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John was born on 12 July 1918 in Wheeling, West Virginia. His father, John C. H. Lee, Sr, Class of 1909, and mother Sarah Row Lee of Wheeling, were soon to have assignments in many places including Vicksburg District before young John, their only son, entered Kent School, Kent, Connecticut in 1931.</div>
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John was graduated from Kent School in 1935 and pursued higher education at M.I.T. prior to entering the Academy in 1937, from which he graduated fourth in his class of 424.</div>
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John was an unusual classmate—brilliant, curious, energetic, and interested in all that went on around him—an intense person who always got involved with vigor and enthusiasm. John went out of his way to volunteer assistance to all age groups and consequently had many friends who appreciated this generosity. His spectrum of interests was so broad that he was equally pleased listening to classical music as he was winning a soccer game or discussing the theory of relativity. His limitless energy was so well scheduled that he did more in an average day than two or three average men. As a member of the Cadet Lecture Committee, he was instrumental in bringing to the Academy an innovative schedule of events which included a performance of “Arsenic and Old Lace,” starring Boris Karloff, then appearing on Broadway.</div>
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Upon graduation in June 1941, John was assigned to the Corps of Engineers and sent to the territory of Alaska, where he located and constructed air fields on the Aleutian Islands of Attu and Kiska as a first line of protection against a Japanese surprise attack.</div>
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In November 1943, he joined V Corps in England in preparation for the invasion and landed at Omaha Beach on D-Day, was captured while making a reconnaissance on D+1 and escaped the following day. Later in the war John joined the 82nd Airborne Division in the Holland drop, the Battle of the Bulge, and on to Berlin. He returned to Fort Bragg with the division in January 1946.</div>
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Other assignments included the University of Iowa where he received his Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering; senior engineering instructor at Fort Knox; Joint Airborne Troop Board at Fort Bragg; Command and Staff School at Fort Leavenworth; division and corps engineer, IX Corps, Korea; assistant district engineer, Philadelphia District; Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base; Strategic Planning Group at the Army Map Service; commanding officer, 37th Engineer Group, Hanau, Germany; Weapons Systems Evaluation Group at the Pentagon; and director of Appalachian Studies, deputy and (later) division engineer, Ohio River Division, Cincinnati, Ohio.</div>
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John’s military decorations include a Bronze Star Medal, two Silver Star Medals, the Legion of Merit, and the Distinguished Service Medal.</div>
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By an act of Congress, John was given the Michael J. Kerwin Award in 1969 in recognition of his efforts in the Appalachian Regional Study. This award has been given to only a handful of great Americans. He was also recognized in the Congressional Record for having played a highly significant role in the development of the US national water resources.</div>
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Following his retirement in June 1970 in Cincinnati, John applied his interests and experience toward a new, second career as a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Cincinnati. He made himself accessible to students and faculty for consultation, curriculum development and career counseling. His devotion to the university, its staff and faculty and students can best be summarized by the statement of one of the faculty about his role in the college: “He cared.”</div>
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John married his cadet sweetheart, Gertrude Patricia Schapert of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania at Camp Shanks, New York in January 1946. Their four children include Mary Anne, Cliff (John C. H. Lee, III), Tom, and Sally. While on the first real vacation in many years,he was taken by a heart attack on 29 August 1975. His children’s deepest regret is that he couldn’t continue to be there, through the development of their careers, to provide the wisdom of his experience, as well as great love and support.</div>
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The enthusiasm and dedication which John carried through the Academy were exemplified throughout long and fruitful military and professional careers. These qualities, as well as his compassion and his continuous pursuit of excellence, strongly affected his family, his contemporaries and his community. John was the type of man who was ‘‘born to serve,” and his unfailing devotion to Duty, Honor and Country have forged a shining example for those of us who remain.</div>
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<em>His Family and Classmates</em></div>
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