John Joseph McKinney was born in Philadelphia, PA on May 11, 1935 and was the youngest of five children. He attended Catholic grade schools and graduated from Lansdowne High School in 1953. He worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad in the auditing department, then enlisted in the Army. He was assigned to Fort Devens, MA in Fixed Stationed Receiver Repair School. One morning the first sergeant announced, “Anyone who wants to go to West Point, see the company commander.” John tested exceptionally well and from there was sent to the USMA Prep School at Stewart Field, NY. In the summer of 1956 he joined the Class of 1960 at the U.S. Military Academy.
At Lansdowne High School one of his classmates, Nancy Chalk, caught his eye. They dated once or twice; however, family lore reports Nancy told friends that “she wouldn’t marry John McKinney if he were the last man on Earth.” John continued to write and ask Nancy to come visit West Point for a weekend. Finally, in the spring of 1957 she accepted. They were engaged a month later. In the spring of yearling year, Nancy began teaching at Highland Falls High School, making John’s last three years at West Point far more pleasant. The Class of 1960 graduated at 10:00am on June 8, and at 2:00pm John and Nancy were married in the Catholic Chapel. Was that Irish charm or perhaps the dashing gray uniform sweeping a girl off her feet?
John was commissioned in Armor and attended the Armor Basic Course at Fort Knox, KY. John and Nancy’s first assignment was to Germany, where John held various positions in the 2nd and 3rd Squadrons of the 7th Cavalry. He received a personal letter of commendation from the squadron commander for the period he served with them. John and Nancy’s daughter, Susan, was born in Wurzburg in 1962.
They returned to Fort Knox in 1964 for the Armor Officer Advanced Course and remained there while John served as an instructor in the Armor School. John and Nancy’s second child, David, was born there in 1965. Daughter Susan says that is why David is referred to as the “Golden Child.”
In 1967 John was sent to Vietnam as an advisor to the 3/10 Cavalry (ARVN) in the Delta. He was transferred to G3 Plans as an advisor to III Corps (ARVN) in Bien Hoa. He was in country when the Tet Offensive took place and saw significant action.
After Vietnam, John attended Georgia Tech for a master’s degree in operations research/systems analysis. In 1970 he was assigned as an ORSA at the Combat Developments Command, Fort Belvoir, VA. He headed the development and testing of the TOW Cobra project, mounting TOW antitank missiles on Cobra attack helicopters. He was awarded the Legion of Merit for this service.
In 1972 John went back to Vietnam as liaison officer, U.S. Army Field Operating Cost Agency in the Office of the Comptroller, MACV. He devised a cost analysis program to be conducted in coordination with HQ MACV.
In 1973 John was sent to attend the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff College (CGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, KS. All students were notified that “there would be a PT test for all officers. Those officers with a birth date of 11 May 1935 or earlier are exempt.” On the day of the test, as his fellow officers reached the finish line, there in a lounge chair sat John, dressed in shorts with a beach umbrella, cooler, and a large sign that said, “What a difference a day makes,” and a tape player playing the song of the same title. (John’s birthday was May 11, 1935!)
In 1974, John was assigned to CDC at Fort Leavenworth as the chief of Test Analysis Branch. The family put down roots in Leavenworth, where they stayed for the next 31 years. Much to son David’s dismay, John became a gentleman horticulturist in his large yard with David as his work force.
In 1978 John retired from the Army and joined Midwest Research Institute in Kansas City, MO as an operations research analyst. One of his assignments was to administer an education and training program for the Consumer Protection Department, Ministry of Commerce of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He had to become an “expert” in inspecting grain shipments for insect infestation, testing water systems for purity, and purchasing quality gem stones.
In 1982 John returned to Fort Leavenworth with civil service as test and evaluation manager and supervisory operations research analyst for TRADOC Independent Evaluation Directorate. He finished his time at Fort Leavenworth with World Class Operations Force as part of the Battle Command Training Program.
In 1999 John retired again, and he and Nancy left Leavenworth and moved to Sherwood, OR to be close to David and his family. In his final years, he enjoyed his four grandchildren, working out daily at the YMCA, and traveling. He celebrated his 80th birthday and his and Nancy’s 55th anniversary shortly before he died on June 16, 2015. He was an awesome husband and father and served his country well. His ashes were placed in the outdoor columbarium at West Point in the fall of 2015.
— Bill Bailey and John’s family