COLONEL MILTON LELAND HASKIN
July 30, 1923 - March 1, 2011
Colonel Milton Leland (Lee) Haskin passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 1, 2011, at the age of 87. Lee was born in Pittsburgh, PA, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Howard L. Haskin. His early days were spent in Madison, WI., and after attending the University of Wisconsin for one year, he entered the US Army in April 1943. He was appointed to the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, NY in 1944 and graduated with a B.S. Degree and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Field Artillery. He was assigned to a Field Artillery Battalion from 1948 to 1951 in Europe, followed by Commanding Officer of a GH Battery at Camp McCoy, WI. He then served for eighteen months in Korea as an Operations Officer of a FA Battalion.
After completion of the Guided Missile Staff Officer school, he was assigned to the Staff and Faculty of the USA Air Defense and Missile School at Fort Bliss, TX. From 1957 to 1961, Lee was a Professor of Mathematics at the United States Military Academy at West Point. After graduation from the Command and Staff College, he was assigned to the J-5 division at the North American Air Defense Command in Colorado Springs CO. From 1965 to 1967, he was Commanding Officer the 4th Battalion, 41st Artillery, the first Pershing Missile unit to be placed on Quick Reaction Alert in Europe.
Upon his return from Europe he was assigned to the Nuclear Weapons Branch of the Strategic Operations Division in J-3, Organization of the Joint Chiefs in Washington, DC. In August 1970 he became the Professor of Military Science at Norwich University (the birthplace of ROTC) in Northfield, VT.
He retired from the Army in 1975 at White Sands Missile Range where he was the last military commander of the TRADOC Systems Analysis Activity. He and his loving wife, Pat, have been proud residents of El Paso, TX since 1976.
Colonel Haskins' Citations and Awards included the Legion of Merit (1 OLC), the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, as well as a number of other service decorations.
After retirement from the Army he taught mathematics at the St. Clement's Episcopal Parish School in El Paso for a number of years.
He is survived by his wife of more than 63 years, Patricia (Pat), daughter, Kathryn and son-in-law Kenneth Erickson of Folsom, CA; son, Thomas of Scottsdale, AZ; and grandchildren, Andrew Erickson of Fullerton, CA; Heather (Erickson) Ortiz of San Luis Obispo, CA; Karolyn (Haskin) Dicken, of San Diego, CA; and Rebecca Haskin of San Francisco, CA; sister, Marylin Windes of Mission Viejo, CA; niece, Colby Windes and nephew, Craig Windes; Great grandchildren; Bryce Erickson and Xavier Ortiz.
Colonel Haskin served on the Board of Directors of the West Point Society of El Paso and on the Board of Members of the Santa Teresa Country Club. He was on the Board of Directors of the El Paso Council for International Visitors and had held the positions of Treasurer and Vice President on that council. He had been the Secretary of the West Side YMCA and for years was a member of the International Committee of the Greater El Paso YMCA. He was President of the Greater El Paso Tennis Association and had been the Director of many tennis tournaments, both adult and youth at Santa Teresa CC. He has served on several committees at the University of Texas at El Paso and was the Treasurer of the El Paso County Historical Society for several years. As a member and Chairman of the Council for the area Agency on Aging, he provided leadership and insight into the activities and lives of seniors in the El Paso area.