Mr. James V. Kimsey

Cullum: 24313


Class: '62


Cadet Company: M2


Date of Birth: September 15, 1939


Date of Death: March 1, 2016 - View or Post a Eulogy


Mr. Kimsey studied at Georgetown University on an honors scholarship before attending The United States Military Academy at West Point, where he graduated in 1962. He served three combat tours as an airborne ranger, two in Vietnam, where he commanded a company of the 82nd Airborne—the first one on the ground during 1965 combat operations in the Dominican Republic. Under heavy fire, he led his unit out of an ambush. In the second tour, he helped CIA officer William Colby (who later became the Director of Central Intelligence) implement the Phoenix Program. He also worked with Catholic nuns in Vietnam to build an orphanage, and for the next 38 years and supported the orphanage out of his own pocket. He earned various awards for service and valor.


Working with nuns to build an orphanage in Viet Nam.


He is best known as a Co-founder for America Online, Inc.

Accomplishments and awards:

 


Induction into the Ranger Hall of Fame

Jim Kimsey speaks:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMqwZ5y7a_o

Quotes:

"The very first day when you reported in to West Point they said there were only three answers you could give: "Yes sir," "No, sir," and "No excuse sir." And at the time, I think the natural inclination of an 18 year-old kid is always to explain why he didn't have his shoes shined, or why he was late for formation and of course, over time they made it very clear to you that there were no excuses. And, it took a while for me to understand the deep implication of that phrase.As leaders you don't have any excuses and you can't sort of point to other people, or external circumstances because as a leader it's your responsibility to understand external circumstances, and there are no excuses. You either take the hill, or you don't take the hill, and if you get all your people killed, then you're wrong. And, there are no excuses. There are lots of companies on the corporate American landscape that are gone because of external circumstances and the CEOs of those companies have always been able to offer excuses, but I think it's very, very important for all leaders to understand that they stand at the end of the responsibility chain and it is as Harry Truman wisely put it, "The buck stops there." It's an important concept for people to understand." - Interview with the Academemy of Achievement in 1998

“There’re only four things you can do with your money. You can give it to the government. You can spend it. You can give it to your ungrateful kids to their detriment. And my sons—I have three—all understand this. I never want to deprive them of the wonderful feeling of making it on their own. I don’t think you do your kids a favor by leaving them a lot of money, or letting them think they’re working with a net. And, so, the fourth and final thing you can do with your money is create something good with it. I think it’s incumbent on everybody with any amount of funds at all to start thinking like that.”

His son, Mark, is quoted as saying "He viewed himself as a soldier, an adventurer, a father, always looking for some new battle to fight or mountain to climb,"

 

He is survived by three sons, four grandchildren, a sister and a brother.

 

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