KLINGENHAGEN JOHN L

MG John "Jack" L Klingenhagen was a VHPA member who died after his tour in Vietnam on 07/24/2002 at the age of 80.2
Falls Church, VA
Flight Class 52
Date of Birth 05/02/1922
Served in the U.S. Army
Served in Vietnam with USARVSUPCMD in 62-63, 15 CAG in 64-65
This information was provided by Don Joyce

More detail on this person: JOHN KLINGENHAGEN COMMANDED ARMY FACILITY HERE Maj. Gen. John "Jack" Klingenhagen, a St. Louis native who fought in three wars, earned more than 40 medals and once was the Army's youngest general, died June 24, 2002, of infirmities at a nursing home in Arlington, Va. He was 80. He was commanding general for the Army Aviation Systems Command in St. Louis from 1969 to 1971. Gen. Klingenhagen, born in St. Louis in 1922, began his military career at 17 by joining the Missouri National Guard. During World War II, he fought as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division, including the Battle of the Bulge. During the Korean War, he commanded the 2nd Battalion of the 23rd Infantry Regiment during one of the fiercest attacks on "Old Baldy" mountain. He served in Vietnam from 1963 to 1965, flying in 900 helicopter combat missions and was shot down five times. Nicknamed "Jumpin' Jack," he was a master paratrooper and master aviator. Gen. Klingenhagen received more than 40 decorations and citations for bravery, including the Distinguished Service Medal, two Legion of Merit awards, three Purple Hearts, three Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Silver Stars, three Bronze Stars, the Croix de Guerre, two Soldier's Medals and the Air Medal. In 1966, he became the youngest general in the Army at age 44. Two y ears later, he became the youngest major general in the armed forces. For religious contributions in the armed forces, he received the Cardinal Cooke Medal and the Outstanding Army Civilian Services Medal. He regularly flew food and supplies into a leper colony run by the Daughters of Charity in Vietnam. He attended St. Louis University and graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor's degree. He earned a master's degree from George Washington University and graduated from an advanced management program at Harvard University. After retirement, he worked for the Department of Commerce and Boeing Co. He was active in veterans and charitable organizations. In his later years, he returned to Belleville to be near his mother, Ida (Petri) Klingenhagen, who died at age 102. He married Isobel Autry in 1949; she died in 1999. On Aug. 6, a funeral Mass will be celebrated at the Old Post Chapel in Fort Meyer, Va., with burial at Arlington National Cemetery. Among the survivors are a son, Jay Klingenhagen of Arlington, Va.; two daughters, Karen German of Virginia Beach, Va., and Janice Gores of Atlanta; a sister, LaVerne Francisco of St. Louis; and four grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Visitation Academy, 3020 North Ballas Road, St. Louis, Mo. 63131.

Burial information: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA

This information was last updated 02/03/2019

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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024


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