He served more than thirty years in the U.S. Army (1911–1947) and was a recipient of several military awards, most notably the Distinguished Service Cross and Purple Heart from the United States and the Croix de Guerre with gold star from the French government for actions in battle, while serving as a second lieutenant during World War I.

In addition Fisher was awarded a U.S. Army Commendation Medal for eleven and a half years of service with the Reserve Officers' Training Corps unit at Wilberforce University.

Aaron Richard Fisher was born on May 14, 1895,[1] at Lyles Station, an African-American community in Gibson County, Indiana.

[2] Fisher enlisted in the U.S. Army on February 28, 1911, at Jefferson Barracks near Saint Louis, Missouri,[2][5] and was sent to Camp Sherman, Ohio, and Leon Springs, Texas, for military training.

In early 1917, when the United States entered World War I, Fisher was serving with the 24th Infantry at Douglas, Arizona, and at Camp Furlong, New Mexico.

[2] Fisher's citation reads:The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Second Lieutenant (Infantry) Aaron R. Fisher, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 366th Infantry Regiment, 92d Division, A.E.F., near Lesseux, France, 3 September 1918.

[11] Because Fisher's effort was made in support of America's French allies, the government of France bestowed upon him its Croix de Guerre with gold star on May 17, 1910,[2] acknowledging him as "an officer of admirable courage.

Fisher was assigned to the Eighth Corps Headquarters at Fort Bliss, Texas, attended Quartermaster School at Philadelphia from September 1923 to June 1924, and continued his service in Arizona and New Mexico.

[4][14][16] Around 1947 Fisher began to experience health problems that required him to spend much of the latter half of the year in and out of hospitals and forced his retirement from the U.S. Army on December 31, 1947.

"[18] Fisher, who suffered from hypertension and blindness in his last years, died on November 22, 1985, at the age of 90 in Xenia, Greene County, Ohio.

Known for his "booming" voice, strict discipline, and military "spit and polish," Fisher also successfully established an "esprit de corps" among the Wilberforce cadets and taught them to be "tough and resilient.