We recently caught up with our very own Joe Flesch ‘65 and had the chance to ask him about his Lambda Chi Alpha experience, and where life since Gettysburg has taken him. Here’s what he had to say:
Where has life taken you since you graduated? Give us a brief recap up to this point including career and family highlights.
I graduated from Gettysburg in June of 1965 with a degree in Political Science and a regular Army Commission. Two days later I signed in to Fort Campbell, KY and was assigned to 2nd Battalion 506th Airborne Infantry. I went to Fort Benning, GA on Sunday and went to Airborne and Range Schools. I returned to Fort Campbell in September and returned to my unit. On September 24th my fiancée, Jeane and I got married in one of the post chapels and in October we returned to Fort Benning for Infantry Officers Basic Course. Following that course, it was back to Fort Campbell. In March, I was reassigned to the 1st Battalion 501st Airborne Infantry which had been alerted to deploy to Vietnam. We had a rigorous two-month training period and deployed to Vietnam as the 4th Battalion 503 Airborne part of the famed 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate). I spent a year June ’66-June 67 in D Company (Provisional) with that unit as platoon leader, Company Executive Office and finally as Company Commander. During that tour I was wounded in close combat and had malaria, I returned to the US and was assigned to Ranger Department at Fort Benning, GA where I was promoted to Captain and was there as an instructor until May of 1969. Our son Joseph Hiram (Jeb) was born while I was in the Ranger Department. While there I also attended Pathfinder School (advanced Airborne Course) and the Air Ground School in Florida. I then returned to Vietnam and was assigned as Company Commander of C Company 1st Battalion 7th Cavalry in the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division. I commanded that company for over 7 months basically the whole time fighting NVA and VC on the Cambodian Border. I ended that tour as a Brigade Assistant S-3, d. I returned to Fort Benning, GA for the Infantry Officers Advanced Course. While there our daughter Jessica was born. From there I was assigned to teach ROTC at Washington University in Saint Louis, MO. This was a 3 year assignment. While there I got a Masters Degree in Political Science from St. Louis University. In 1974 I was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division, at Schofield Barracks, in Hawaii. I served in the 1st Battalion 35th Infantry in the 2nd Brigade as a Combat Support Company Commander. Then was sent to New Zealand to attend their Grade II Command and Tactics Course for three months. I was promoted to Major while in that school. Upon graduation, I returned to the 25th Division and was assigned as the S-1 (Personnel Officer) of the 2nd Brigade. I was next assigned as the S-3 (Operations Officer) in the 1st Battalion 21st Infantry. In 1978, we returned to the US and I attended the Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk, VA. Upon graduation (’78) I was assigned to the Forces Command Inspector General Office in Atlanta, GA. I served on the Annual General Inspection Team on the Operations, Intelligence and Security Team. We visited all FORSCOM Units each year through all the Continental US, Hawaii, Alaska, Panama and the Virgin Islands. In ’80-’81 I was on an unaccompanied tour in Saudi Arabia as the G-3 (Operations Adviser) to the Saudi Arabian Land Forces and worked for a Saudi two Star General. Following this assignment, I returned to FORSCOM in Atlanta, GA and was assigned to Documents Division which produced all the authorization documents for all FORSCOM units and the US Army Reserves and provided assistance and support to the National Guard Documents Division. In 1986 I retired from the Army as a LTC and worked as a contractor to various companies doing Information Technology, several years of support to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Logistics and Technology; and various Project Management work for government agencies in the US. I fully retired in Clarksburg, MD in 2005.
My wife was a registered nurse for many years during my various assignments. She then got a management degree and worked in Human Resources for a major home health organization. My son went to Clemson and graduated in 1991. He was an All-American Guard on the football team. He had a brief time with the Seahawks and got cut in camp. He is now the General Manager of the Hilton Hotel in Myrtle Beach, SC and now has a daughter in her second year at Clemson and his son is a senior in high school and hopes to get a football scholarship and would also like to attend Clemson. My daughter graduated from Virginia Tech and is a teacher near Tampa, FL. Her grown son lives and works in Kentucky. Her daughter is Freshman at FSU. eane and I do a lot of yard work projects, and stay active in our Church. She stays busy with her various home projects and cooking. Both of us continue to work out not only on yard projects but on our exercise equipment and we like bike riding on the trails nearby. I am still an avid hunter and fisherman. I am also deeply involved in the 173rd Airborne Brigade Association and am presently on the Association Executive Committee. Every year I go the Wall to honor specifically those soldiers who were killed under may command (I have a list) and also my friends who are etched there. We also honor my wife’s cousin who is on the wall. Note – this year because of Covid-19 I visited them on the virtual wall – not really the same as being there in person.
What are the most important lessons you learned because of Lambda Chi Alpha?
How to manage people and time. I became the House Steward and worked closely with the Cook Amos Glass and the House Mother Mrs. B. I coordinated with the Chapter leaders for all parties, etc. I also saw to it that pledges and brothers assisted in kitchen duties, cleaning, KP, etc. We served breakfast, had lunches and dinner. On Sundays the noon meal was coat and tie.
When you look back on your time in Lambda Chi Alpha, what moments do you tend to remember most?
We always had brothers raiding or attempting to raid our food storage area. Mrs. B was great and lived in the House and always interfaced with the brothers and their dates. During House parties she basically stayed in her room or was out visiting. She advised us on house cleaning and decorum. Something I note has pretty much disappeared by my observations the last few time I visited. I also inherited the Hoagie Man business we ran out of the college cafeteria. Providing night snacks and milk and sodas to the dorms. I vividly remember the day President Kennedy was killed. Amos and I were working in the kitchen and heard it on the radio and went in and watched the breaking news on TV. Most of all I remember the comradeship of the brothers.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I repeat my previous advice to the current brothers: My advice to current brothers is to know yourself, your priorities and your values then seek a compatible mate. I also recommend that you get right with God. My motto is “Live every day as if it is your last. One day you will be right!” I never know when that will be so I tend to treat everyone better.
Would you or a brother you know make a great alumni profile subject? Email us at [email protected] to let us know!