<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
</head>
<body>
<p><em>David Canning Jennings</em> was born on Christmas Day 1953 in Buffalo, NY to Douglas and Dorothy Jennings. He attended Iroquois Central High School in Buffalo, where he excelled at swimming and lacrosse, enjoyed singing in the church choir, and became a lifelong fan of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. </p>
<p>After high school graduation, David enlisted in the Army and went to Fort Dix, NJ for boot camp. He was then assigned to Homestead AFB, FL, where his potential as an officer was noticed by his unit leadership. David obtained a USMA nomination from Congressman Jack Kemp and went to the United States Military Academy Preparatory School in 1973. He studied hard and honed his lacrosse skills to make the USMA team. West Point classmate Kevin Jackson said: “Dave was in my squad at basic training and in Bravo Company at the Prep School. He was the most relaxed and positive friend with a laid-back attitude. His infectious smile was welcome on days when we were gritting our teeth at the Prep School and at West Point. We lost Dave way too early.” </p>
<p> In July 1974, David entered USMA as a member of the Class of 1978, “Proud and Great.” His first two years were spent in Cadet Company E-2 and his last two years in E-3. E-2 roommate Mark McGruder said: “Dave was my roommate one semester at West Point. He livened up the room, especially when he would bounce a lacrosse ball off the wall next to my head when I was trying to study.” Classmate Andy Tedesco said: “I played junior varsity lacrosse with Dave plebe year. Great guy! I came from upstate New York and played with a traditional native American wooden stick. Dave had a couple of new plastic sticks. I bought one off him and I was forever grateful. Using Dave’s stick, I won a West Point brigade championship cow year, scoring three goals in the final!” Another E-2 classmate, Dennis Mansfield, commented: “Dave was a tremendous part of E-2. He was always calm, cool and collected. Having been a ‘prepster,’ he knew how ‘strack’ things had to be. He helped us all become more professional. His handsome looks and his winning ways always made him the ‘beau ideal’ of West Point cadets. A great athlete and a solid student, Dave was also a fun guy!” </p>
<p>While attending West Point, David was not only a competitive, hard-working lacrosse player but also a singer. He had a wonderful voice and sang in the Cadet Chapel Choir, Cadet Glee Club and Mixed Chorus. </p>
<p>On branch selection night, David chose Armor and, after graduation, attended AOBC at Fort Knox, KY. From 1978 to 1980 he served with the 4th Squadron, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 5th Infantry Division at Fort Polk, LA as a platoon leader. </p>
<p>David decided to be a part of Army Aviation and attended flight school in 1980–81 at Fort Rucker, AL. He qualified to fly the new AH-64 Apache helicopter and was the distinguished graduate of his class.</p>
<p>David was then assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, KY from 1981 to 1985. During his tour he served as a flight platoon leader and the unit’s S-3. After Fort Campbell, David went back to Fort Rucker as the flight school’s chief of operations branch and then chief of aviation division. In 1987 he transferred to the 2nd Battalion, 229th Aviation Regiment and served as the unit’s S-3 and commander, Company C. </p>
<p>In 1989 David was assigned to U.S. Army Europe Headquarters in Heidelberg, West Germany. He served as a strategist in DCSOPS during a changing global environment in which the Berlin Wall fell and Europe was in a state of political and military flux. David’s supervisor, Colonel Tom McGuire, commented: “David Jennings was a family man, veteran and could light up the room with his optimism and outgoing personality. David was a strategist and deep thinker, always brainstorming to identify the needs for the future battlefield. He was a team player, and it was my honor to have worked with him. May his memory be a blessing to all.” </p>
<p>In 1992 David became S-3 of the 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment in central Germany, where he continued searching for the enemy along NATO’s evolving border. David completed his final assignment with the 18th Aviation Brigade at Fort Bragg, NC and retired as a major in 1995 in Durham, NC. </p>
<p>David and his family later moved to California, where he earned a master’s degree from the University of Southern California. David enjoyed thrill-seeking activities like driving a stock car at high speeds on a NASCAR racetrack and diving with the rays in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. </p>
<p>David loved playing with his four grandkids, making doughnut runs, having weekend breakfasts, being a guest at a tea party and letting his granddaughters practice making ponytails in his hair.</p>
<p>David and Anne were avid travelers, visiting scores of countries on five continents. He loved finding the perfect spot on beaches around the world to bask in the sun, smell the ocean air and take walks with Anne.</p>
<p><em>— William Fox and Classmates</em></p>
</body>
</html>