About Lt. Robert Fletcher

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The Story of Bart

On September 8th, 2008 1st Lt. Robert “Bart” Fletcher was tragically murdered in the line of duty in Ft. Hood, Texas while investigating a possible theft of stolen Army property by one of the soldiers in the battalion he served. He was serving as the executive officer of HHC company. The tragedy was just that…a tragedy. No one could have predicted the horrific murder-suicide that ensued in those last moments of Bart’s life.

There are few who will remember Bart without a deep sense of connection and courage. From a “you are driving me crazy” connection to an “I can’t wait to see you!” moment, Bart always left a significant impression on those lives he touched. He was the most challenging of the four children Jack and I parented, but they say true leaders are never easy to raise. Being the most courageous, Bart would stop at nothing to achieve his desires and goals in life. One could say that he was never one who lived “inside the box”. Challenge is what drove Bart to serve and to be the hero he was. As a child, any adult caring for him knew that getting into a power struggle with Bart was futile. He was NOT a people pleaser. When he was sixteen, he expressed to me, “Mom your agenda for my life is not my agenda. You can choose to support me or fight me!” And off he went to Portugal to spend a year in a territory and language unknown to him.

Bart had an agenda for his life that was clear from the time he was 3-years-old, when he asked for a tea set and GI Joe outfit for Christmas. Every birthday of his young life I would argue with Bart over which “toy” gun to buy, that was acceptable for his age. His dream was to serve his country and, in essence, be a hero by making a difference in the world. Originally he wanted to be a Navy Seal. Over the years his life molded toward graduating from the ROTC program and receiving a BA degree in International Relations as a distinguished scholar from University of Florida, followed by serving his country as a Tank Commander in the Army. Bart believed deeply in freedom: the power of choice, and it was his mission to help everyone in the world experience free will. He was determined to serve his country not only for the sake of freedom, but also to prepare himself to serve internationally in the future with a deeper understanding of relationships and conflict resolution.

Bart’s last year of life was perhaps his most challenging, courageous and bittersweet. He spent 3 months on tour in Iraq, at which time he joined his platoon under company commander Captain Mike Doyle and took over the position of their 2nd Lt who had been killed in action earlier in the year. He returned home to help his grandmother, diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, pass in her last few breaths of life. Three weeks later he proposed to Katie after spending several years searching and saving for the perfect diamond ring to offer his true love of 7 years. Two months later they had a rushed engagement party, and they were passionately planning for the “biggest and best” wedding celebration, which was scheduled for after his return from his second tour of duty in August 2010. Bart aspired to one day be a successful, compassionate leader like Captain Doyle, whom he so passionately admired. I was fortunate to be able to visit Bart in his role of commander 2 weeks prior to his death. He was truly in his glory, serving his troops! He cared deeply about each and every soldier under his command. He told me that at times he felt like a parent to them, wanting his soldiers to feel empowered and successful, while helping to keep them safe. Bart was a true leader of courage, compassion, persistence and loyalty that others wanted to follow. I am forever proud and appreciative that I was chosen to be his mother.

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