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MEMORIAL ARTICLE
Published Assembly Jan '92
FREDERICK FRANCIS HICKEY, JR. No.
15498 Class of 1946 Died 4 April 1968 at Fort
Belvoir, Virginia, aged 46 years. Interment: Arlington
National cornet", Arlington, Virginia |
FREDERICK FRANCIS HICKEY, JR. was born 2 April 1922 in Springfield,
Massachusetts. His father moved to New York During Fred's youth
and Fred graduated from New Hartford High School, New Hartford
New York. He attended Philips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts
for a year before entering Dartmouth in 1940. Three years later,
Fred graduated from Dartmouth with a degree in economics, but
he had always wanted to go to West Point. At this time his parents
were living in Utica, New York, where his father was president
of the Savage Arms Company. Fred went to West Point straight
from Dartmouth, entering in July 1943 with the Class of 1946.
After graduating from Dartmouth, academics were no problem
for Fred. He was always ready and willing to help any classmate
who needed it. His B-I classmates all recall Fred as very mature
and serious; the latter because most of his classmates always
seemed slightly juvenile. As one B-1'er put it, "Fred was
the father of B-I Company." Another classmate recalls that
he never saw Fred panic, indeed get really excited, was as cool
and calm as anyone this friend knew during that period. Fred
was absolutely unflappable. This characteristic plus his quickness
of thought, ability to express himself and concern for his fellows,
made him a consensus choice to be an outstanding officer. Another
classmate recalls that Fred greatly enjoyed his free time as
a cadet and contributed much to relieving the usual cadet stresses
by means of his great sense of humor. When graduation rolled
around, Fred became a second lieutenant of Artillery.
Two days after graduation, Fred married Emily Jane Brown of
Hastings-on-Hudson, New York in the Holy Trinity Chapel at West
Point. After finishing Artillery branch schooling, Fred was assigned
to C Battery, 159th Field Artillery Battalion in Nara, Japan.
As was the case in those days, Fred had to wait before he could
bring Jane over to join him. Prior to her going to Japan, Jane
was diagnosed as suffering from multiple sclerosis. Fred was
put on orders back to Fort Dix, New Jersey so he could be near
Jane, and it was a year before Jane was able to travel. In October
1949, Fred and Jane went to Fort Bundy, Puerto Rico, where Fred
was assigned to the 504th Field Artillery Battalion. After a
year in Puerto Rico, the battalion was moved to Panama, and Fred
and Jane moved there. O. W. "Tut" Parmly,
USMA'50, recalls that his first assignment after graduation was
to A Battery, 504th FA Battalion in Panama, commanded by Fred
Hickey. Fred and Jane met the Parmlys at the airport, and the
two couples lived next door to each other in a duplex at Fort
Kobbe, CZ. Since the Class of 1950 was not sent to their respective
Branch Basic Courses before their first assignments, Tut recalls
that Fred was very much a leader and teacher for him. Tut Parmly
made the following observation about Fred Hickey: "Without
reservation, of all the officers under whom I served during my
16 years of military service, Fred had the most desirable leadership
qualities which, when I could, I emulated during my career. He
was truly outstanding."
From Panama, Fred and Jane went back to the Artillery Officers
Advanced Course and then to the Staff and Faculty of the Artillery
School. Their son Michael was born at Fort Sill during this assignment.
In 1955 Fred and Jane went to Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Georgia
for advanced schooling. Their friends, the Parmlys, were also
there, and the two couples lived only a block apart. When Fred
graduated from Georgia Tech with a Masters degree in electrical
engineering, he then had three degrees. From Georgia the Hickeys
moved to Fort Bliss where Fred became a guided missile project
officer with the Artillery Board. Jane recalls that Fred enjoyed
this assignment as much as any he had. Their daughter Kathleen
was born during this tour at Fort Bliss. In 1960 Fred was selected
to attend the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth,
Kansas, and Fred became the honor graduate of his Nuclear Weapons
Employment Officers Course. His next assignment was to Colorado
Springs, Colorado with the Continental Air Defense Command. After
two years in Colorado, Fred had health problems and was sent
to William Beaumont General Hospital at Fort Bliss, Texas. He
was a patient for six months. Recovered enough for reassignment,
Fred was sent to Korea, where he served as Combat Arms Advisor
to the ROK V Corps. In July 1965 Fred returned to CONUS for assignment
with the Air Defense and Missile Division, Office of the Chief
of Research and Development, Department of the Army. In March
1968 Fred was promoted to colonel. On 4 April 1968, Fred Hickey
died at the Dewitt Army Hospital at Fort Belvoir, Virginia from
complications involving the health problems that had plagued
him earlier. He was survived by his wife Jane, son Michael and
daughter Kathleen.
Fred's Artillery friends remember him as a brilliant person
and a highly-skilled artilleryman. One classmate recalls that
it is to Fred's credit that he took a low-profile career path
in order to provide the needed support for the family that he
loved and cherished. For Fred Hickey was devoted to his family,
and his family loved the Army life. He was content with his career;
he was totally absorbed with his work in the missile field and
enjoyed every aspect of each assignment. As long as he had his
work and his family, Fred was happy. It is one of the ironies
of fate that such a brilliant, dedicated man, so happy with his
life, should be taken away at that point in his career when he
had begun to contribute greatly. The Army lost a dedicated, professional
soldier. His family lost the cornerstone of their lives. His
classmates lost a friend and comrade. Fred is missed by everyone
who knew him, but they all are grateful to have had the honor
and privilege of knowing and serving with a true son of West
Point. To his devotion to "Duty, Honor, Country" must
be added his devotion to "Family," for these four precepts
were the foundations of his life. It is with pride that his classmates
say, "Well Done, Be Thou At Peace."
'46 Memorial Project and his wife Jane
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