03/14/2026
There are people who enter your life and become family - not by blood, but by choice. Dr. Fred Sawyer was one of those people to me. A mentor, a friend, a father figure, Fred lived a life worthy of Hollywood. A two way starter on the football field, Fred was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals in the NFL at a time when football players didn’t make enough to support their families. We were proud to attend his induction into the Hampton Roads African American Sports Hall of Fame. Having participated in ROTC, Fred chose the military and the military chose him. An Airborne Ranger who saw two combat tours in Vietnam, went on to work in Military Intelligence and was Chief of Staff for the team that developed inertial navigation for cruise missiles, which we know as the Star Wars Missile Defense System. He went on to carry the Nuclear Football in the Reagan White House, earn the Legion of Merit Award, and retire from the Military as a Colonel after just 20 years. During his time in the Army, Fred shared offices with then Col. Collin Powell and Col. Wesley Clark. His aptitude caught the attention of Secretary of the Army, where he also served as Chief of Staff. The Army chose to monetize Fred’s intelligence and sent him for his MBA from Babson, Masters in Electrical Engineering from Penn State and PhD in Applied Mathematics with a concentration in the Queueing Theory from George Washington University. A literal rocket scientist, leader, gentleman, and important figure in American history, I will remember him for our times together and the impact he made on me. Multiple trips to Texas, Florida, Illinois, Atlanta, Nevada, New York and weeks together in DC created memories, lessons and laughs that make his memory a true blessing. RIP my friend. I will always love and remember you. 💔
