More detail on this person: John Franklin Simpson passed away quietly at his home in Boca Raton, FL on August 16, 2017. John was born March 7,1937 in Newark,OH. John served twelve-years in the U.S. Navy as an electronics instructor and as a P2V (submarine searching aircraft) flight crew member. John was a member of the Navy's Operation Deep Freeze (stationed with his brother Jim) in New Zealand and the Antarctic. John transferred to the Army in 1967 as an avionics and communications specialist. He attended the Special Forces Qualification Course and Army Airborne School. He served as a Green Beret with the 46th Special Forces in Thailand. That experience resulted in John's first book "Operation Minerva". John requested to go to Helicopter Flight School and in 1970 graduated at the top of his class. He was given his choice of advanced aircraft qualification. His choice was AHI-G Cobra school. Upon graduating from Cobra school, he received orders for RVN. Following Vietnam, John was stationed in Nuremburg, Germany with Air Cav Troop, 2nd Armored Calvary Regiment, where he served as a border patrol pilot, AH 1- G Maintenance Test Pilot, and Company Training Officer. After returning stateside and following retirement, he went to work for Bell Helicopter in Isfahan, Iran as a Cobra Instructor and AHI-G Maintenance Test Pilot. In 1979, he narrowly escaped Iran following the fall of Shah Mohammad Reva Pa h l av is regime, hence his book "Ten Months in Iran". Following John's second retirement, He worked as a technical writer, publications consultant as well as an engineer. John wrote over 300 technical manuals as well as the books previously mentioned. John is survived by his second wife and best friend, JoAnn of 37 years.
This information was last updated 11/16/2017
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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
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