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MEMORIAL ARTICLE
Published Assembly May '95
John Linden Bennett NO.15447
CLASS OF 1946 Died 22 September 1952 at Sandia Base, Albuquerque,
New Mexico, aged 27 years. Interment: West Point Cemetery, West
Point, New York. |
JOHN LINDEN BENNETT was born 30 April 1925 in Missoula, Montana.
As was the case with most boys named John in that era, he was
known to his family and friends as Jack. He started high school
at Missoula County High School but, after two years, his parents
moved to Seattle, Washington. At that time, Jack won a scholarship
to Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, New Hampshire. He graduated
from Exeter in 1942 and joined the Class of 1946 at West Point
on I July 1943.
Life as a cadet presented no major problems for Jack. His
academic skills enabled him to graduate in the upper 20 percent
of his class. He made friends easily and was well respected by
his classmates. One classmate, Elmo Cunningham, remembered: "Gentleman
Jack, some of us called him because he was always so neat, self-confident
and a handsome fellow. My primary impression of him was his natural
friendliness, good fellowship and the strength of his self confidence."
Jack's write up in the 1946 Howitzer included: "His level
head and his friendly personality are indicative of great success
in his Army career." When the opportunity arose yearling
year, Jack opted to become an air cadet. At graduation, he pinned
on his pilot wings and second lieutenant bars in the Army Air
Corps.
Following graduation leave, Jack joined his multi-engine classmates
at Enid Army Air Force Base, Oklahoma for transition training
in B25s. When that was complete, Jack's first assignment was
to the 393rd Bomb Squadron, Roswell Army Air Force Base, New
Mexico. While with the 393rd, Jack had several temporary
duty assignments, to include six months of Special Weapons Training
at Sandia Base, New Mexico; the Air Tactical School; England;
and Labrador. It was during this tour that Jack married Sally
F. Bieber on 28 December 1948 at Pelham Manor, New York.
In June of 1950, Jack was selected to attend the University
of Illinois at Urbana to do graduate work in electrical engineering.
Shortly after arrival in Urbana, the Bennett's first son, Jeffrey,
was born. Jack completed work on his master's in electrical engineering
in 1952 and was assigned to Sandia Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The Bennett's second son, Scott, was born at Sandia in 1952,
Jack's job at Sandia was one he found very interesting, challenging
and in keeping with his recent studies. He was training pilots
in the loading, checkout and in-flight monitoring of nuclear
weapons in the Technical Training Group of the Special Weapons
Project.
Jack had been at Almagordo for several days when he came home
with a terrible headache and stiff neck. Sally took him to the
base hospital, where he was admitted immediately. That night
he was placed in an iron lung. He died on 22 September 1952 from
bulbar poliomyelitis. It happened so fast his classmates at Sandia
didn't even realize he was in the hospital before they got word
of his death. He was survived by his wife, Sally, two sons, Jeffrey
and Scott, his parents and his brother Robert.
There is little that can be said to rationalize the death
of such a young officer as Jack Bennett. Just starting his career,
there is no way to know the heights he might have reached. But
of one thing there is no doubt, his family lost the mainstay
of their life, the Air Force lost a most promising young officer,
and West Point lost a true son. The Class of 1946 is proud to
join the family and friends of Jack Bennett to declare, "Well
Done, Jack; Be Thou At Peace!"
'46 Memorial Article Project and his family
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