MacDill loses a great friend and patriot

  • Published
  • By Capt. Shane Huff
  • 927th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs Office
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Thursday marked the passing of longtime friend, and former servicemember, of MacDill Air Force Base, Mr. Robert "Bob" Cutler. Bob was the honorary Command Chief for the 927th Air Refueling Wing and a staunch supporter of the armed forces stationed here in the greater Tampa Bay community.

I first met Bob just over a year ago when he was inducted to be our honorary command chief. It was my privilege to know him and hear his stories, often from a different time and place. During our wing family day picnic in April, Bob started his conversation with me saying, "Back in 1945 when I was stationed here...", then proceeded to tell me of life in the barracks and about swimming with a multitude of dolphin at what is now the base beach.

Chief Master Sgt. Nina Watkins, 927th Command Chief, remembers meeting Bob last fall, "I quickly began to love him as friend and mentor. As honorary command chief he took great pride in sharing his knowledge and wisdom with me. He introduced me to a network of support and educated me on the role of the Tampa Chamber Military Affairs Council and the local Air Force Association chapter." Watkins says that from our youngest airmen to our most senior leaders we all loved Bob's stories of military and MacDill history. One airman recounts how he shared the story that horses and wildlife filled the area that is now the base golf course. "Bob was a true teacher and loyal supporter of our Airmen. On behalf of the men and women of the 927th, we honor Mr. Cutler and his tireless energy, dedication and commitment to a lifetime of service to others. He will be deeply missed," said Watkins.

A veteran of the Army Air Corps, Bob served from 1943-1945 as a non-commissioned officer in the operations squadron at MacDill Field before it was named MacDill Air Force Base. Bob flew eleven missions as an aerial photographer on the B-24 Liberator Bomber in the 460th Bomb Group, 15th Air Force, Italy. After World War II he was reassigned to the Air Transport Command as a finance administrator in Natal, Brazil.

After his military service Bob worked for Joseph E. Seagrams & Sons, Inc. for 41 years. In 1974 Bob became heavily involved with the Greater Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, he was a fulltime volunteer for 36 years and served on more than 35 different committees, councils, and task forces including the Tony Janus Awards and the Cultural Affairs Committee. His greatest passion continued to be the ongoing support of Tampa's armed forces and his fellow veterans. In 2003, the Chamber established the "Military Affairs Council Bob Cutler Award," given each year to a member of this committee who best represents Bob's commitment to Tampa Bay' s armed forces.

Bob worked on creating a Chamber sponsored annual Military Appreciation Banquet, which began 12 years ago. It started as a small awards banquet recognizing outstanding military members from the local community. This year was the largest banquet held with more than 400 in attendance and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Norton A. Schwartz as the key speaker. General Schwartz took time during his speech to recognize Bob personally for his service as part of "America's Greatest Generation", to which Bob received a standing ovation.

"We will miss Bob as a colleague and as a friend," said Bob Rohrlack, Chamber president and CEO. "In more than three decades of service to the Chamber, he continued to exemplify those qualities that have come to define the Greatest Generation - a servant's heart and an enduring spirit of patriotism." Ms. Diane Green, retired 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs, knew Bob for 30 years and told of his unyielding support of the military. "He was a dear, dear friend of the military," said Green.

In my short year of knowing Bob, I was most inspired by his patriotism. He was very proud of serving his country and extremely supportive of his fellow servicemen and women. Any military event invited to, Bob would be there never missing a beat, taking every opportunity to show his support.

Bob was 86 years old, he is survived by his sister, Mrs. Richard McManus of New York, and 6 nieces and nephews.