LTC Roy Tisdale
On June 28th, 2012, Lieutenant Colonel Roy Tisdale was murdered while he was giving a safety briefing to his troops in preparation for the 4th of July weekend at Fort Bragg, NC.
Smitty served under him and wanted to remember him on the anniversary of his early departure, so these are Smitty’s words;
In early 04, rumors started to spread that the 1/509th inf (Airborne) was going to deploy for the first time since ww2. We had a BC that wanted to get famous, and pushing for the JRTC Opfor to get deployed seemed an easy way to do it. I was in B co at the time, a pretty young private not even 19 yet when we were told that our 2 infantry companies would deploy, but D troop and HHC would stay in Ft Polk. About this same time, the company commander of B co broke his leg on a training jump, and a man named Captain Roy Tisdale, at the time the commander of D troop, stepped up and volunteered to lead B co into Iraq. Captain Tisdale was a very unique comander, he was approachable and valued every one of his soldiers. There wasn’t a lower enlisted guy in our company that he wouldn’t walk up to and shoot the breeze with, just to see how everyone was doing and get their feed back. People might have gotten the idea he actually cared about his soldiers, then he proved it.
About a month before our deployment, Captain Tisdale was promoted to Major and given the option to take a battalion level job and have our executive officer take over B co. Now Maj Tisdale said that these were his men, he trained up with them, he wasn’t going to leave them right on the verge of going to war. If Major Tisdale was respected before hand, he was loved at that point. The entire time we were deployed, Major Tisdale continued to lead the same way we had come to expect of him. Every chance he had, he would be on of our patrols, doing 18 hours right next to the “joes”. We were attached to 4/31 inf 10th mountain, and it didn’t take long for the 10th mountain guys to notice Major Tisdale either. Numerous times some of their guys would ask who screwed up that a Major was tagging along with us or why we were being baby sat. Eventually they came to expect to see Major Tisdale helping load up the trucks at the staging area. I had an E-6 from 4/31 tell me once that I didn’t know how lucky I was to have a Co like Major Tisdale. His Co had left the wire maybe a dozen times the entire deployment, and that was usually to go to camp victory for the dining facility. He was right, I was too young and new to the unit, I didn’t know anything about the previous Co, (can’t even remember his name now) and was in for a shock when we got home and Major Tisdale left B co. Major Tisdale hung around the battalion for a while, then moved over to ops group. Until the day I discharged, Major Tisdale would still come out to the box and come find us just to shoot the breeze and see how every one was doing.
We come up on the anniversary of his murder, and I’m flooded by memories a decade old. Of a man who was so much more than a company commander to all of B co 1/509. I hear of this kid that shot him, and knowing nothing else, I am certain the only reason that kid wasn’t still locked up at that time, was because LTC Tisdale stuck up for him. Right after we came home, a good friend of mine and a young E-5 got addicted to pain killers and did everything he could to trash his military career. One night, after Kevin took a few too many pills and a few too many beers, he spotted a pizza delivery car still running, and decided to liberate it. He didn’t get too far before post was locked down and the MPs were all over him. Maj Tisdale went and got that young buck sergeant first thing the next morning, insisting rather strongly that Kevin be released to him. Maj Tisdale got my friend into rehab and helped him get his act straight. What should have been a fast dishonorable discharge if not prison time, turned around and finished his enlistment. Kevin ended up with an honorable discharge and keeping his E-5 because Maj Tisdale was always willing to go to bat for his soldiers, and willing to give anyone a chance. I can tell many stories of Maj Tisdale doing similar things for his “joes” that didn’t work out as well in the end, but it never stopped him from doing everything he could for any of them.
Knowing nothing about what happened at Ft Bragg, only that the kid had been popped and arrested for stealing from the motor pool, I’d say it is a safe bet that LTC Tisdale had tried to help him the same way he had helped Kevin, and so many others, so many years ago. My prayers are still with his family, but it makes me smile that such a man, willing to give anything of himself to help his men, was a part of my life.
The army lost a great man and officer 3 years ago. I can’t believe it has already been that much time. More than anything, ill always remember the half smirk he gave people when they did something stupid. I don’t think I ever heard him yell, but he had no problems telling someone they were an idiot when they did something stupid.
R.I.P LTC Roy Tisdale, the world is a better place for the brief time you were on it.
Category: Blue Skies
A hell of a Soldier and a hell of a Texan.
Thanks Smitty for keeping his memory alive.
RIP LTC Tisdale.
He sounds like a leader that everyone would like to serve under. They military needs more like him.
