Patrick Hibbard BS ’52

Patrick Hibbard BS ’52 spoke with the Gresham (Oregon) Outlook about his experiences in the Korean War and the dioramas they inspired. He was awarded a Bronze Star, United States Presidential Unit Citation, and the Republic of Korea’s Presidential Unit Citation after an incident where he and fellow soldiers survived a mortar strike on their jeep. Hibbard, disarmed after the explosion, managed to distract the enemy combatants by throwing rocks and dirt, allowing his fellows to neutralize the threat. That harrowing experience ended up inspiring one of Hibbard’s dioramas. Hibbard, now retired, found his hobby long after he had returned from service. He started out making model airplanes and later transitioned into crafting dioramas. The meticulously detailed scenes “allowed [him] to be creative” and offered an outlet for his love of the vehicles and planes of World War II.