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<em>1LT Hugh Robert “Skip” McKibbin,</em> <em>Jr.</em> was killed in action in the Republic of Viet Nam on 2 Feb 1968. He was executive offi­cer of B Company, 34th Armor, 1st Infantry Division, but volunteered to accompany his old platoon on a mission to rescue two infan­try companies surrounded by the enemy. The platoon leader who replaced Skip had just ar­rived in Viet Nam and was too inexperienced for the mission. Those of us who knew Skip would not have expected anything less.</p>
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Skip was born in San Diego, CA. A “Navy junior,” much of his early childhood was spent in San Diego and Monterey, where his father taught at the Naval Postgraduate School. Skip’s father, Hugh Robert McKibbin, USNA ’33, was a naval aviator and line officer. Skip’s mother, Eleanor “Mickie” Flanagan, was a former Miss San Diego. The couple met on a blind date on Mickie’s birthday. Marilyn, Skip’s sister and best friend, said the fam­ily loved the service and traveling the world. Skip’s last overseas “tour” with his family, was Taipei, Taiwan, where their father was the MAAG chief of staff. Skip, Marilyn, and little sister Lyn learned Mandarin and met Generalissimo and Madame Chiang Kai-Sheck, and other dignitaries.</p>
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Returning from Taiwan, Skip entered Massanutten Military Academy in Woodstock, VA, where he earned the Outstanding Gentleman award and developed many friend­ships. David Hurley ’65, a close friend, re­ceived an appointment to West Point, but Skip was only “first alternate.” Skip then joined the Army and entered USMA through the West Point Prep School at Ft. Belvoir, VA.</p>
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At West Point, Skip was a member of the pistol team and was chosen as an All American for his outstanding marksmanship all four years. He was an avid skier and even gave tri­athlon a try his Yearling year. He was a mem­ber of the cadet Spanish club and a four-year representative on the 1966 Ring and Crest Committee. Skip loved anything mechanical and had a passion for automobiles. In high school, he customized a 1954 Studebaker, in­stalling a Corvette engine. He reportedly chose Armor because “tanks were like oversized cars.” Not surprisingly Skip won the top award in automotive engineering for the Class of 1966. Later, he was selected by the Army for gradu­ate school in automotive engineering. He was preparing to go when he returned to the U.S., but sadly never had the opportunity.</p>
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During Skip’s final year at West Point, sis­ter Marilyn’s husband taught in the Mechanics Department. Marilyn wrote, “Skip and I were able to spend some time together, and I got to know his classmates and friends. I have some fond memories of our days in our quarters on Winans Road, where Skip would often spend weekends and entertain my three small chil­dren. There was always a joyful noise in the house when “Uncle Skip” would come to visit. I can still see a picture in my mind of a 6’2” tall, blond, blue-eyed cadet officer in his parade dress uniform with his tar bucket in his hand, who used to meet me at Trophy Point after the parades. He was the image of our father, and he had that same smile and sense of humor.” After graduation, Skip completed Airborne and Ranger training and attended the Jungle Operations Course in Panama, a proud accomplishment. Then, he volun­teered for Viet Nam. The 1966 <em>Howitzer </em>states: “Skip, a Navy Junior and an Army Serviceman, came to us with a dedication to duty and a determination to do his best in all tasks. Skip’s standards were high and his unwillingness to compromise them showed him to be a man who commands respect.”</p>
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Today, we remember Skip as a young man who knew what was important in life. In a let­ter to Skip's sister, Karl Sakas ’67 wrote, “Your brother was one of the best storytellers I ever met [and] that distinction continues to this day. Many of us underclassmen looked forward to the chance to be assigned to the same table as Skip in the Mess Hall. His wealth of fascinat­ing stories, great jokes and tall tales seemed vir­tually endless...I do feel it is important that you and your family realize that Skip is memo­rialized in special ways in the hearts and minds and lives of many people whom you have never met, but into whose lives Skip brought his very special class of humor.”</p>
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During Skip’s final two years at West Point, he was in Company D-4, in the “Lost Fifties.” Those of us who roomed with Skip, knew him as a warm, helping friend, as hard on himself as on the plebes, and always in love with the mili­tary. We referred to Skip as “McBean” because of his military bearing and love of West Point. He was admired and respected. We miss him very much. Marilyn wrote, “He will live on in the memories of his friends and family. Skip died for his men and for the country that he believed in. Duty, Honor, and Country were words that he lived by, and he has honored us all by making the supreme sacrifice. We will never forget him.”</p>
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Skip’s sister Lyn Sharon Moran died in 1963, his father CAPT (U.S. Navy) Hugh Robert McKibbin died in 1999, and his mother Eleanor died in March 2006. Skip is survived by his sister Marilyn and her husband, COL (Ret.) James M. Sigler ’58; his daughter, Sarah H. Kaine of Camp LeJeune, NC, and her husband, LTC (USMC) Michael Richard Kaine, a pilot who just returned from a tour in Baghdad; two grandchildren, Heather Catherine (12) and Eric Michael (10); nieces Kelley and Cynthia; and nephews Robert, James, and Bobby.</p>
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1LT Hugh Robert McKibbin, Jr., was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and several medals from the Republic of Viet Nam. He is buried in the West Point Cemetery with members of his class, including many close friends.</p>
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<em>Bob Kesmodel ’66, classmates, and family</em></p>