WP-ORG Main Image
View a eulogy for John Thomas Hoskins, USMA '66, who passed away on May 6, 1968.

John Thomas Hoskins

West Point, 1966

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Edwin P Smith on April 23, 2020:

My Role Model at West Point, Johnny Hoskins, Class of 1966, Company D-2

As we in the Class of 67 returned to West Point in the fall of 1965, all cadet companies received a new cohort of "Cows" within each of the four regiments. I went from the "flanker company" of M-2 (during 1963-65 when there were only two regiments) to D-2 within the downsized Second Regiment. Many in my class did not favor the move because we had bonded with classmates who had gone through plebe and yearling year together. We learned, however, that mixing second class cadets at that juncture was a wise and balancing professional developmental step. Our initial judgment of the merit of the move was mostly based on who ended up together in our new companies. I found myself with another good set of classmates, one of whom was a close friend from M-2. But what I soon learned was that for that year until the Class of 66 graduated, we would be led by a very unique leader during the first and third details of "Cow" year for us. We would serve under Cadet Captain and Company D-2 commander, John Hoskins from Louisiana.

We all knew something about John, as he was a perennial contender in the final Corps boxing tournament each year and was popular in the Corps for many reasons. John was tall and rangy and tough as nails. Each year, John gave it his very best effort, but as I recall each year he lost gracefully and humbly praised his opponent as the better boxer. But, to me, Johnny Hoskins became my quintessential "man in the arena," described by President Teddy Roosevelt. John brought life to that famous American quotation.

John was the player-coach of the D-2 boxing team my "Cow" year, and because I had graded high in boxing as a plebe, John recruited me for the D-2 team. We did well, but I broke my thumb near the end of season, and felt I let my coach and teammates down. That said, I gained an unforgettable experience watching a genuine leader. Witnessing the John Hoskins style of leading was special. He was demanding but inspirational, always encouraging every teammate to give his all to the match underway, whether as participant or teammate.

John and I also stood together during first and third detail parades on the Plain, he as D-2s commander, and I as company guide-on bearer. Unavoidably, there were parades where the Hudson Valley winds nearly blew us over, with John always quietly encouraging me to keep our D-2 guide-on precisely level during parade salutes, typical of his quiet but firm strengthening of the resolve of all around him. Everyone respected and admired John Hoskins. No fanfare, and no ego, ever got in his way. He simply exuded courage by example and genuine care for those around him.

Given that June 1966 was a year that the war in Vietnam was prominently in the news, many of the very best in the Class of 66 "rode to the sound of the guns" after graduation, and of course John Hoskins led the way, joining the 9th Infantry Division�s "Riverine" force in the Delta. He is referenced in the Rick Atkinson book, the Long Gray Line. He was killed 6 May 1968 during his voluntary extension as a company commander in Vietnam. He is buried at West Point.

John was a role model to most of us serving in D-2 during 1965-66. He was the very best kind of leader-- tough, out-front, humble, competent, caring and honorable. I chose Infantry because Hoskins did. I volunteered for Vietnam service after graduation because John had done that a year earlier. John lived a life, although very short, that those who admired him wanted to emulate. I can only imagine what he would have added to our Army and nation, had he lived longer. "The good, they die young."
I didn�t learn that John had been killed until I had been wounded in Vietnam in the fall of 1968 and medically evacuated to the United States. I never really got over his death, but used his life�s example as something to follow during my 35+ years in the Army.

His parents wrote a uniquely beautiful obituary about John that I think is available through the USMA AOG, which describes a special leadership, traditionally fostered at West Point and lived by the very best of the Long Gray Line.

E. P. Smith, USMA Class of '67

Previous Eulogy  
admin

West-Point.Org (WP-ORG), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, provides an online communications infrastructure that enable graduates, parents, and friends of the military academy to maintain and strengthen the associations that bind us together. We will provide this community any requested support, consistent with this purpose, as quickly and efficiently as possible. WP-ORG is funded by the generosity of member contributions. Our communication services are provided in cooperation with the AOG (independent of USMA) and are operated by volunteers serving the Long Gray Line. For questions or comments, please email us at feedback@west-point.org.