BY NICK BOWMAN
AUBURN UNIVERSITY
AUBURN — The Major Alex Klinner Memorial Endowed Scholarship in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering has been established to honor the life and legacy of Maj. Alex Klinner, a class of 2016 mechanical engineering graduate.
Klinner was a devoted husband, father and officer in the U.S. Air Force. The graduate of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering was killed along with five other crew members on March 12, 2026, during Operation Epic Fury when a U.S. military KC-135 refueling aircraft he was aboard crashed in Iraq.
Klinner was born and raised in Auburn, and his parents, Johnny and Mary Ellen Klinner, still live in the community. His wife, Libby Klinner, and their three children reside in the Birmingham area, where he was stationed at the time of his death.
His wife and parents described a joyful man who was eager to serve others, both in his home as a husband and father and in the Air Force as a leader, pilot and instructor.
“He was the type of person who would do anything for other people — that made him a great partner and a great parent. He was really hardworking, and he applied that in every area of his life, including being a dad,” Libby Klinner said.
Alex Klinner’s parents similarly described him as eager to make others laugh and always thinking of others before himself.
“He was a good kid and a fantastic father. We couldn’t have asked for anything more,” Johnny Klinner said. “He was a strong Christian. A hard worker. He never gave up — he was very driven. He liked everybody and he wanted to help everybody.”
His death has had a deep effect on the Auburn community, especially among the veterans on campus and members of the Auburn engineering family.
John Prunkl, a class of 1990 mechanical engineering graduate, found himself repeatedly returning to his fellow alumnus’ history: Alex Klinner’s time in mechanical engineering, his service to his country, his surviving family members and stories of a bright, talented pilot who served others before himself.
“Maj. Klinner by all accounts was a remarkable young man. Dedicated to family. Committed to service of others and country,” Prunkl said. “Embodied a spirit that was curious and was not afraid.”
Prunkl and his fellow members of the Mechanical Engineering Advisory Board were so moved by Alex Klinner’s life story and passing that they felt called to establish the Major Alex Klinner Memorial Endowed Scholarship in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering.
“He worked hard to become an Auburn mechanical engineer, followed his dreams of being a U.S. Air Force pilot and was a third-generation Auburn graduate we can all be proud of and should never forget,” Prunkl said. “The Maj. Alex Klinner Scholarship will keep his spirit alive and inspire future generations for years to come.”
The Auburn family is invited to support the scholarship so that the college and its community of alumni can best honor Alex Klinner’s sacrifice and legacy.
“The Auburn Creed states, ‘I believe in my Country, because it is a land of freedom and because it is my own home, and that I can best serve that country by “doing justly, loving mercy and walking humbly with my God,’” said Mario Eden, dean of engineering. “Maj. Alex Klinner was the personification of that line of the Creed, and his legacy will live on forever here at Auburn.”
The scholarship will be awarded beginning in 2027 to a mechanical engineering student who is also serving as a cadet in Auburn Air Force ROTC. As an endowed scholarship, it will be awarded in perpetuity, ensuring that Alex’s legacy forever remains a part of Auburn Engineering and the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Mary Ellen Klinner gave simple advice to future beneficiaries of the scholarship, following her son’s example.
“Persevere. Work hard. Don’t quit,” Mary Ellen Klinner said.
Libby Klinner said her husband will serve as an excellent example for future engineers and cadets who receive the scholarship in his memory.
“He was the type of role model who I really wanted my kids to grow up watching, because I wanted them to be that type of partner for somebody else,” Libby Klinner said. “The type of person who always puts others first.”
