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<p>The life of <em>John Michael Minor</em> ended in tragedy long before it should have. He was a man destined for great accomplishments: bright, quick, sturdy, effervescent, honest, charismatic, and blessed with an electric sense of humor. He had never met an obstacle that he couldn’t easily overcome until beset with a bullet-riddled aircraft and a wounded comrade who needed his assistance.</p>
<p>The record shows that he led his commander and crippled aircraft back to safety after an air-to-ground attack on a North Vietnamese position. His commander was wounded and could not make it back to base unassisted. Both of their jet fighters had received ground fire and could only limp back to base. Mike led his fellow airman back to a safe landing while snipers pecked away at them from outside the base perimeter. While pulling up to circle for his own landing, his aircraft was hit with more ground fire and crashed.</p>
<p>For his actions, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal. Close friend and classmate Larry White es­corted him home to West Point to his final resting place near his grandfather, General Gerald C. Counts.</p>
<p>What the record doesn’t show is the extraordinary man who was lost that day. Mike Minor was one-of-a-kind: successful in whatever task he undertook and capable of making the worst of chores into an enjoyable event. He was a constant source of warmth and friendship for anyone lucky enough to be around him. His wit and humor were boundless, yet he never lost sight of the task at hand and rarely failed at any. His spirit, smile, and self-confidence were infectious.</p>
<p>He met his lifelong goal to be a West Pointer via Presidential appointment, forsaking a full scholarship to Stanford without hesitation. West Point was in his blood, and he thrived on it. His father, John Max Minor (USMA 1946), his grandfather (USMA 1917) and his many West Point family friends had all been a very positive influence on his Life. Reverence for the institution and its ideals was also nurtured by his loving mother, Anne Counts Minor, who had grown up there. As a young teen, Mike had lived on post and knew its every nook and cranny. He was ready for West Point well before he was of age.</p>
<p>Once in the Corps, Cadet Minor went through the same transformations shared by all of us, yet he did so with a smile and a style that set him apart. Academics were a lark, and he flirted with stars nonchalantly. His more important challenges included tutoring struggling classmates, of whom he thought so much. Those who ventured over to the soccer field may recall hearing Mike’s favorite. Coach Joe Palone, egging on this fiercely competitive halfback with a banter that only those two could generate. Most classmates and friends will remember him as the always-colorful sparkplug who kept things lively and positive, whether facing final writs or a weekend pass.</p>
<p>Mike’s high school record also reflects his unique character. Graduating with honors as class president of Paris American High School, he captained the football and soccer teams and lettered in a variety of sports. Selected “most popular student” and ‘‘most likely to succeed,” he just laughed and shrugged. Through his many school activities he gained the respect and friendship of many of the student body, who still stay in touch with his family. Mike was denied the pleasure of knowing his son Mike, Jr., born to the lovely Signe Pabst Minor on 4 July 1972. Signe and Larry White married in 1974, and young Mike has been surrounded by a happy family of brothers and sisters. How proud Mike, Sr. would be to know his son is now a member of the USMA Class Of 1994.</p>
<p>Mike Minor left us before he had a chance to truly experience this wonderful thing called life. Those of us left behind can only dream in sadness of what might have been. Yet his loss is greatly offset by the memory of the joy that be brought into our Lives.</p>
<p><em>J .M.</em></p>
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