Aaron Richard Fisher

Aaron Richard Fisher (May 14, 1895 – November 22, 1985) was an American soldier. He served more than thirty years in the U.S. Army (1911–1947) and was a recipient of several military awards, most notably the Distinguished Service Cross and Purple Heart from the United States and the Croix de Guerre with gold star from the French government for actions in battle, while serving as a second lieutenant during World War I.

In addition Fisher was awarded a U.S. Army Commendation Medal for eleven and a half years of service with the Reserve Officers' Training Corps unit at Wilberforce University. Fisher was promoted to chief warrant officer in 1942 and retired from the military in 1947. He spent his final years in Xenia, Ohio, where he was a civilian employee at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. He died on November 22, 1985. His remains are buried at Valley View Memorial Gardens near Xenia.

Fisher, who enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1911, initially served with the 9th Cavalry Regiment and the 24th Infantry Regiment, both of which were African-American regiments. The Army was segregated. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant and deployed to Europe, where he served in the 366th Infantry Regiment, 92nd Infantry Division, in France. After World War I Fisher rose through the ranks of enlisted men. He served in the 24th Infantry Regiment, was promoted to the grade of warrant officer in 1921, and was appointed as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve. Fisher's military career included duty in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, California, Hawaii, Mexico, and the Philippines, before his appointment to the ROTC's military tactics unit at Wilberforce University in Ohio in 1936. Called "Cap" or Captain Fisher by the Wilberforce ROTC cadets, he retired from military duty in 1947.

Early life and education Aaron Richard Fisher was born on May 14, 1895, Aaron's father, a farmer, had served in the infantry with the U.S. Colored Troops during the American Civil War. His mother died when he was ten years old; his father's second wife was Susan Lyles Lawrence. and was sent to Camp Sherman, Ohio, and Leon Springs, Texas, for military training.

Fisher continued his military service in the 366th Infantry Regiment, one of the four infantry regiments that comprised the 92nd Infantry Division, one of the two black infantry divisions formed at the end of 1917. Fisher completed a 90-day Officer Candidate School at Fort Des Moines Provisional Army Officer Training School in Des Moines, Iowa, in May 1918 and was deployed to Europe on June 15, 1918.

World War I military service Fisher received a commission as a second lieutenant, effective June 1, 1918, and served in the 366th Infantry Regiment, 92nd Infantry Division. Fisher was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the country's second highest honor awarded for valor, for his "extraordinary heroism in action" in a battle that took place on September 3, 1918, when the 92nd Division was stationed in the Saint Die sector in France. He was discharged as a commissioned officer on March 17, 1919, but reenlisted as a first sergeant in the 24th Infantry Regiment and served along the U.S-Mexican border. and Fisher was promoted to the grade of warrant officer on August 20, 1921. In addition, he was appointed as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve and served as a reserve officer until 1947. Fisher was assigned to the Eighth Corps Headquarters at Fort Bliss, Texas, attended Quartermaster School at Philadelphia from September 1923 to June 1924, and continued his service in Arizona and New Mexico. He also served three years at Schofield Barracks (1927 to 1930) in Hawaii and completed a two-year tour of duty in the Philippines, before returning to the United States in 1934 for a year of service in San Francisco, California, with the Headquarters, Second Corps Area. where he remained as an instructor for eleven and a half years. His students included World War II Medal of Honor recipient John R. Fox. Fisher spent his later years in Xenia, Ohio, where he was a civilian employee at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, east of Dayton, Ohio.

Death and legacy Fisher, who suffered from hypertension and blindness in his last years, died on November 22, 1985, at the age of 90 in Xenia, Greene County, Ohio. Fisher's remains are interred at Valley View Memorial Gardens near Xenia. The remains of Mary Myall Fisher (1905–1987), Fisher's wife, are buried beside him.

Awards and tributes Distinguished Service Cross Purple Heart Army Commendation Medal for his service with the ROTC at Wilberforce University Croix de Guerre with gold star (France) Mexican Service Medal Victory Medal American Defense Service Medal American Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal

The Wilberforce ROTC alumni, class of 1942, organized a tribute to Fisher in Chicago, Illinois, on July 22, 1983. During the gathering Fisher's former students and military friends noted that he had served as a role model for the Wilberforce cadets. Known for his "booming" voice, strict discipline, and military "spit and polish," Fisher also successfully established an "esprit de corps" among the Wilberforce cadets and taught them to be "tough and resilient."