Standing Tall: Leadership Lessons in the Life of a Soldier

The autobiography of Medal of Honor recipient LTG Robert F. Foley. Robert Foley had only been in Vietnam for six months when he was promoted to captain and given command of a rifle company. In November 1966, Foley led his men on a mission to rescue another company that had been pinned down by Viet Cong forces. His leadership that day inspired his men and led to a successful operation - and the Medal of Honor. His actions in Vietnam were only a small portion of a long and varied career of service in the US Army, but Foley did not always seem marked for success. Coming from a blue-collar suburb of Boston, his years in West Point were marked by poor grades, injuries, and sickness. With a determination to lead by example and inspire trust among others, Foley served across the globe and rose through the ranks. He even returned to West Point as Commandant of Cadets, later retiring as a 3-star general and commander of Fifth Army. AUTHOR: Lieutenant General Foley graduated in 1963 from the US Military Academy. He was a company commander during the Vietnam War, a battalion and brigade commander with the 3rd Infantry Division in Germany, assistant division commander, 2nd Infantry Division in Korea, West Point’s commandant of cadets, and commanding general, Fifth US Army. His awards include the Medal of Honor, the Fairleigh-Dickinson University Pinnacle Award, and the US Military Academy Distinguished Graduate Award. General Foley and his wife, Julie, reside in Alexandria, VA and have two sons, a daughter and seven grandchildren.