More detail on this person: Jack died of stroke and complications from agent orange exposure. Jack was from Hamilton, Montana graduating from Hamilton High School in 1961. He attended Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana where he was a member of the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity. Jack completed the Warrant Officer program in 1967 (Class 67-7) and was assigned to the 57th Assault Helicopter Company at Ft. Bragg N.C. After deploying to RVN in October of 1967 Jack was reassigned to the 170th AHC Camp Holloway at Pleiku. Jack's call sign was Bikini 24. After his military service, Jack returned to Montana State and completed his degree while serving in the Montana National Guard. After receiving his degree Jack was hired by Hoffman Construction Company, Portland, Oregon in 1974 as a corporate helicopter pilot. At the time HCC was one of the largest commercial construction companies in the Pacific Northwest. During this period HCC was expanding its work base geographically and needed a faster way to keep upper management in touch with various jobs scattered throughout the Northwest. HCC purchased a Bell Jet Ranger Helicopter and hired Jack as the pilot. In addition to flying the Jet Ranger, Jack assumed other duties within the company. He was involved with the startup and management of HCC's in-house iron fabrication shop in the Portland area. This facility fabricated many of the iron pieces needed on the HCC projects during 1970 through 1980. Later, Jack transitioned into a new job, helping to expedite various materials being manufactured to meet critical project completion schedules across HCC's broad scope of work. Projects could be built only as fast as the materials got to the jobsite. Jack traveled throughout North America and Europe visiting manufacturers of stone quarries, glass factories, mechanical equipment suppliers etc. As an expeditor, Jack had no equal. He was HCC's ears and eyes wherever in the world he had to go. More than one material supplier was shocked to see a guy walk in from somewhere on the other side of the country or world and know just as much about the product as they did. Knowledge of product and good people skills put Jack above the rest. Jack retired from Hoffman Construction Company in 2006 becoming an avid golfer, dividing his time between homes that he designed and built in Washington and Arizona. Jack is survived by his two sisters, Linda and Brenda, retired RN's, who were at his bedside for several days before his death. Jack is also survived by two brothers in law, several nieces, nephews, and grand nieces and nephews. You folks may remember Jack? Jack and I grew up in adjacent Montana towns, attended college together and met by chance at Ft. Wolters. We rented a house in Fayetteville while with the 57th,. After arriving in RVN, Jack was reassigned to the 170th AHC. Jack picked up Dean Smith, and crew, after Dean's engine failure between Kon Tum and Dak To. John Tiball was with the 57th early on and deployed with them to Vietnam in 1967. Upon arrival however he was transfered to the 170th. I received the following from Steve Sullivan. Steve states he died in November of last year but it was actually on December 8th. Steve wrote: "After RVN Jack returned to school and received his degree in Architecture. He had a successful career as a project manager for a large international engineering firm in Portland. Jack had homes in Kalama, Washington and the Phoenix area. In recent years his health was failing and I am sad to just learn that Jack died in November 2024. Keep your rotor in the green Jack,"
This information was last updated 04/16/2025
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Date posted on this site: 10/13/2025
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