The Army and Navy Academy lost a member of its long grey line. William W. Crouch, General, US Army (RET), served as the Battalion Commander at The Army and Navy Academy in 1959 and as the Vice Chief of staff for the US Army 1997-1998. He served on the Board of Trustees for the Academy starting in 2013 and served as the Board’s Vice Chairman.
The above accomplishments, which include his last service on active duty to our nation and his service to our Academy, highlight a lifetime of duty, leadership, and commitment. General Crouch was a superlative example of the fulfilment of our Academy’s mission. We forge virtuous young men for life. Every aspect of his life stood as an example of this.
For those of us that knew Gen. Crouch, you were gifted with his presence, his spirit, decency, and careful intellect. When you are in the presence of a great man you sense it like the intensity from a bright light. It commands your attention, and you are made better from the time you are there. This was every moment with General Crouch.
Those of you that were not fortunate enough to have met him, you did know him. He was our values. A man of Honor, Integrity, Respect, Commitment, Gratitude, and Courage. If you understand these values you know General Couch.
His last full act of devotion to our Academy, to each of us, was to bring all of us together to reflect on what he stood for – what we stand for.
Personally, General Crouch had a profound effect on my life in the 11 years I knew him. I spoke to him frequently and his guidance for me as Chairman of the Board of Trustees was immeasurable.
The news of General Crouch’s passing brought me to think of a well-known quote on war from Heraclitus. It reads:
“Out of every one hundred men, ten shouldn’t be there
eighty are just targets, nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them,
For they make the battle. Ah, but the one, one is a warrior, and he will
bring the others back”
General Crouch was THE ONE.
Barry R. Shreiar
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
The Army and Navy Academy
