COL (Ret.) John Peter “Jack” Fanning, hails from Cornwall, NY. He was commissioned a second lieutenant of Artillery upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1960 and commanded two artillery batteries, one in the continental United States and another in Thule, Greenland. In addition, he served with the Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and enjoyed a tour with the Department of Tactics at the United States Military Academy. While at the Academy, Jack, as part of Plebe Orientation, put a mule on an elevator to take it to another floor. The people waiting for them wondered who would get off the elevator first, Jack or the mule.
In Vietnam, Jack was a district senior advisor and a provincial S-3 (plans and operations officer). Returning to the United States and Ft. Bliss, TX, he served as the executive officer of the 5th Battalion, 59th Artillery. He later was assigned as secretary of the general staff and then deputy chief of staff, U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery Center at Ft. Bliss. Jack was an avid golfer and played in the Pink Golf Tournament at Ft. Bliss. He wore all pink clothing, and his wife Edith even made a pink cover for his golf bag and painted everything else pink— his shoes, clubs and golf balls.
Following an unaccompanied tour in the Republic of Korea as Inspector General, 38th Air Defense Brigade, Jack returned to Ft. Bliss to command the 4th Battalion (Chaparral/Vulcan) (Self Propelled), 1st Air Defense Artillery. His battalion command tour over, Jack moved to New York City to head the Long Island District Recruiting Command and followed this two-year assignment with three years at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, as the director of personnel and community activities. Returning once again to Ft. Bliss, Jack served as the director, PATRIOT Department, U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery School, and in July 1987 became the deputy assistant commandant of the school. Jack retired from active service on Nov 30, 1988.
A 1970 graduate of the Command & General Staff College, some of the awards and decorations Jack has received include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, three Meritorious Service Medals, and the Air Medal. In addition, he earned the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Parachutist Badge. Following retirement, Jack became the logistics operations manager, El Paso Area Missile and Air Defense Systems, for the Raytheon Company. Jack retired from Raytheon in January, 2001.
He is married to the former Edith Geysen. They have one child, Jacqui.