Melvin J. Maas spent a lifetime serving others. Whether as a member of the armed forces, a congressman, or a private businessman, Maas lived by an unbending set of leadership principles.

Maas began his career in the Marine Corps during World War I. Afterward, he entered private enterprise, surviving a failed business and interference from alcohol-distilling gangsters.

Following his venture in the business world, Maas turned his attention to politics, using his position in Congress to achieve much-needed reforms in the ROTC, the US Naval Academy, and the US Marine Corps reserve...