WINDSOR, Colo. (KDVR) — Inside his Windsor home, Col. Edward Fisher said the memories of his time in Vietnam remain fresh.

It was the late 1960s, and Fisher was suddenly placed in charge of a reeling 1st Cavalry Division, which had recently suffered significant casualties.

“This company had lost its company commander, two platoon leaders, a bunch of sergeants, so significant losses,” he said. “So I take over this company, and these guys, they’re not happy at all.”

But Fisher said he persevered, bringing the company together as a cohesive unit before eventually being selected as the aide to the commanding general.

Decades later, a surprise phone call

After returning home, Fisher said he lost touch with many of the men and women he served with — that is until a few weeks ago, when the phone rang from an out-of-state number.

“It was funny, I was up getting ready to take a shower and the phone rang, and the guy said, ‘I’m looking for an Edward Fisher,'” he said. “I said you’re talking to him, and he immediately went into his purpose. He said, ‘I want to do something for you.’ He said, ‘You got me started with a lifestyle, that because of your leadership, that led me to become pretty successful. And I want to do something for you.'”

Fisher said he initially said no, but he eventually agreed to let the man make a donation in his name.

“I came up with St. Jude’s, because I like what they do for kids,” he said of the children’s research hospital. “So I said I’d like to do St. Jude’s, and he said, ‘I’ll take care of that.’”

A few weeks later, Fisher learned that man had made a $100,000 donation in his name. 

“It was emotional,” Fisher said.

Some 55 years later, Fisher said he had no idea the impact he had on that man until the phone rang. The two now talk regularly on the phone and have even re-connected with other members of the 1st Cavalry Division in recent weeks.

He hopes the generous donation can help families persevere through difficult times.

“How difficult is it to have one of your kids have cancer, and the financial burden and all of that that’s there, it just sounded to me like a good cause,” Fisher said.