Fallen soldier ‘one of the very best’

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BREWER – Upon hearing of the death of one of his former students, Brewer High School music teacher Brady Harris said the reality of war hit home.

“You waited for this to happen to somebody you know personally,” Harris said.

He remembers Sgt. Nicholas Robertson who died on April 3 after being wounded in Afghanistan, as an excellent high school drummer who was eager to learn.

Robertson, 27, is listed as an Old Town resident by the U.S. Department of Defense, but lived in Holden and graduated from Brewer High School in 1998, according to those who knew him.

“He didn’t stand out in a crowd,” Harris said. “He was quiet, easy to work with.”

In a handful of band competition photos and one from the yearbook that Harris had in the music room Monday, Robertson was wearing a hat in all but one picture.

“There was never a time when he didn’t wear a hat,” Harris said. “It was part of his identity.”

Howard said he last spoke to Robertson about five years ago.

“He came in to thank me for working with him through high school,” Harris said.

Robertson got his first drum set when he was in eighth grade, according to a write-up in a Brewer yearbook.

“You are the pulse of the band as a drummer; I like the control,” Robertson was quoted as saying.

Pointing at a visibly used green Pearl drum set in the music room, Harris explained that it had been new when Robertson was a student.

Harris said he’s planning to dedicate Wednesday’s All City Band Night concert to Sgt. Nick Robertson. The concert begins at 7 p.m. at Brewer High School.

“He just liked to play,” Harris said. “He was my go-to guy for two years in high school. Everybody loved watching him play.”

The Army soldier was wounded on April 2 while on a combat mission in the Zahn Khan District of Afghanistan and died the next day as a result of his injuries at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany.

Robertson was outside his vehicle when he was shot, said Lt. Col. Tim Nye of the Army Special Operations Command public affairs office at Fort Bragg, N.C. Nye gave no other details about how Robertson was mortally wounded or who was responsible.

After high school, Robertson went on to the University of Maine where he earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy in 2003.

“He knew what he wanted and he worked hard to get there,” Harris said.

In college, Robertson was an outstanding student with a good sense of humor, according to philosophy professor Michael Howard.

Robertson took several of Howard’s classes, and also served as a tutor and worked as a research assistant while Howard was preparing one of his books.

“He was an amazingly skilled person when it came to editing the manuscript and getting it ready for publication,” Howard said. “He was one of the very best students that’s come through this department in the 25 years that I’ve been here.”

In addition to studying philosophy, Robertson studied French and classical studies, graduated from UM’s Honors College, and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa Society, an undergraduate honor organization.

He also was presented the Virtue Award, naming him the outstanding philosophy student in his graduating class.

“He was scintillating when it came to conversations,” Howard said. “He wrote quite a few memorable papers as a student.”

After graduating from UM, Robertson was accepted to graduate school at Northwestern University in Illinois, according to Howard. He didn’t stay there long, however, before deciding to join the Army on May 26, 2005, in Portland.

An Airborne Ranger assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, Robertson was serving his second deployment to Afghanistan as a translator. His parents, David and Nancy Robertson, live in Venice, Fla. He has two brothers, Doug and Todd.

In his Army career, Robertson earned several military honors including an Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Combat Action Badge and Parachutist Badge, Nye said.

Funeral services for Robertson are being planned by Kiley & Foley Funeral Service in Brewer for Thursday and Friday.

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