I’ll remember you when I have forgotten all the rest. You to me were true; you to me were the best. I’ll remember you when the wind blows through the piney wood. It was you who came right through; it was you who understood. In the end, my dear sweet friend, I’ll remember you. (From “I’ll Remember You” – Bob Dylan)
We knew Christopher Charles “Chris” Cole, from the beginning, as the one to go to. Chris was the one to go to for mastering the “spit shine” or other assorted Army things foreign to most of us. More so, though, we recognized he was the source for an uplifting word. The one who said, “Keep smilin’,” not only did himself, but taught us to as well. He willingly shared his military knowledge, learned as a cadet at St. John’s Military Academy in Wisconsin. They too recognized something special in Chris, as he was appointed regimental commander and elected class president. “Poo Bear,” an endearing nickname he responded to proudly, belies the dogged determination and strength of character he possessed.
Longtime friend Scott Walls tells us: Christopher Charles Cole was born to William and Irene Cole in Terre Haute, IN on May 24, 1947. Chris’s family also included brother William, and sisters Jackie, Joy and Sally. At an early age, Chris moved to Wisconsin, where he grew up.
Chris graduated from Blair Elementary School in Waukesha, WI, the city he called home. Chris developed into a voracious reader early on, commanding a large vocabulary. He spent much time reading at the public library and discovered an intense interest and love of military history. His boyhood was spent with friends, riding bicycles around town, swimming, and playing chess and basketball at the local YMCA. Attending Milwaukee Braves baseball games was a great joy for Chris.
He enrolled at St. John’s Military Academy in Delafield, WI in the fall of 1959. At St. John’s, Chris readily absorbed traits such as honor, integrity, discipline and focus that would stay with him throughout his life. He was introduced there to competitive sports, fueling Chris’s innate competitive nature and giving him a vehicle to sharpen his leadership skills. Chris became the star quarterback and captain of the team and, as many of us will remember distinctly, became a passionate Green Bay Packer fan. Chris was gifted intellectually, always at or near the top of his class. As well as becoming the regimental commander and class president, Chris is fondly remembered by St. John’s classmates as a practical joker extraordinaire.
At St. John’s, Chris was forming into the man we would come to love and respect; his entry into West Point in 1965 only furthered the development of his unique combination of intense desire, depth of knowledge, and keen competitiveness, all tempered with a wit and smile for all.
As USMA classmate and friend Bob Haines relates, “Chris was one of the special ones. When in a class of almost 1,000, focused on getting through each day, you don’t often get to know others outside your company. However, there are always a few cadets whom many come to know because they are special, known as someone who can be depended upon. Chris was without question one of ‘those.’”
An example of Chris’s natural leadership and reliability was as a member of the Rabble Rousers. One of the most important and challenging Rabble Rousers’ jobs was planning the “after-supper” rally skits during football season. The skits required imagination, hard work and ingenuity. In other words, a natural for Chris. Chris possessed and displayed these in abundance. Chris always had a spark of merriment in his eyes as the one counted on to create A-Man’s next adventure. Chris’s immense talent for organization came through; his inventiveness to get things done was fun to behold. Chris was always part of the action with the Rabble Rousers, leading the Corps in cheering, spurring the team, leaving no unspent energy.
Chris served 20 years active duty, including tours in Vietnam, Korea and Germany, serving his beloved “Cav.” whenever assignment officers allowed, and earning a master’s degree from Boston University along the way. He developed a deep understanding and appreciation of “Organizational Effectiveness” and specialized in the field. Retiring a lieutenant colonel in 1990, he became a consultant in the Fremont, CA area, leaving his indelible mark on the many organizations he helped. He served the Chamber of Commerce, West Point Society, Retired Officers Association, and the American Society of Training and Development.
Chris’s strong belief system was embodied in a favorite quote by Charles Swindall: “…we cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it.” Chris entered into his rest July 30, 2000 at his home. Only 53, Chris had lived life fully, a practicing believer in having a great attitude. As his beloved wife, Mary, relates, Charles Swindall’s words were the code by which Chris lived. From the outpouring of sympathy, and love for Chris, Mary received upon his untimely passing, she extracts some words from friends, “...a true gentleman, intelligent, articulate, well-educated, humorous and sensitive, honorable, positive, caring, talented, delightful, wonderful and kind.”
Chris was all those descriptions and more. We are blessed to have known Chris, our “dear sweet friend.”