In
Memory of U.S. Marines Lance Corporal
John Francis “Jay” Bibby was born in Brookings, South
Dakota, on July 26, 1948, to John and Jean (Starksen) Bibby.
His father was a state representative. John was always known
as “Jay” to friends and family because his mother didn’t
want two Johns in the house, and she didn’t want to call him
Junior “lest he develop an inferiority complex.” He had
three siblings: Steven, Nathan, and Mary Jo. Jay graduated
from Brookings High School in 1966. He enjoyed riding in the
car, skiing, and hunting. He loved the outdoors, and he had
talked of becoming a game warden, but he didn’t like school,
so his grades weren’t good. He was a good mechanic too. He
suffered from asthma throughout his life and it got worse
around age 11 to the point he needed an oxygen tank for when
he couldn’t catch his breath.
John’s brother, Steve, told us about how John entered the
service: “It’s ironic that he was turned down by the Marine
Corps in Sioux Falls when he told them of his past health.
He was determined to enlist so he went to Denver where he
didn’t divulge the asthma. They overlooked his questionable
eyesight and the rest is history albeit short.” He entered
the service on October 6, 1966, at Denver, Colorado. After
basic training he was trained in the Corps to repair and
maintain large amphibious tracked vehicles. He was sent
overseas on September 25, 1967. Jay was assigned to Company
B, 1st Amphibian Tractor Battalion, 3rd Marine Division
(Rein). He wrote home quite a bit and called occasionally.
He always asked for socks and “clean, dry socks were a
luxury,” according to Steve, who even now wonders why there
weren’t enough socks for the men. The following is a quote
from his last letter home written a few hours before he
was killed:
My next letter should be addressed
Cpl. John Bibby if all goes right. I’ve been put in
charge of all the amtracs in 4th Plt. The job entails
being in charge of four L/Cpl’s and the running
(mechanical, engine, hydraulic system, suspension
system, electrical system) of 11, $120,000 amtracs. Not
bad for a 19-year-old who couldn’t even overhaul his own
car 2 years ago. Warrant Officer Meyers, our plt.
Commander, gave me the job about a week ago relieving a
senior cpl.
We are still playing infantry and when
the 4th goes to the field in the amtrac myself and one
of my men have to go to insure the vehicles’ proper
function. I double as a machine gunner in the field with
the fourth and a fire team leader with our plt. when we
grunt (infantry) it.…
He ended his letter with these words, “We had a Senate
investigation a while back over some remark a guy wrote
home. For heaven’s sake, no matter what I write, keep it to
yourselves. Must close. Have guard tonight. Love, Jay.”
U.S. Marine Lance Corporal John Francis “Jay” Bibby died
of “small arms fire in action against hostile forces near
Quang Tri Province in Vietnam” on February 5, 1968. His
sister, Mary Jo, remembers when she heard about Jay’s death.
“I was sitting in music class when there was a knock at the
door and my dad was standing there. He told me to get my
stuff. He told me there in the hallway that Jay had been
killed. My life would never be the same. Our family’s pain
would never go away. He was so young.”
The following are lines from John’s commanding officer
telling his family exactly what happened to him:
On 4 February 1968 two platoons from
this company were on an operation
with Lima Company, Third Battalion, First Marines.
During the operation
defensive positions were set up in the vicinity of the
hamlet of Mai Xa Thi
about four thousand meters from Camp Kistler. As part of
the defensive
perimeter, Jay plus three other Marines were assigned
duties as a listening
post and were emplaced about sixty yards in front of the
lines to detect enemy movement. During the night the
enemy conducted a limited attack on the perimeter and
Jay and another Marine were killed in the ensuing fire
fight. Jay was hit by small arms fire in the left side
of the chest, near the heart, and died instantly.
His body was returned to the United States and buried
with military honors at Greenwood cemetery in Brookings.
Today, only Jay’s siblings survive him. Steve told us, “37
years have elapsed since February, 1968. For the first 15 or
so years, I thought of him daily, then weekly, now monthly.”
He went on to tell us that in losing his brother and close
friend, the “wound was deep and not healing” but he has
managed to live a fairly normal life although, “the trauma
of Jay’s death will always be with me.”
Curt Knutson, a friend of Jay’s, posted the following
remembrance at www.vvmf.org:
Jay! Jay! Jay! It’s been over thirty
years since we got the horrible news you had been
killed. I’ll never forget the look on my mother’s face
when she told me. I was home on leave and getting ready
to go to ‘Nam myself…. I survived Jay. I always felt
guilty about that, but I have learned to deal with it….
I will never forget seeing you in
Brookings in 67 just before you went over. It seems such
a waste considering you wouldn’t have had to go at all.
I miss you Jay, and think of you more often than you
could imagine…. I miss you Jay and will never forget you
Jay’s brother, Nathan, said in closing, “Jay always
fought for the underdog. He didn’t care about the cause as
much as he cared about standing up for others. He wanted to
help others live without fear.”
This entry was respectfully submitted by Brett Herman,
Lisa Krogstad, and Brendon Waterson, 8th grade students,
Spearfish Middle School, February 11, 2006. Information for
this entry was provided by the Vietnam Veterans Bonus
Application, www.vvmf.org,
the Brookings Register 2/07/68 issue, and the Bibby family
via Mary Jo and Steve Bibby. Profile approval by Mary Jo
Bibby.
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