Yeah it does. Problem is I don’t see society producing enough quality leaders. No offense to anyone here but the military today is going to force the government to reinstate conscription… We seen how that works! Back in 2003 they took me with a GED… Now the AF and other branches want 15 college credits. Men like this man are special once in a lifetime. Even the AF doesn’t have men like this. I pray his family is comforted in this terrible time.
Edit: The quality of service members hasn’t improved. It will only get worse. Therefore lowering the quality of enlisted and officers.
U.S. Army 03-05.
Air Guard. 05-06.
Excellent tribute.
I was deeply honored to be in the flight line when his place arrived in Austin, and to roll with the Patriot Guard on the first leg of his final road trip home. I still have the small American flag that was flying from my Jeep that day.
Godspeed, sir.
On*
Plane*
Way to go, autocorrect.
Fair winds and following seas Sir.
RIP, LTC Tisdale. Speaking of second and third order effects, this article indicates that a warrant officer’s theft ring ultimately led to the murder: http://m.fayobserver.com/news/crime_courts/nine-soldier-crime-ring-linked-to-death-of-lt-col/article_c1c4b459-34d4-587d-906d-46061ed31f31.html?mode=jqm
I just read your link and don’t have a reason why the other 8 can’t be charged with murder. Just like dominoes, one falls and the rest follow. New laws need be made especially in the Military. Such a sad story and waste of a wonderful man…
Thanks Jonn for posting this.
Its no secret to the regulars here I don’t like officers too much, but this man was an exception like no other. I was at work and saw this on the news, I nearly broke down in tears. LTC Tisdale was the kind of officer that every new lt should strive to emulate
Here’s a big HUG from me and I hope you feel it. You’ve honored him from your heart. Stay strong..
I had the privilege for being LTC Tisdale driver for a few missions in Afghanistan, he was a amazing leader and genuinely cared about all his soldiers, The army lost a great soldier. RIP
Well done, Smitty. What a blessing to have such a company commander, and how so very wrong to have his life robbed like that.
May his memory shine forever, All the Way!
OS54
B 1/509th ABCT, ETS 5/’75
One hell of a CO. God bless and keep his family always and grant them peace and comfort in their hearts and minds. R.I.P LTC Roy Tisdale, well done Sir, well done.
Thanks for sharing that tribute with us, Smitty. Always good to hear of the most honorable, especially those who passed along great lessons.
Well done, Smitty. You can’t put a price on a good officer. Rest easy LTC Tisdale.
Very well done, Smitty. I would wager that a leader such as the good colonel would believe there can be no greater tribute than for one of his “Joe’s” to remember him as you have done here today.
A wonderful tribute for an extraordinary officer and man. What a loss. RIP LTC Tisdale. Fair winds and following seas, sir, fair winds….
Had a similar CPT in charge of us, while we held the line. He pulled a regular shift, sat in every position, manned every gun, and expected us to do the same. He went to bat for us every time, and we came out smelling like roses. It was very hard to say goodby at the end of our tour.
I understand your love and commitment to your old CO. They are out there, and they still love the Joes.
Great Man and awesome FRIEND!!! I still remember the last conversation we had in the PX back at Ft. Polk and look forward to having a good laugh with Roy again someday in Heaven 🙂
Here!
(Aggie roll call for the absent; we answer for the fallen.)
As the senior logistic NCO, I served under LTC Tisdale on his last deployment to Afghanistan. I must say, every time we sat in the mission planning room, I was always amazed when he spoke his ingenious ideas. LTC Tisdale is greatly missed.
I served with then CPT Tisdale at HHC 1/509. The way he was described above is exactly how he was. EIB or EFMB road march, he was out there rucking along with everyone who was testing, keeping a 15 minute pace and telling them to stay ahead of him. He knew every Soldier in the company (keep in mind that this was almost 160 troops), and their spouses, and their kids, and what was going on in their families. Of the commanding officers I’ve had, he was definitely one of the best.
I didn’t know Roy Tisdale that well as I only had a chance to meet him at the deployment ceremony at Fort Polk and the 509th Reunion in New Orleans the following year. But I was impressed by the man. RIP, LTC.
I’m amazed by the love you have for him. Reading the story from your mouth made it even sadder. Thanks for sharing and I’m sorry for your loss
RiP Sir..thanks for sharing Smitty. Good officers are hard to come by…sounds like we lost a good one.
It was an honor and a privilege to have served with u sir.
Great Words…. Like the Sergeant at 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, it’s easy to judge when the whole story is not known. It was a bad momentum in the army, leadership was selfish and battle buddies weren’t covering down. Sad moment on both sides…. but the formula was obvious and disaster unfortunately was the result. Reading a lot of comments on the page, the background story on the kid is not accurate. Instead of spreading the “probable” story, embrace and enjoy the good memories we have of both parties.