Class of: 1966
Brick: yes
Email: [email protected]

My name is Robert Lamont. My friends call me Bob. I graduated from Stetson University in the class of 1966. Upon graduation two important events took place in my life. I married the former Paula Jo Tondee, Stetson class of 1965, and I was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United State Army, Military Police Corp. Service dates from August, 1966 to August, 1969. While a student at Stetson, I decided to join a fraternity and pledged Delta Sigma Phi. During that era fraternities and sororities were a large part of the social life at Stetson. Consequently it became a central focus of social life for me. I was my pledge class president, became treasurer of the fraternity and in my senior year was elected president of the chapter. During my years at Stetson there was a six lane bowling center on the top floor of the Student Union building. I had grown up in the bowling world as my family was in that business. With the help of others who liked to bowl we formed a University team and competed in inter- collegiate competition. We never won a national championship, but we did qualify and did compete and represent Stetson in those tournaments.

With respect to my military service, upon completion of Military Police (MP) school at Fort Gordon, Georgia, I received orders to report to Fort Bliss, Texas. Upon arrival at my first duty station I learned that as a brand new Second Lieutenant I would assume command of the 591st MP Company. The reason, I would be the only officer in the Company. All of the other MP officers had been reassigned to Vietnam. Fortunately, I had a wonderful First Sergeant, an E8 who looked after me. Upon completion of nine months as commanding officer of the 591st MP Company, I received orders to go to South Korea where I was assigned to the 7th MP Company, 7th Infantry Division. At that time the 7th Division was on the DMZ (Camp Casey). I was there when the North Koreans seized the Pueblo, a U.S. Navy spy ship. This event caused us to have to spend 27 days and nights ready for conflict in the field “dug in” during a Korean winter. During this tour of duty I served as the Operations Officer 7th Division, Office of the Provost Marshal. Our unit served as the military police for the 7th Division.

Upon completion of my tour of duty in Korea, although eligible at that time to leave the service, I agreed to extend my service for one additional year and was promoted to the rank of Captain. For extending that additional year, I was offered the opportunity to select any post of my choosing in the U.S. Since my wife and I were from the East Coast, we thought what could be better than selecting the West Coast and chose the Presidio of San Francisco. A beautiful City and a fun place to live for a year, but not the best duty. When I reported for duty at the Presidio, I was assigned to the Office of the Provost Marshal. But I was further assigned to be the Confinement Officer at the Presidio Post Stockade. I got this assignment because my personnel file reflected that I had served as a confinement officer for less than one month at Fort Bliss, Texas. Lucky me! While serving as the Confinement Officer at Presidio, an area of the Country at that time not pleased with the Vietnam war, there were several demonstrations against the war. One of those demonstrations took place at the Presidio Stockade. Twenty-seven prisoners decided to protest their confinement and objections to the war. They refused orders of guards and non- commissioned officers to disburse and return from the prison yard to the Stockade proper. After disobeying prior orders to disburse, I gave them a direct order to return to the Stockade. The order was refused and the twenty-seven prisoners were charged by the Army with Mutiny. Most of those prisoners were confined to the Stockade for being absent without leave or being deserters. I spent the next six months testifying at their trials. After approximately one year at the Presidio, I left the service and decided to attend law school. I now practice law in Miami, Florida, am still married to my wife of more than 49 years. We have two sons, two great daughters in law and four wonderful grandchildren.