PETERSBURG, Va. — Retired Lieutenant Colonel Jona McKee, a decorated veteran who served in three wars and dedicated decades to Virginia State University, died last week at the age of 97.
Family, friends, Virginia State University and the U.S. Army will pay their respects to McKee at a service on Saturday.
"He was bigger than life," said Rev. Bob Diggs, a longtime friend of McKee. "Just a giant of a man."
Colonel Cortez Dial (Ret.), another friend of McKee, praised his exceptional leadership qualities.
"His innovation and looking inside of people and bringing the best out of them," Dial said.
McKee belonged to what many call "The Greatest Generation" and was among only 170,000 Americans who served in three wars: World War II, Korea and Vietnam.
Watch: 94-year-old Virginia veteran served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam
"He's always been a leader of young people. He's always been a life-long learner and a life-long teacher. Guidance is what he's best at," Dial said.
In an interview at the Virginia War Memorial during a Vietnam War Remembrance, McKee reflected on the bond between veterans.
"I'd like to think we have a bond that can't be broken. And when we see each other, we see men of honor, men of courage, and men that wanted to serve this great country. And this is one of the greatest countries in the world," McKee said.
"To live the Army values of integrity and honor and courage. Those are the things that describe Jona McKee," Dial said.
McKee's impact extended far beyond his military service. He spent several decades associated with Virginia State College, now Virginia State University, where he earned both his undergraduate and master's degrees.
"Both he and his brother played football together," Diggs said.
After his education, McKee returned to serve as the Professor of Military Science at VSU. He helped raise more than $1 million for various school programs and founded both the VSU Hall of Fame and the VSU Athletic Boosters.
"He was its president until he turned it over to Ellis Hargress after 47 years. It's only had two presidents in its entire history," Dial said.
McKee was also deeply involved with his church throughout his life.
"He was a very spiritual individual, way beyond religion," Diggs said.
For these lifelong friends of Jona McKee, his legacy lives on through his impact on others.
"What we cherish is the little bit of him that he imparted in all of us," Dial said.
Both Diggs and Dial say they continue to keep McKee's memory alive by upholding his values and vision, and by continuing to mentor young people as he did throughout his life.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
