Pastor, educator and father to many, Ret’d Colonel Dr. Wilbert Arlington Lee, is a ‘Special Person’

Jun 15, 2025 Features / Columnists, Special Person, Waterfalls Magazine

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 …Serving his country with unwavering commitment

Kaieteur News – It takes grit to succeed, but it takes passion to keep going. That’s the spirit that defines Colonel (Ret’d) Dr. Wilbert Arlington Lee—a man whose story is stitched together by humble beginnings, military discipline, academic pursuit, deep faith, and unwavering fatherhood.

Today, as the world honours fathers, The Waterfalls has selected to highlight the role of Dr Lee; a man who has yielded three decades of his life to serving his leadership capacity of the army thereby training many soldiers and assuming the role of a father figure in more ways than one.

Serving for in excess of thirty years, this week’s Special Person rose through the GDF ranks, holding numerous posts including Platoon Commander in Lethem, Company Commander of the Jaguar Company, and eventually Operational Manager of the Force. One of his proudest moments was hoisting the Golden Arrowhead on Mount Ayanganna.

He said “My early role as Company Commander helped me to understand and mentor many soldiers. Many of them came from broken homes, and I felt responsible not just to train them but to help make them better men,” he said. “It was a challenge, but it made me a father figure to many.”

ROOTED IN SANDVOORT

Born and raised in the quiet village of Sandvoort, West Canje, Berbice, Dr. Lee has worn many hats: military officer, pastor, educator, and mentor. Yet through it all, he has remained grounded in values shaped by his childhood

Raised in a farming community, Lee spent his early days tending to livestock and working the land.

“Growing up in the village, giving it was agriculture and all of that, one of the things I had to do is the importance of rising early in the morning. The importance of being thrifty and the value of education because we grew up poor, was the avenue to which one can extricate themselves from poverty and so education was seen as valuable, as important.”

“The other aspect of importance was distinguishing oneself, try to avoid getting into trouble, and cultivating a culture of respect for elders; making oneself an asset to society being a good Christian,” he shared.

Dr. Lee attended Sandvoort Primary School before moving to Georgetown in 1975. After initially failing the Common Entrance Exams, he recalled with a laugh, “I can say that I successfully failed it.” But he didn’t give up. After enrolling at FE Pollard Primary, he passed on his second attempt and went on to attend Charlestown Secondary School.

FINDING PURPOSE

On August 10, 1979, 19-year-old Wilbert Lee enlisted in the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) as a private soldier. It was the beginning of a remarkable career.

“At primary school they had instructed the young patriot that is a part of the Guyana National Service and in the secondary school had the national cadet core and when I was in the village I was part of a scout group.  So scout and national service really inspired me to become a member of the GDF. I think I was attracted by the discipline and the fact that it demonstrated a lot of patriotism for our country,” he said.

Dr. Lee recalled that as a young soldier he was surprised by the level of discipline but got accustomed to it. “I think with the village life and the fact that some of the values that were inculcated in me as a child helped me. So I was able with some minor adjustment to adapt quickly to the military life,” he shared.

He eventually set his sights on becoming an officer, and after several attempts, he earned a coveted place in the Standard Officers’ Course #14 (SOC-14) in 1983.

DEFINING CHAPTER

Describing the officer training as “demanding and competitive,” Lee said:

“It was hard to get a place in the course and to remain on the course.  There were quite  a lot of exacting standards that one had to meet, so it was not only competitive but the requirements of the course drew the best out of you in order to survive. It was a year long course, one had to be at his optimum best all the time.”

He was also part of the elite Cadet Drill Squad under the leadership of WO2 Compton ‘09’ Smith. “The drill was made to inculcate high discipline in you, Major Smith was very demanding, he would have you drilling for long hours,” he recalled, laughing.

At the end of the course in February 1984, Lee emerged as Best Graduating Student, winning multiple awards including the Sword of Honour, the Brazilian Army Chief of Staff Prize, and the Venezuelan Army Prize.

“Coming from a small village that most people never heard of, and not attending a top school—it meant everything to me to rise to the top of that class,” he said. “It reminded me of Longfellow’s words: ‘The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight…’ I held on to that.”

SCHOLAR AND EDUCATOR

Dr. Lee’s thirst for knowledge was rooted in his childhood setbacks. “I didn’t do well in my early school years, and that motivated me to pursue education seriously as an adult.”

His academic achievements include Doctorate in Transformational Leadership – Bakke Graduate University, Seattle, Masters in Strategic Defense Studies – National Defense University, Washington, D.C, Bachelor’s in Public Communication (Distinction) – University of Guyana and Bachelor’s in Bible and Theology – Caribbean School of Theology

He has also lectured at the University of Guyana, sharing his wealth of knowledge in strategic leadership and development.

FAITH AND FATHERHOOD

Married since August 13, 1988, Dr. Lee credits his wife, June Ann, as his anchor. “She was my rock. She held the home together while I was away. Most of my military career was spent outside of Georgetown, so she had to raise kids largely on her own.”

Together, the couple shares two children, Dr. Robert Earl Arlington, a medical doctor and Shaunette Hermonica Ann, a certified educator.

However despite the demands of military life, Dr. Lee remained steadfast in his Christian faith. “Even in the army, I conducted religious services and counseled soldiers. After retiring, I was able to fully devote my time to ministry.” “When my kids were young, I was involved in their school life—PTA meetings, prayer before exams, bedtime stories. That was important to me.”

Today, he delights in his role as grandfather to three girls. “I spend as much time as I can with my grandchildren. I drop them to school, tell them stories, and just let them jump on me,” he said with a warm smile.

This week’s Special Person has served at First Assembly of God, Wortmanville since 1985, and currently holds the position of Executive Pastor.

A passionate mentor, Dr. Lee runs the Nulli Secundus youth group—a programme designed to help young people live purposeful lives. “We’ve taken them on expeditions to Region 9, visited magistrate courts and historic sites.”

As he reflects on what fatherhood means to him, Dr. Lee said: “Being a father is one of the greatest honors of my life. I always ask myself—have I done an excellent job? Not just for my own children, but for all those I had the privilege to mentor. I want them to be assets to society.”

And by all accounts, he has done just that.

CHALLENGES AND LESSONS

Reflecting on life’s difficulties, Dr. Lee said: “My biggest challenge was proving that my background didn’t define my worth. Coming from a poor, single-parent home, I had to work overtime. Education was another hurdle, but I kept pushing to improve myself.”

His message to young soldiers and citizens alike is simple but profound: “Don’t let your beginning determine the height to which you can rise. The military is a great opportunity. With hard work, determination, and discipline, the sky is the limit.” In January 2015, he was promoted to Substantive Colonel, one of the highest ranks in the GDF, and retired later that year after an illustrious military career.

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• Berbice, GDF ranks, Sandvoort, Special Person, West Canje, Wilbert Arlington Lee

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