Posted by Terry Powers on January 13, 2023:

JOHN G. ALBERT 1949 Cullum No. 16945-1949 | February 3, 2017 | Died in Washington, DC Cremated. Interred in Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Amherst, VA John George 'Jack' Albert was born on July 8, 1923 in Dansville, NY. The beloved only child of George Frank and Clara Coultry Albert, he grew up surrounded by first cousins with whom he remained exceptionally close throughout his life. Jack graduated from Dansville High School and studied at Cornell University until World War II when he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. The Army assigned him to Hamilton College, where he studied meteorology, preparing him to serve as a weather observer/forecaster at Walnut Ridge and Little Rock, AR. In 1945 he entered West Point, where he attained the rank of cadet captain and became a battalion commander. Upon graduation from West Point, Jack was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Air Force. His first duty assignment after graduation from the Academy was at the Air Tactical School, Tyndall Air Force Base, FL. His next assignment was at Holloman Air Force Base, NM, where he began a career in guided missiles that subsequently led to his major role in this nation's space activities. At Holloman, he was project officer for the X-7 Ramjet Test Vehicle, which tested large diameter ramjet engines up to altitudes of 80,000 feet at a speed of Mach 3. He received a master's in aeronautical engineering from the University of Michigan in June 1953. He was next assigned to the Air Force Missile Test Center, Patrick Air Force Base, FL, where the long range missile testing capability was being established. In June 1954 Jack returned to West Point, where he served for three years as an instructor and assistant professor for guided missiles and atomic weapons. His next assignment was to the Air Force Ballistic Missile Division of the Air Research and Development Command in Los Angeles, CA, where he served successively as project officer for the operational propellant loading system of the Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile, officer responsible for development of an operational communications satellite capability, and finally as director for the Ranger and Mariner launch vehicles. The Ranger program made a significant contribution to this nation's unmanned lunar exploration effort, and the Mariner was this nation's first interplanetary endeavor, which resulted in valuable information pertaining to the planet Venus. In July 1963, Jack was assigned to the 6555th Aerospace Test Wing, Cape Kennedy, FL, where he was chief of the Gemini Launch Division and launch director for all 12 of the Gemini launches that successfully launched 20 astronauts into space. Following completion of the Gemini program, he attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort McNair, Washington, DC, and simultaneously attended George Washington University, earning a master's in business administration. In August 1968, Jack was assigned to Headquarters, U.S. Air Force in the Directorate of Space, where he served successively as Chief, Program Development Division and Chief, Policy and Plans Group until August 1970, when he was named the Director of Space. He held this position until July 1972, when he was assigned to the Space and Missile Systems Organization of the Air Force Systems Command at Los Angeles as the Deputy for Space Defense Systems. In July 1974, Jack was selected to serve as the second commandant of the Defense Systems Management College at Fort Belvoir, VA. He then became vice commander, Air Force Acquisition Logistics Division, where he was subsequently promoted to the rank of lieutenant general and assumed command in February 1978. He retired in 1981. His decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Force Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Exceptional Service Medal. He also wore the Master Missileman Badge. In 1949, after marching in Truman's inauguration parade in Washington, DC, Jack met and married the love of his life, Jean Lee Love, from Burlington, NC. Together they had 10 children. The family has grown over time to now include 4 daughters-in-law, 3 sons-in-law, 16 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren. Upon retirement from the Air Force, Jack and Jean established Albert Farm in Amherst County, VA, where they enjoyed a life rich with the love of family and friends. Together, they enjoyed raising Angus beef cattle, horseback riding, and tennis. Each summer they celebrated family reunions at Sandy Point, VA, where they enjoyed swimming, water-skiing, sailing, eating blue crabs, and celebrating the 4th of July with a neighborhood parade. They also enjoyed traveling, their favorite trips being the ones they took with family and those associated with mini-reunions of the West Point Class of 1949. Jack was known for his endearing smile, quick wit, spirit of friendship, and his willingness to actively participate and contribute in whatever activity was underway. Jack leaves an incredible legacy in Air Force space, in Defense Acquisition, in the community of Amherst County, VA, in the Catholic parish of Saint Francis of Assisi that he helped found in Amherst, VA, and, most important, in the hearts and minds of his children and grandchildren to whom he will always be a hero.

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