DURHAM, N.C. -- I'm at Duke University this Friday for dedication of a memorial to the Duke graduates who lost their lives on active duty since World War II, including the best company commander I ever had the privilege to serve, Maj. Cornelius "Corky" Ram.
Corky had a gift of leadership that inspired me to meet and then exceed my personal best as a callow 20-year-old radio operator in 1964, when I was with the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment based at Camp Pendleton, Calif. His leadership still resonates with me 45 year later.
Some military commanders - and not the good ones, in my experience - try to lead with the brute force of their personality. Not Corky. He did so with style and grace and wore his rank lightly. That meant one day when I was hitching a ride out of Camp Pendleton, Corky not only gave me a ride but took me home for dinner.
A good leader always puts his troops first, which is the reason I would still follow Corky on any mission, anywhere.
And that is how Corky died: taking care of his Marines. On Jan. 10, 1971, Corky, serving as executive officer of the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines (or known as 2/5), orbited in a command helicopter above a battle in the small village of Phu Thanh, southwest of Danang, Vietnam.
The Marines on the ground had experienced casualties, and Corky directed the helo to land. He and Capt. Douglas Ford, the "Echo" company commander, went to rescue the wounded Marines, only to hit a booby trap, with both perishing just months before all Marines left Vietnam.
My memories of Corky have dimmed with time, but not those of his spirit. That's why I am here today to honor Corky, along with his eldest daughter, Linda, a Duke grad, and Grace, his granddaughter, a current Duke student.
Corky spent 1967-1970 at Duke as an instructor in the Naval ROTC unit (and picked up a Masters degree). Two of his students from that time also are here today to honor a man they view not only as an inspirational leader, but the epitome of the thinking man's Marine.
Rick Lieb, a Marine whom Corky instructed at Duke, and who also served with Corky in Vietnam, told Linda in a letter last week that from the "first day of class I could not get over your Dad's intellect, presence, his professionalism as a Marine, and his humanity."
Lieb, who now serves on the board of a Pennsylvania financial services company, told Linda that her father "was a Marine's Marine. Any superlative you can think of applied to your father. He was physically and morally courageous, passionate about caring for his Marines, and demanded the highest standards of performance of everyone in the battalion, particularly of himself and the officers of the unit."
Rick Kane, a Marine and Duke grad who also had Corky as a teacher, and who now practices law in North Carolina, recounted for me how Corky did not shy away from quiet intellectual battles either.
The Duke campus in 1969 - like may others in the country at the time - was roiled by fierce anti-war protests. Those who served in the military were viewed on campus as "either dupes or war criminals," Kane remembered, and told me in an e-mail that "Corky decided to try to change the dialog, personally. He would sit in the student coffee house in the evenings, sipping coffee, ready to have a civil discussion with whoever cared to engage in one."
Yes, Marines can engage in civil discourse.
Lieb, who served in 2/5 the day Corky died, told Linda in his letter that her father's actions that day epitomized the Maine motto, Semper Fidelis.
"He did not have to direct his helicopter to land and help those wounded Marines. But he did. He then ran over to help them. That is when he was hit. That was Corky Ram."
Semper Fidelis, Corky, Linda, Rick Kane and Rick Lieb.
COMMENTS
Bob,
Thank you for such a touching article honoring my dad. You have never forgotten him and his children and grandchildren appreciate it more than you know. Thank you for keeping his memory and commitment alive. You are a great man. Hope to see you again soon.
Best,
Kelly
Kelly Ram Mooz 05/31/10 01:33 pm ET
Thank you to everyone that have such kind words for my grandfather. I unfortunately never got a chance to meet him since he was killed before I was born, but it is great to be able to read how wonderful of a man he was and how he touched so many people. Now I see why my father followed in his footsteps when making the decision to become a Marine himself. He had great footsteps to follow in.
Thanks Again,
Michelle Ram-Conti
Michelle Ram-Conti 05/27/10 02:45 pm ET
Semper Fi!....that says it all!!!!
Ross Tuttle 11/02/09 09:48 am ET
> Good job, Bob. Like you, I appreciate those who "wear their rank lightly" (and have tried to do so myself).
Semper Fi.
Tim Moriarty 10/26/09 01:23 pm ET
Duke has done a good thing in erecting this memorial to honored its fallen. Other schools should take their lead. We still instill that type of leadership in our Corps. You can see it in the ranks from flag officers down to privates in Iraq and Afghanistan. They believe in their men and comrades before themselves. Many like Major Ram have given their lives to save others. God Bless our Marines, and all of our military serving in harms way for us. Semper Fidelis.
Tom Corryn 10/26/09 12:07 pm ET
What a great reminder of someone who sounds as though he was a great person. The boys who went to Vietnam--and too many of them WERE boys--came from my neighborhood and were my contemporaries. I didn't participate in any antiwar demonstrations, but you can bet that I thought about them a lot back then and still remember how all too many of them were ridiculed and vilified when they made it back to the U.S. To Major Cornelius Corky Ram and to all of them, I can only say a very tardy "thank you".
Rita 10/26/09 10:03 am ET
While I did not personally know Major Ram, I have served with an officer or two who followed similiar routes of taking care of their men and not holding rank above all else. These are the type of Marines I learned from and still hold these tributes as the base for dealing with those I work with. Marines such as Major Corky Ram are cut from the same cloth as our greatest Marine, LtGen Chesty Puller. Semper Fi
Richard Tompkins 10/26/09 08:10 am ET
Thank you for this story. Semper Fi.
John Q. Public 10/25/09 05:20 pm ET
Thank Bob for your kind words ( as always). I wish I could have been there, but you made me feel like I was. I hope to see you again soon.
My Best Regards,
Mary
Mary K. Ram 10/25/09 04:18 pm ET