John Solomon Wilkes III, called “Buddy” by his family, received good, solid biblical names from his father and grandfa­ther. He was born in Birmingham, AL, but his family later moved to Mississippi and fi­nally settled in North Carolina, where John graduated in 1955 from Pamlica County High School as salutatorian. His classmates voted him the “wittiest” in the class.

Appointed to West Point while a senior, he promptly enlisted in the Army to attend the Military Academy Preparatory School at Stewart AFB, NY. Since he had been a soldier prior to attending West Point, he was proficient in the military aspects of ca­det life—caring for his weapon, shining his shoes, wearing his uniform properly, and marching—so he could focus on academics and helping his less experienced classmates. Neat and organized, he received few demer­its. These qualities also endeared him to his roommates, as he always knew what was scheduled, when things were due, and led by example. John’s quick grasp of academic subjects throughout the four years left him the time and his helpful nature furnished the temperament for him to coach several class­mates through the rough spots of the West Point curriculum successfully.

John selected the Corps of Engineers as his branch and, after graduation, attended the Engineer Officer Basic Course at Ft. Belvoir, VA, and Airborne School. John then proceeded to his first troop assignment with the 326th Engineer Battalion of the 101st Airborne Division at Ft. Campbell, KY.

Following a tour in Korea with the 76th Engineer Construction Battalion, John at­tended the Advanced Engineer Course and went on to earn a master of science in engi­neering from Texas A&M.

John’s first tour in Vietnam was with the 14th Combat Engineer Battalion and, later, with the 35th Engineer Construction Group Headquarters. Returning stateside, he served as assistant professor of mili­tary science and technology at Texas Tech University at Lubbock and then attended the Command & General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, KS.

John returned to Vietnam in 1970 on the staff of the U.S. Military Assistance Command in Saigon.

Other assignments were with Ballistic Missile Defense Command and at U.S. Army Support Command in Hawaii, where he oversaw all Army facilities on the islands. During each of these tours, his circle of friends continued to grow.

His service as deputy district engineer at St. Louis was the culmination of his military engineering career. In this, his final assign­ment, John tackled some of the most difficult engineering problems along the Mississippi River and its delta. He was highly thought of by the district staff and his multiple other constituents, with their often conflicting goals. His diplomatic skills, together with his grasp of the military construction program procedures and his detailed knowledge of civil engineering methods, permitted him to shoulder the greater portion of the district engineer’s duties when that officer was tasked with a pressing national project.

His numerous military awards include the Legion of Merit, three Bronze Stars, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Services Commendation Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal.

After retiring, John applied the breadth of his skills as an engineer and his skills as a “people per­son” to civilian pursuits. The knowledge of state and national politics and of environmental prin­ciples and regulations that he gained in the St. Louis district office was instru­mental in his success at Arch Minerals Corporation, an energy re­sources firm with large coal land holdings. He then served two years as a facilities man­ager at the Clear, AK, Ballistic Missile Early Warning site.

John was very proud of his twelve years of service as the professional engineer member of the Colorado Land Commission, where he managed the use of numerous large and small land parcels owned by Colorado with the objective of maximizing long-term rev­enue support to the state public schools. He took this trust very seriously. Through skilled management of land use, he was instrumen­tal in providing tens of millions of dollars an­nually to support education. The principles and leasing structures that he put in place will continue to provide welcome revenue for years to come.

Building on his understanding of the need to plan, he took a position as a personal financial analyst and site administrator for Primerica Financial Services. He took pride in helping people improve their financial situation. This would be his final service.

One of the few bachelors in our class, John consistently put country, family, and friends ahead of any personal ambitions he may have had. After his award-filled 20 years in the military, he elected to retire so that he could devote more time to his family. John had assumed the role of parent to his two younger sisters, Sylvia and Charlene, after the death of his mother. He enjoyed watch­ing the growth of five nephews and a niece, and their children as well.

John passed away 26 Feb 2008. His sister and her husband, Charlene and Derrall Frost, his aunt and uncle, Robbie and Melvin Jerkins, nieces, a nephew and cousins sur­vive him.

John remained to the end the true gentleman and the exemplar West Pointer that he had al­ways been. His kindness touched the lives of all with whom he came in contact.