Stalwart Ram Wall of Fame
The Stalwart Ram Wall of Fame honors Ram Battalion and Detachment 90 alumni that left a lasting mark on the CSU Army and Air Force ROTC programs. Every fall two new ROTC alums will be inducted to the wall of fame during a ceremony at ROTC Alumni Rendezvous. A photo and biography of each wall of fame inductee will be displayed on the first floor of the Military Science Building. The display is the first initiative of the newly formed CSU ROTC Alumni Advancement Council.
Fall 2023 - Second class of the Stalwart Ram Wall of Fame
The second class of the Stalwart Ram Wall of Fame honorees were inducted on the 50-yard line at Canvas Stadium to a well attended ROTC Rendezvous reception alumni crowd. Col Bleich and Ms. Joan Prebish stand out as examples of CSU ROTC legacy, dedication, and landmark achievements. Proud to be!
Colonel Peter C. Bleich, Jr.
Joan Prebish
Colonel Peter C. Bleich, Jr. graduated in December 1977 with a BS in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering from Clarkson College of Technology in Potsdam, NY and commissioned from that ROTC
program as an Engineer Officer. After completing the Engineer Officer Basic Course at Fort Belvoir, VA, he was assigned to the Ammunition
Equipment Office at Tooele Army Depot, UT as a Design Engineer and then transitioned to the Depot Facilities Office as a Facilities Engineer. Following three years of active duty, Colonel Bleich transferred to the US Army Reserves where he served in the 98th Division (Training) in multiple staff positions including the Division Engineer Plans Officer; HHC Executive Officer; Assistant G-4 Food Service Officer; D Co., 464th
Engineer Battalion Company Commander; Assistant G-1 Personnel; and the Assistant G-3 Operations. He then transferred to the 104th Division (Institutional Training) and served as a Command & General Staff College (CGSC) Instructor, Lead Instructor for the Reserve Component transition to the Intermediate Level Education (ILE) system and concluded his military career as the Deputy Commander and Executive Officer for the 1st Professional Development Brigade in completing 30 years of service in January 2008.
Mr. Bleich started at Colorado State University as the Enrollment and Scholarship Officer in 2003 after a successful 22-year career in a variety of engineering positions for Eastman Kodak, culminating as a Conveyance
Process Engineer for Kodak’s largest and fastest film and paper sensitizing machine. In the Ram Battalion, he helped to recruit, enroll, and mentor over 400 cadets on their path to becoming 2nd Lieutenants for all three components of our Army. Over the course of his 20 plus year career at the Ram Battalion he also coordinated tens of millions of dollars of scholarship benefits for those students. A team builder and networker, he formed long lasting relationships with multiple key leaders across the University enabling many lasting contributions to the Ram Battalion such as Room and Board incentives for National Scholarship recipients. A consummate educator, he ensured ROTC education to countless community and campus influencers who steered thousands of qualified
students to federal service in support of their nation. Finally, he enabled the successful transition of seven Professors
of Military Science and dozens of Military Science Instructors and Assistant Professors of Military Science.
Mr. Bleich will retire from CSU Army ROTC in January 2024, culminating 46 years of service to our nation. During his military career, he was recognized with multiple awards including the Legion of Merit, several Meritorious Service and Army Commendation Medals, and earning the Parachutist’s Badge.
Captain Joan Prebish joined Air Force ROTC in 1975, six years after women were first allowed to join the program. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and at the time of her commissioning in 1977, fewer than four percent of the active duty Second Lieutenants were female.
Air Force ROTC was very unpopular on the Colorado State University campus because of the Vietnam War and the recent draft; however, Joan chose the United States Air Force as the way she could serve the country while supporting Women’s Rights and racial equality.
During her 8 years of active-duty service, Joan served as a Space Surveillance Officer in the North American Aerospace
Defense Command (NORAD) Space Defense Center, a Staff Officer in Headquarters NORAD and United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) in Space Operations, conducted missions in Thule, Greenland, and was one of the first Manned Spaceflight Operations Officers. Joan was recognized by the Director of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and USSPACECOM for her space shuttle support and received numerous military decorations for her outstanding mission accomplishments.
