Man of Service: In the Field and on Campus, 'the General' Supported the Rank and File with Humor, Humility, and Integrity

Inspired by the general's example, his nephews, Lt. Col. Brian Anderson and Capt. Jason Anderson, joined the Army to become AH-64 Apache helicopter pilots. Both flew combat missions overseas, employing lessons learned from Uncle Dave. Today, Brian continues to serve in the Army, while Jason is the founder and CEO of Veteran PCS (veteranpcs.com), which provides online relocation support services and expertise to military families.

Humble Leadership

Even as battalion commander, no task was beneath the general. During his deployment to Iraq, when it was necessary for the camp to burn trash and latrine waste, he was the first to pick up a stick to stir and stoke the fires.

"He rose through the ranks, but it never changed who he was at heart," Jason recalls. "It's common for officers to disassociate with the junior ranks. He didn't do that. He wanted to find out what people needed: 'How can I help you do your job better?'"

"Once when Dave was at drill, he hung out all morning with some Blackhawk crew chiefs," says Brian. "Then he spent that afternoon with the lieutenants and captains, and all of the questions he had asked that morning - about tools, systems, and processes; friction points and frustrations - became his talking points for the afternoon. His humility and willingness to ask and listen allowed him to gain insight and fix problems or issues throughout the unit."

Anderson guided his nephews in a similar way. With no spouse or children of his own, he was a fixture in their lives, and though he never pushed them toward the military, he was a constant source of encouragement and wisdom.

"Any of our ROTC stuff in college, he was there, and when somebody is super proud and supportive of the work you're doing, you want to do it well," says Jason. "Because of his example, early in my Army career, I did some things that were unusual for an officer: going to PT [physical training], being out on the flight line, or just hanging out with the troops. I thought that was what it meant to be an officer - over time, I came to see that Dave was very different."