During the Persian Gulf War, Douglas Bagby was a U.S. soldier guarding a coalition base when he met an older soldier dressed in fatigues.

"I was talking with him, and he said he was lost," Bagby told KRMG in an exclusive interview.

"I was gonna call the M.P.'s to come pick him up and take him to his unit, and he kept saying no, he wanted to take a little tour of our area, and I wouldn't give it to him."

So Bagby did call the M.P.'s, who came and took the man to where he belonged.

About a week later, Bagby saw the man again, this time in broad daylight, and surrounded by his staff.

"He come walking in with all the other generals and colonels and stuff, and he wanted to talk with my battalion commander. That's when I met him, and I thought 'oh, my Lord, I'm in trouble.'"

But as it turned out, he'd done exactly what the man the troops called "The Bear" wanted him to do.

"He was really pleased, he said out of all the coalition over there I was the only one that did not allow him to tour the base camp."

Schwarzkopf died at the age of 78 Thursday in Florida.

Bagby tells KRMG the news came as a blow. He remembers his former commander as a man who truly had a presence.

"When he walked in a room, you just wanted to give him the very best you could, no matter what was going on, the situation, you just wanted to do the very best you could do for him."