Michael James Kiley

West Point, 1964

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Doug Barr on June 28, 1999:

I had the good fortune to know Mike during our "formative" years at West Point, since we were in the same company (K-1) during our Plebe and Yearling Years. Besides going through Plebe Year together, Mike and I were roommates, along with Dan Gearon, during part of our Yearling Year in Company K-1. I remember Mike as a happy and jovial cadet, in spite of the stress of Plebe Year and our "20% heavier academic load." One of our cadet mottoes was "Illigitimus non carborundum" which we were told meant "Don't let the bastards get you down." Well, Mike seemed extremely good at applying that motto to any situation, and I got the impression that he was always smiling at the bastards in spite of the difficulty of any situation. Mike knew why he was at West Point, however; he was happy I believe because he was exactly where he wanted to be in his life - at West Point preparing to become a professional soldier. Mike was very serious about being a soldier. He was destined to become a career combat soldier and warrior - to be where the action is. I remember him talking seriously during Plebe and Yearling Years about maybe being comissioned in the Marine Corps. These discussions were at a time when I hadn't given much thought whatsoever to picking a branch of service. I believe Mike was way ahead of many of us at that time in his planning to become a soldier. I recall one especially fun time we had together when we were Plebes in K-1. It was during the middle of "Gloom Period," January or February, when it seemed to be dark all the time and snow was on the ground. One evening just after dinner meal, one of the "friendly" Yearlings set us Plebes up for an ambush by passing the word that his Yearling roommate just had a birthday. Accordingly, a Plebe Shower Force would be expected to show up at his room after Release from Quarters at 9:30PM to drag the Yearling down to the sinks and give him a cold, birthday shower against his wishes. The Yearlings were seasoned veterans at this game, and took advantage of our Plebe gullibility using the principle of Suprise. Unknown to us, three Yearlings in the room had gathered wastebaskets full of snow and water, and were waiting in ambush for us to arrive. >P> Our Plebe force assembled at the Yearlings' room about 9:40PM dressed in a variety of uniforms, ready to launch the birthday assault. As I recall, Mike was wearing his Dress Gray uniform because he had returned from some "special inspection." After our respectful knocks on the Yearlings' closed door went unanswered, we tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. The Yearlings had barricaded their door closed. Brute force was the only answer. Two of us put our shoulders against the door, while the rest of us lined up behind them, and we all started pushing together as a team. What happened next would normally be seen in a Disney cartoon. As we were pushing with maximum force, the Yearlings inside suddenly released the door, and our team of Plebes came falling headfirst onto the floor of their room. Two Yearlings were set up on the high ground, standing on their desks, loaded with several wastebaskets of ice water. Before the pile of Plebes sprawled on their floor could recover, the Yearlings doused us with several volleys of ice water, laughing in the process. As I recall, it was Mike who, while drenched in his Dress Gray uniform, led us in the spontaneous counter attack on the Yearlings. For the next 15 minutes or so, there was a determined struggle by a bunch of wet Plebes to drag three Yearlings outside in freezing weather to South Area where they were wrestled down and face-washed in the snow. It was a wonderful, hilarious experience with Mike that I will never forget. We laughed a lot about the good time we had. Later, as Firsties, Mike and I were both commissioned in the Armor Branch, but we never served together after graduation. The last time I saw Mike was in August 1967, at Ft. Lewis. I had just returned from my first tour in Vietnam, and Mike was about to return for his second tour there. I realized at that time that Mike had already been in the thick of the action on his first Vietnam tour, and he had won a bunch of Silver Stars, The Bronze Star for Valor, The Purple Heart, and several other combat awards. I believe Mike volunteered to return to Vietnam early for a second tour of duty to be where the action was. That was his final tour of duty. To Mike: While we were cadets, we had no idea what the future would hold for us as Army Officers. Looking back now, however, and knowing you, I can see that you were destined to find a way to be wherever the action was - and you did! Now as we approach our 35th anniversary marking our graduation from West Point, I find myself thinking of you often, and shedding quiet tears for you. I hope that I have the opportunity some day to see you again, so that I can tell you how much I admire and respect you for what you did as a soldier, and for the way you did it; for your unselfish dedication and courage on the battlefields of Vietnam; and for your devotion to Duty, Honor, Country. You are a true Warrior. Your good friend and West Point Brother, Doug Barr

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