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James Howard Kyker grew up in
Johnson City, TN. He was very active in Boy Scouts, attaining Eagle Scout, and
excelled on the tennis and basketball courts in high school. Before attending
West Point, Jim attended East Tennessee State and played two years of varsity
tennis, playing #2 singles on a very strong team. He then accepted an
appointment to West Point, Class of ’54. Jim finished in the top third of his
class academically and played varsity tennis and squash. What most classmates
remember about Jim was his wonderful sense of humor; according to his family, he
never missed an opportunity to tell a joke, no matter how bad it was!
Upon graduation, Jim transferred to the Air Force
and attended pilot training. He finished near the top of his UPT class, and
chose cargo aircraft, explaining later he wanted to fly around the world and
wanted a multi-engine aircraft to travel in. While stationed at Travis AFB, CA,
he met his future wife, Martha Lee Crook. They were married in June 1957 and
transferred soon after to Hickam AFB, HI. One can imagine, being in Hawaii in
1957-61 was fantastic. Then they transferred to Warner Robins AFB, GA. Jim was
flying C-124s at the time. He was still excelling on the tennis courts, winning
tournaments for the Air Force, playing on their world-wide team, and competing
in all service tournaments. He also was winning local city and state tournaments
and always obtaining a high state ranking. Jim’s wife Marty was originally from
Alabama (her dad was an Army Air Corps, then Air Force colonel) so some of the
summer vacations were beach trips to Gulf Shores, AL. Other times it was Myrtle
Beach, SC.
From Warner Robins, Jim attended Squadron Officer
School at Maxwell AFB, AL and then was asked to extend to be an instructor. This
assignment would help Jim decide what he wanted to pursue after his military
retirement. The Air Force sent Jim and his family to Oklahoma State for his
master’s degree (Industrial Management and Engineering).
When Jim received orders to go to Vietnam, he
moved the family to Montgomery, as Marty’s parents had retired there. Jim flew
147 combat missions in the deHavilland C-7 Caribou during 1969-70 and was
awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses. Next the family moved to Wright
Patterson AFB, OH where Jim worked for the Air Force Logistics Command. The
family really enjoyed their time in Ohio. Son Rob started playing tennis
seriously and daughter Kathryn became an active horseback rider.
In 1973, the Kykers moved to Warner Robins, GA
with Air Force Logistics Command and Jim was promoted below the zone to colonel.
His last job was as deputy base commander. In 1976, the Air Force wanted to send
the family to Japan. After 22 years and 20 moves; Jim put his family first and
retired. Because there were more colleges in Montgomery and the surrounding
area, the Kykers moved there, and Jim taught management classes for Troy State
for about three years. Then he accepted a job as the civilian advisor to the Air
War College at Maxwell AFB, AL. Jim enjoyed being back with the military and
served in this capacity for two or three years. Then he took another
teaching job for Auburn University-Montgomery. Both of Jim’s children, Rob and
Kathryn, were off at college, so during this time Jim and Marty traveled
primarily in the Southeast, taking many beach trips, often with relatives, to
Gulf Shores, AL. During this time, Jim continued playing tennis, winning many
state and city tournaments, usually ranked in the top five in singles and
doubles in the end-of-year state rankings. In fact, he and his son Rob won the
1985 Alabama State Closed in the Father and Son category and were ranked tops in
the state at the end of the year.
In 1986, Jim and Marty made many trips to Athens,
GA, as their daughter married and started raising a family. Jim commissioned his
son Rob as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1986 to begin his Air Force career. Jim always
made it back once or twice a year to his hometown, Johnson City, TN to visit his
parents and other relatives. Jim was active with the West Point Society as he
attended many conferences/meetings in Birmingham, AL. In the mid nineties, Jim
had to give up tennis because of a bad knee, but he said that 60 years of tennis
was a pretty good run.
Jim and Marty were active with their Episcopal
church all those years in Montgomery, and they enjoyed their life in Montgomery.
Marty’s parents also retired in Montgomery, and now Jim and Marty had
grandchildren in Georgia close by and a grandson in Colorado, where their son
Rob lived. Living in the South, Jim naturally became a big college football fan.
Since he was from Tennessee, he was still a Vol fan. He had fun “playing on
both” the Alabama and Auburn fans. One of our favorite family memories was an
Alaska cruise in July 2005, where everyone had a wonderful time on the ship and
the excursions.
Jim and Marty attended the Class of ’54 reunion in
2004, having a wonderful time. Jim was not diagnosed with pancreatic cancer
until this past July; the doctors said he probably had two months, as he was in
stage four. Jim accepted the news and felt that he had lived a good life. I can
vouch that he was almost always happy, jovial, fun-loving. And God’s blessing:
there was no pain at all those last two months.
—Very Respectfully, Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.)
Rob Kyker |
