Posted by XXXXXX on May 21, 2008:

John C. Pickering ’48 No. 16485 22 S ep 1924 – 26 Nov 1999 Died in Browns Mills, NJ Inurned in Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Arneytown, NJ Moving from the prairies of Kansas to the highlands of West Point, John Charles Pickering launched an exciting and distinguished career of service to his country. John was born on 22 Sep 1924 in Topeka, KS, the son of Ben C. Pickering and Vera Cruz Pickering. He spent his early years in the wheat-farming community of Wamego, KS, graduating in 1942 from Wamego High School as class valedictorian. John then enlisted in the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps and was stationed at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, where, in 1943, he applied for admission to the Military Academy. He was sent to the Preparatory School at Lafayette College and, fulfilling a childhood ambition, entered the Academy on 1 Jul 1944. John easily embraced the demanding life of a cadet and sought to instill high standards of discipline in cadets who followed him. Continuing to maintain his high level of academic achievement, he was a star man, graduating 14th in his class. He sang in the choir, was an academic coach of cadets, and participated in the debating society. On 8 Jun 1948, John graduated and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Air Force. After completion of flight training at Randolph Air Force Base, TX, in December 1949, he joined the 19th Bomb Group on Guam as a B-29 pilot. On 25 Jun 1950, the routine on Guam suddenly changed when the United States was thrust into the war in Korea. John deployed immediately with the advance element of the Group to Kadena Air Base on Okinawa. On 30 June, within a week of the start of the war, he participated in the group’s first combat mission. After flying 12 missions over Korea, the last four as aircraft commander, he was called back to Guam as the administrative assistant to the 19th Bomb Wing commander. In July 1951, after completing his year and a half tour in the Far East, he extended and was assigned to another combat flying assignment as a forward air controller with the 6145th Tactical Control Group at Pyongtaek Air Base in Korea. He flew unarmed, propeller-driven AT-6 aircraft, equipped with rockets containing white phosphorous under each wing. His mission was to locate and mark targets with smoke so a faster jet aircraft could identify them for attack. These missions were flown at very low altitude and over areas of active ground combat; hence, as John later observed, the planes frequently were “holed” on these flights. In November 1951, John was assigned to Griffiss AFB, NY, again flying B-29s. In 1954, he earned his master’s degree with distinction from the Harvard Business School. While at Harvard, he married his first wife, Natalie (a marriage that subsequently ended in divorce). He was then transferred to the Pentagon in the Officer Assignment Division of the Air force, a position he held until 1957. During this time, his daughter Jennifer was born in 1954, and his son Michael was born in 1956. Following this three-year Pentagon assignment, John completed helicopter pilot training, graduating first in his class, and was assigned as test pilot and Air Force representative at Sikorsky Aircraft Company in Stratford, CT. In 1959, he was transferred to Clark AFB in the Philippine Islands and assigned to the 31st Air Rescue Squadron as an air rescue helicopter pilot. In 1961, he became detachment commander of the 33rd Air Rescue Squadron. These rescue missions included many air evacuations from remote locations, far from civilization. One of John’s prized possessions from this assignment is a plaque he received from the Philippine Airline after assisting passengers on a Philippine Airline plane that crashed. It states that he “flew over unexplored Mangyan territory on the island of Mindoro at the risk of life and limb” and that he “is hereby inducted through blood contract into the Wasig Tribe of Mindoro in gratitude of rescue operations in December, 1960.” In 1962, John began aircraft procurement duty with the Military Airlift Command at Scott AFB, IL. After a year and a half, he transferred to the Twenty-first Air Force at McGuire AFB, NJ, to serve as chief of the Contract Airlift Division and later as director of Procurement. John observed he obligated taxpayer money while with the Military Airlift Command and later administrated the same contracts while with the Twenty-first Air Force. There, he skillfully dealt with a variety of airlines transporting military passengers and cargo to destinations all over the world. His tour at McGuire was brightened by his marriage in November of 1966 to Veronica “Vonnie” Bradley of Lawrenceville, NJ. In 1969, after 26 years service to his country, John retired from the Air Force. His awards and decorations included Command Pilot wings, the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with oak leaf clusters, Presidential Unit Citation with cluster, and the Korean Service Medal with three campaign stars. Following John’s retirement, he and Veronica settled in Bordentown, NJ. In 1970, he entered Rider College to pursue a career in accounting. A year later, he graduated Summa Cum Laude and became a staff accountant and auditor with Groendyke and Company of Lawrence, NJ. In 1989, the Pickerings moved to Lawrenceville, and, in 1990, John retired from his full- time position. Both John and Veronica were active in senior activities in Lawrence. They also enjoyed extensive travel in the Far East, Europe, Middle East, and Egypt. John died on 26 Nov 1999 in Browns Mills, NJ, from complications following heart surgery. He is inurned in the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Arneytown, NJ. Throughout his distinguished career he was guided by the principles of West Point; he served his country with honor, dedication, and integrity. His legacy is strong and enduring, and he leaves many treasured memories with his family, friends, and professional colleagues. John is survived by his wife, two children, and two granddaughters. —Les Carter ’48, assisted by Veronica Pickering

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