KEITH EUGENE SICAFOOSE was born. 3 December 1924 in Huntington County, Indiana, the firstborn of Donald and Ruth Sickafoose. He attended public school in Ligonier, Indiana, and studied Engineering for a term at Purdue University. In April 1943, four months after his eighteenth birthday, he was inducted into the Army Air Force at Camp Perry, Ohio.

In December 1944, Private First Class Sickafoose, then an Army Airways Communication Systems specialist, was returned from the Panama Canal Zone to enter the United States Military Academy Preparatory program at Lafayette College. He was subsequently transferred to the United States Military Academy Preparatory detachment at Amherst College and was discharged from the Army to accept an Indiana appointment to the United States Military Academy in July 1945.

Keith's prior educational background, the maturity that he had gained in over two years of service, and his natural aptitude as a student made him a favorite of the academic department and his less talented classmates. A member of Company B-1 for all four years, Keith was elected company Honor Representative during Second and First Class Years. He was a fierce competitor on C and B squad lacrosse teams and sang with the Cadet Chapel Choir for four years.

Keith was commissioned in the Field Artillery upon graduation in June 1949. In Spring 1950, based upon his standing at the Ground General School, Air Defense and Field Artillery Basic Officer courses, Keith opted for an initial troop assignment in Germany. The Korean War started about the same time that he received orders for Germany so Keith journeyed to Washington to have his orders changed to Korea. He served as forward observer, reconnaissance officer, liaison officer with an infantry battalion, and battalion S2 in the 57th Field Artillery Battalion supporting the 7th Infantry Division in Korea. He returned from Korea a Captain in December 1951 and assumed command of Headquarters Battery, 91st Armored Field Artillery Battalion at Ford Hood, Texas.

He married Betty Jean Stage Hoffman, a hometown girl, at Ligonier, Indiana, on 8 June 1952. In September Keith, Betty, and his nine-year-old stepson, Mike, moved to West Point where Keith was assigned as a Mathematics instructor. Munro Allen, named in honor of classmate Munro Magruder who was killed in action in Korea, and Keith Eugene II were born at the Academy in July 1953 and December 1954, respectively.
During his three year tour as an instructor the quiet competence that Keith had displayed as a cadet was recognized by General Bessell who identified him as "a superior instructor with the special ability to teach students of lower aptitude-due in part to his ability to see the student's point of view and guide it in the right direction." General Bessell further praised his "great judgment, common sense and maturity" and stated that Keith was "an officer to whom you can entrust with confidence any difficult, detailed job-meticulous and thorough, takes full responsibility."

Upon completion of the Artillery Officer Advance Course in 1956 Keith returned to an early love: Engineering. He was assigned to the University of Southern California for graduate study in June 1956, and was awarded a Master of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1958. Nancy Ellen was bom a month after the family arrived at Anaheim, California.

Keith was next assigned to the Air Defense Board at Fort Bliss, Texas, as test officer for the HAWK missile system user service tests. For three years he worked in many phases of HAWK test and development, and was appointed Chief of the Air Defense Board's HAWK Test Branch. Elizabeth Ann was born at El Paso in July 1959 and Keith was promoted to Major in January 1960. He departed the Air Defense Board, bound for Leavenworth and the regular Command and General Staff College course in July 1961.

Upon completion of Leavenworth the family again headed for California to allow Keith to attend the Army Language School at Monterey. There he learned French preparatory to assignment in December 1962 as a staff officer in the USAREUR Special Weapons Liaison Group to Headquarters LANDCENT and Headquarters AFCENT. Keith rose to be Chief of the Liaison Group and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in January 1964. He departed Fontainebleau bound for command of 6th Missile Battalion, 517th Artillery, in September 1964. The Missile Battalion was a HAWK battalion deployed in NATO Air Defense. The battalion headquarters was in Giessen, Germany, with the firing batteries widely dispersed. Despite rapid turnover and widespread inexperience of his key officers and noncommissioned officers, Keith was able to draw on his own detailed knowledge of the HAWK System and his considerable talent as a troop leader to produce a top-notch battalion. Both he and Betty were very active in United States and German community projects, Keith serving as committee chairman of the Boy Scouts, active member of the German-American Club, and as President of the Giessen Chapter of the Association of the United States Army. The pride and enthusiasm that Keith displayed when discussing the accomplishments of this battalion, clearly identify this as his favorite assignment.

In February 1966, the family moved to Fort Leavenworth where Keith was assigned to the Combat Development Command's Combat Arms Group. First as a project officer and later as Chief of the Group's Contract Support Branch, Keith supervised the planning and evaluation of all requests for scientific and technical support for the group and its six subordinate agencies. In addition, he acted as the headquarters staff officer on all matters pertaining to computer model simulations used in support of Combat Arms Group studies. In July 1968, Keith was assigned to the Office of the Chief of Research and Development, Headquarters, Department of the Army, where he served as Chief, Low Altitude Systems Branch, Air Defense and Missile Division. He was promoted to Colonel on 9 October and was retired on 22 November 1968 for physical disability. General Betts, Chief of Research and Development, Department of the Army, while awarding Keith the Legion of Merit at his retirement ceremony, mourned the loss of a man perfectly groomed for important tasks in Research and Development.

After severe illness in Walter Reed and Fitzsimons General Hospitals, Keith succumbed to cancer on 11 January 1969, the day after his arrival at William Beaumont General Hospital. He never saw the retirement home that he and Betty were building in El Paso.

Keith was a loyal friend, a devoted husband and father and a dedicated and talented soldier. All who knew him benefited from the experience. He exuded a quiet confidence and competence that brought forth the best in others and he had charm and wit that enlivened all contacts. Though he amassed no more material possessions in this world than other Army officers, Keith died a wealthy man-wealthy in character and wealthy in the esteem of his family and friends. Those of us who knew him well shall continue to miss him.