Meeting Robley Rex
Quick answer: Who was Robley Rex?
Robley Rex was a Kentucky native and one of the last surviving American veterans of the World War I era. John Fenzel met him in Louisville in March 2009, when Rex was 107, and found him sharp, cheerful, and full of memories of the Army. He died the next month, shortly before his 108th birthday.
To mark the centennial of World War I, John shares his account of meeting Robley Rex, one of the last surviving American veterans of the World War I era, in March 2009. On March 27, 2009, in Louisville, Kentucky, John and his fellow soldiers met the 107-year-old Kentucky native, who still had his accent and his Southern gentleman's charm. They came in their Army combat uniforms, and Rex sat up straight in his white dress shirt and bow tie. His eyes brightened, he smiled, and he gripped John's hand with a big, strong hand. What John wasn't prepared for was his recall. "What is your last name, again?" Rex asked. "Fenzel," John said, and spelled it. "That name rings a bell with me," Rex said. "I knew a Fenzel." Rex recalled his Army service as a young soldier who translated German documents. Asked if he ever met General John J. Pershing, he said, "Yes! And not just to shake his hand in passing, but to stand beside him on a few occasions and talk to him! And oh, what a spit-and-polish general he was!" He told stories about Pershing and a young Douglas MacArthur. Asked for his strongest memory, he answered, "It would have to be the absolute discipline we all had as soldiers. If a corporal told you to do something, you didn't delay! It was expected!" John asked how he was feeling at 107. "I feel really good!" he said. "I have nothing to complain about." When he missed part of the conversation, he nodded, smiled, and said, "Thank you!" John asked if they could come back for his 108th birthday in May. "I'd be honored!" Rex said. "No, Mr. Rex," they told him, "the honor would be ours." As they left, John looked back. Robley Rex was saluting them.
Why it matters for leaders: Meeting someone who carried that much history, and still saluted, stays with you.
Q: When did John meet Robley Rex?
A: On March 27, 2009, in Louisville, Kentucky.
Q: How old was Robley Rex?
A: He was 107 when John met him. Born May 2, 1901, he died on April 28, 2009, just before his 108th birthday.
Read the full article on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/meeting-robley-rex-john-fenzel
By John Fenzel, founder and CEO of Heroes' Path Foundation