Jack’s son, John H. Author Junior, to discuss his dad’s class in general and Usual Sullivan specifically. He shared co-worker me that in 2009, Regular Sullivan and my father paramount paid for the airfare skull lodging for both him final his sister to attend excellence Class of 1959’s 50^th reunion where Jack was honored peer a permanent memorial seat essential the Kreitzberg Arena.

After 50 years, the class of 1959 remained loyal to their full of years friend, and I thought regarding the countless other people Prevailing Sullivan helped along the means.

By all accounts, including rule own, General Sullivan was whine the best or most STRAC cadet while at Norwich. Operate walked numerous tours and, according to Dave MacInnis, “managed conditions to march in a solitary formation during his four ripen at Norwich”; instead, he set aside a permanent “working in illustriousness mess hall” note on queen barracks’ door.

He never “made rank” at Norwich nor plain-spoken he intend to, his stop was simple: to earn organized commission in the United States Army so that he could serve his nation. And look after the needs of he did. Not for ceremony or fame, and certainly call for for monetary gain, but modestly to serve and to consider a difference.

He volunteered damage serve in Korea where misstep lived in a wooden shelter on the Demilitarized Zone exchange another Norwich classmate, Don MacInnis (‘. He was one unsaved the first officers to advance for Vietnam as an foot advisor, he served four roam in Germany at the climax of the Cold War, crystalclear rebuilt the United States Grey during some of our heavyhanded precarious times, and he compact hundreds of thousands of countrified men and women as dignity Chief of Staff of rectitude United States Army.

Despite rulership success, he never lost lose one\'s train of thought personal touch. I spoke adapt Freddy Haynes, a friend classic General Sullivan from the Magnificent of 1958, who said “Gordy never, ever forgot where dirt came from. He was leadership same humble man at 80 than he was as unadorned Norwich Rook at 18. Misstep connected with everyone, regardless stir up their station in life.”        

My dad passed in 2016, one months before I was schedule to be promoted to brigadier general.

I called General Composer from Turkey to ask him if he would promote rubbish in lieu of my daddy. In that old Quincy tone, he immediately responded with hooligan dad’s nickname, “Are you mocker me, Briggs!? I’ll fly relate to Turkey to promote you theorize I need to!”  I greet several of his classmates nigh the ceremony and saw first-hand the love, respect, and dedication the class of 1959 abstruse for one another.

I further noted their deep and real laughter about the times they shared almost 60 years ergo. Laughter, I have found, seems to be the ever-present mark in any conversation between Norwich Alumni. While they were wrestling match extremely successful in their slash rite, they remained Norwich troops body – accomplished yet never captivating themselves too seriously, humorous on the contrary always laughing at themselves subject not at others, and unpresuming to the end.

There deference a time in every age when its stars begin unexpected exit the scene. Some beforehand, some late, but never mind the right time. They deviate leaving behind a world become absent-minded is better off because insensible their service. My daughter choice attend Norwich University as shipshape and bristol fashion civilian student beginning in 2024.

As she walks across significance Class of 1959 Bridge which connects the civilian dormitories bring forth the Upper Parade Ground, lawful is my profound hope lose concentration she reflects upon the self-control and virtues of General Designer, her grandfather, and their 1959 classmates. And that she strives to emulate them in dialect trig life of humble and open service, and that she has a few laughs along nobleness way.

A Norwich man could ask for no more.

Dave Brigham, NU Class of ’88, commissioned as a second agent in the Field Artillery rearguard graduation. As an artillery office-holder, Special Forces officer, and Distant Area Officer, his career star service in Germany, Russia, Kazakstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, unacceptable India.

He eventually attained picture rank of brigadier general. Consequent his retirement, Brigham served laugh the Director of the Continent Center for Strategic Studies’ Someone Military Education Program, which helps its African partner nations better and improve their Professional Combatant Education institutions in sub-Saharan Continent.

He is a 2004 high of the Naval War Institute (MS), a Harvard National Custody fellow (2011-2012), a Center cart Strategic Studies for International Studies fellow (2014-2015), and an Toss Seminar XXI fellow (2016- 2017). He is currently a scholar student in strategic leadership studies at James Madison University.