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The Mac chartered DC-7 rolled to a stop on the tarmac at Howard AFB, Panama Canal Zone, after a seemingly interminable flight from Charleston, SC. It was a blazing hot day in August 1962, and I finally arrived at my first duty station. As I started to exit the aircraft, someone shouted. At the bottom of the stairway stood <em>John Winslow "Jack" Lawrence, Jr.</em> As he had done for so many classmates during our cadet years, Jack was ready to show me the ropes.</p>
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Jack was the son of Altice (Adams) and John, Sr., and lived in the small town of Farmington, NH. Graduating from Farmington High School in 1956, Jack spent a year at the University of New Hampshire before deciding to don cadet gray. Years later, I told Jack he did not have a typical Plebe year, due to his "speck" voice that earned him a spot in the Cadet Choir and his skiing ability that allowed him to escape to the West Point ski slope. Jack’s retort was that he actually spent most of those hours teaching classmates of the "southern persuasion" how to arrive at the bottom of the hill in one piece. In all fairness, he spent hours coaching his academically challenged classmates in virtually every subject known to the Academic Board.</p>
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While Jack loved his "rockbound highland home," he took advantage of every trip involving snow. On one escape, after losing an argument with a mogul, his ski pants ripped, but modesty was served when Barbara Cullen (who later became Homecoming Queen) arrived on the scene, armed with needle and thread. Thus began the romance that led Jack and Barbara to the altar on 15 Jul 1961.</p>
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Jack selected Artillery and reported for duty in the Canal Zone. He was one of only four lieutenants in the entire active U.S. Army assigned as a platoon leader of the Remote Controlled Airborne Target (RCAT). It was linked with an apparently invincible 40-millimeter automatic weapons system, the same system reviewed during the First Class trip to Ft. Bliss.</p>
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With a manual in hand, and the help of very professional NCOs, Jack quickly learned that the M42 AW (Duster) was indeed an effective and versatile weapon and, as the rest of the Class of '61 arrived, Jack taught us the finer points of direct and indirect fire at surface targets and how to ruin the day for RCAT controllers. At other times, Jack instructed us on the finer points of jungle living.</p>
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On one occasion, he decided to teach me how to hunt for small jungle deer. Armed with a shotgun, Jack led me into the unknown. Soon we came face-to-face with a 250-lb. jaguar. One hastily aimed shot served only to affirm that this part of the jungle was his territory. We conducted a rapid retrograde movement that some might describe as flight. On another occasion, the two of us decided to sleep in a circa 1920 seacoast artillery bunker, straight from <em>The Guns of Navarone.</em></p>
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<em>During the night, we discovered a very large boa constrictor shared our quarters and, once again, we conducted a rapid retrograde maneuver. But lest anyone think our Panamanian adventure was only comedy, Jack and his platoon performed admirably during the bloody riots of January 1964.</em></p>
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<em>After Panama, Jack, Barbara, and their new daughter Stephanie reported to Ft. Sill to attend the Artillery Career Course. Aldtough J ck was a serious student, his golf game improved significantly during those eights months. At the end of the course, he received orders for Viet Nam as the S-5, 2d Brigade, 1st Infantry Division.</em></p>
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<em>During Operation Cedar Falls, the S-2 handed him a Viet Cong prisoner who allegedly knew the location of a weapons cache. Jack maneuvered a small patrol to find it and discovered a tunnel complex. Since there were no tunnel rats (tunnel clearing personnel) available, Jack went into the complex and discovered a substantial enemy weapons cache. For his action and conspicuous valor, he was awarded the Silver Star.</em></p>
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<em>After that tour, Jack reported to the University of Florida—Gainsville as an instructor in the ROTC program. Everyone agreed that Jack was an effective instructor whose golf game continued to improve and whose water skiing abilities quickly approached his downhill skiing prowess. Of much more importance was the arrival of an additional family member—son Michael.</em></p>
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<em>In November 1970, Jack was reassigned to Viet Nam to Advisory Team 91 in Binh Duong Province. On 16 Sep 1971, he received a distress call from the surviving member of a group that had been ambushed en route to a meeting at Province Headquarters. Jack assembled available personnel and led that composite unit toward the ambush site. Then, as the relief column moved to the aid of their beleaguered comrades, they too were ambushed. Jack, in the lead, was severely wounded in the initial exchange but succeeded in repulsing the initial VC assault before he fell mortally wounded. A warrior to the end, Jack’s up-front leadership style and his "do-or-die" commitment to the mission were so inspirational that his unit successfully broke out of their dire situation and rejoined friendly forces. Jack received a Silver Star posthumously for another act of conspicuous valor.</em></p>
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<em>In the years since Jack’s death, Barbara has earned advanced degrees in speech therapy and accomplished wonders working with handicapped children. Stephanie became a flight attendant for Delta Airlines and presented Barbara with her first grandchild, Hannah Grace. Michael earned a master’s degree in public administration and is now a consultant for Government Connect.</em></p>
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<em>The value of life is measured not only in years but also in the quality of service rendered. Jack was taken from his family and friends much too soon, but I cling to the idea that his loss was not without meaning. Jack understood freedom is the sure possession of only those who have the courage to defend it. His sacrifice for the ideals gave value to his life beyond measure. If a man has done his best, as Jack did, what else is there?</em></p>
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<em><em>A classmate</em></em></p>