After separating from the Air Force, Joan became a certified project management professional with a strong system engineering background. She is an expert in tailoring program management and change management best practices to manage global, cross-functional teams in the development life cycle of
software and hardware products, solutions, professional services, and processes. A selfless individual, Joan has volunteered as a United States Forest Service Archaeological Site Steward,
bagged and delivered meals for Meals on Wheels, and was a United Service Organizations (USO) Ambassador.
Throughout her military and civilian careers and in her community, Joan led by example and inspired others to overcome obstacles and persevere by giving their best with honor, grit, and courage.
Fall 2022 - First class of the Stalwart Ram Wall of Fame
Veterans Day 2022 was the inaugural unveiling of the Stalwart Ram Wall of Fame with two distinguished inductees. Major General Robert L. Halverson and Colonel Sheldon Godkin were honored in an on-field ceremony at Canvas Stadium after the ball transfer of the Bronze Boot Run, in conjunction with the ROTC Alumni Rendezvous reception.
Major General Robert Lee Halverson
Class of 1963
Major General Robert Lee Halverson graduated from Colorado State University in 1963 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Construction Management. During his time at Colorado State University, he participated in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in Military Intelligence after earning recognition as a Distinguished Military Graduate. After commissioning, he attended the Infantry Officer Basic Course and Intelligence training and served in positions typical of a young officer including company command in Germany and as an Intelligence / Infantry Advisor in Vietnam. His Major years included service as a Battalion Operations Officer at Fort Hood, TX and as the Special Security Officer to the US Military Representative to NATO in Brussels, Belgium. After 15 years, he left Active Duty and continued his Army career for a short time in the Reserves before moving to the Texas Army National Guard in 1985. In addition to his military service, he served in various positions in the Texas State Government culminating after 20 years of service as the Deputy Commissioner for Safety for the Department of Insurance.
General Halverson’s military career concluded as the 49th Armor Division Commanding General from 1998-2002. Under his command, the 49th Division served as the Multi-National Division Headquarters for 11 nations conducting peacekeeping operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina as the first Active and Reserve component integrated headquarters. He received many awards during his 39-year career including the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal with 1 bronze service star prior to retiring in 2002. In 2006, General Halverson was inducted into the US Army Military Intelligence Hall of Fame. In 2016, he was awarded a Congressional Veteran Commendation. In 2018 he was inducted into the Texas Military Hall of Honor.
Always a supporter of the Ram Battalion, General Halverson created the Major General Robert L. Halverson Army ROTC Scholarship in 2018 to award Army ROTC students that show exemplary leadership skills. In 2021, he spearheaded the creation of the ROTC Class of 1963 Scholarship in Memory of Colonel Robert W. Patterson, Assistant Professor of Military Science.
Colonel Sheldon Godkin
Detachment 090 Commander and Professor of Aerospace Studies
Colonel Sheldon “Shelly” Godkin often remarked “I’m the luckiest guy you’ll ever meet,” and his life is a testament to those words. A superb athlete, he attended Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, GA, on a basketball scholarship and joined the US Air Force after graduation. Selected into the aviation cadet program, he earned his pilot wings and went on to serve 31 years as a fighter pilot and leader. He accumulated over 4,000 hours flying time, including 100 combat missions in the F-105 Thud during the Vietnam War. Other assignments included Taipei, Taiwan, where he had the opportunity to fly F-100s with the Taiwanese Air Force as a fighter instructor and earned Taiwanese Pilot Wings. His awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Air Medal and others.
During his final military assignment as the Commander and Professor of Aerospace Studies of CSU’s Air Force ROTC Detachment 90 (1979-1983), he established the Ram-Falcon Trophy, awarded to the winner of the annual CSU vs. USAFA football competition, founded the nationally recognized Wing Walker Drill Team, and inspired countless young future Air Force leaders.
Following his retirement from the Air Force in 1983, he established and managed the CSU University Club for 17 years. As a result of his close and long-time association with CSU, he was awarded the “Special Meritorious Service Award” by the CSU President, was named an Honorary Alumnus, and received the “Community Partner Award” for support and dedication to the AFROTC program at CSU.
An active member and Past President of the Rotary Club of Fort Collins, he received the “Four Avenues of Service” award, one of Rotary’s highest individual honors. He also served as President of the Longs Peak Chapter of the Air Force Association and the CSU Men’s Science Club and greatly enjoyed his membership in clubs throughout Ft. Collins including the Elks and CSU RAM Booster Club.