"Before the daybreak, a star"
John French Conklin was born at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, 20 April 1891, the son of the late Colonel John Conklin and Rosalie French Conklin. He was a scion of a distinguished military line. His grandfather, Major General William Henry French, was a graduate of the Military Academy in 1837; and his father in 1884. His maternal uncle, General John Clem, participated in the War Between the States, and acquired fame as “Shiloh Johnnie,” the drummer boy of Shiloh. Perhaps the appellation was apt since John, himself, was often known among his classmates and friends as “Johnnie,” a genuine title of endearment.
In April 1917 John was married at Fort Bliss, Texas, to Marguerite Heard, a daughter of Major General John W. Heard, Class of 1883, thereby further cementing his Army ties. An adopted son, John Heard Conklin, died in 1971 survived by three children.
Following Marguerite’s death in 1928, John, in 1931, was married to Miss Helen DeWitt Duff, of Maplewood, New Jersey, who now survives him.
John's career followed the military pattern of many members of our Class: promotion through all the grades from Second Lieutenant to Brigadier General; participation in the expedition into Mexico in 1916; World Wars I and II; with intermediate service as Company Commander, Regimental Commander, the Command and General Staff School, the Army War College; instructor at West Point, and in various civil assignments by the Corps of Engineers. His outstanding service (and probably that from which he derived the greatest satisfaction) was an Engineer of the Third Army under General George S. Patton, preceded by his designation as Engineer of the I Armored Corps, also under General Patton. Through the instrumentality of these two assignments, in which he rendered outstanding service, he saw service in North Africa, and on the beaches of Normandy, thence across river and stream to the Bavarian Alps. He was engaged in the Battle of the Bulge; and with other elements of his command, crossed the Rhine, the Isar, and the Inn, en route to Austria. His conspicuous service won him promotion to General rank in 1945. Subsequent assignments found him in the Office of the Chief of Engineers, 1945-1947, and in Japan. He was retired for age in 1951 and spent his remaining years in Washington, DC., until his death in 1973. West Point was, above all others, the spot he regarded with deepest devotion. He rests in peace in the cemetery there, close to the heart of his Alma Mater.
John was a man of singular dedication to principle and the right, and to his affection for the Corps and all that it symbolized. He was characterized by a unique fineness of mind and spirit. There were no rough or bawdy edges. His life style, and his requirements for enjoyment, were simple: a comfortable home, the gregariousness of social occasions, and the intimate contact with his golfing companions. In these areas his friendliness was outgoing and reciprocated.
It is significant that in almost the last event in which John was able to participate fully and joyfully, without trammel or physical concern, was the fifty-fifth reunion of our Class. It was a joyous, yet in some ways, a solemn occasion for him as a member of a Class which, in his opinion, represented all that was fine and true of West Point and Corps tradition. Soon afterward, the first signs of a debilitating illness began to manifest themselves. Yet his superb courage was sustained throughout his losing battle as he struggled for two desperate years to maintain a degree of mobility and physical independence. He was on his feet for just a moment before he joined the shadows of the Long Gray Line in treading the path we all shall some day follow—the line which has been a bulwark to the past and an inspiration for the future.
We need men of John’s caliber; need leaders who accept the responsibilities and, at times, the loneliness of high command, the greater to serve a compelling purpose. Perhaps we need, with John, to retain a living remembrance of the Corps, of the sense of pride and honor which it has ever burned within our hearts. For thus, through the alchemy of memory, shall we revive the proud heritage of our youth.
“To gain in stature and in moral height, nor lose the wrestling thews that throw the world."
-J. E. H., ’15