John F. Forrest
Encyclopedia
John Franklin "Jack" Forrest (June 20, 1927-May 27, 1997) was a 1949 graduate of the United States Military Academy
and a career U.S. Army officer and combat commander during the Korean War
and Vietnam War
era.
, the second son of Robert E. and Gertrude Klug Forrest. One of his ancestors was Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest
. His father was severely injured as a United States Army Air Service
pilot
in World War I
, and his brother Robert fought in the Battle of the Bulge
in World War II
and survived capture by the Germans
.
Forrest left Mexia when he was a young boy. The oil business led his father to move the family to Houston, Texas
; Saginaw, Michigan
; and Olney, Illinois
. At Olney High School, he was a scholar and an athlete, joining the National Honor Society
and playing varsity
basketball
and football
. A swimmer, he worked summers as a lifeguard
. Forrest was president of his senior class and the debate club, and voted "most popular."
, Joe Toomey, Murray Williams, Collier Ross, and Jim Scholtz. In his Third Class year, at the "Hop" dance party, Jack met Patricia Smith of Long Beach, New York
, whom he married in July 1949 after graduation. Forrest proceeded to Fort Riley
, Kansas and Fort Benning
, Georgia
where he attended the Infantry Basic Course before being sent to the Korean War
.
Forrest led a platoon
of the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division through the darkest days in Korea
. After fighting in the Battle of the Pusan Perimeter, his command was the first to enter North Korea
and the North Korean capital Pyongyang
. He earned the Combat Infantryman Badge
, two Purple Heart
s, and two Silver Star
s. Two of his West Point roommates, Lt. Samuel S. Coursen
, a fellow 5th Cavalry Regiment company commander and Medal of Honor recipient, and Lt. Joe Toomey, were killed in action in Korea.
From Forrest's Silver Star citations: "Courageously gathering his six remaining men, he briefed them on his plan of surprise action to rout the enemy group... he led them yelling and shouting into the enemy's midst. This ruse... completely baffled and surprised the enemy into believing their main position had fallen..." Although wounded in the leg during the early part of the action, Lieutenant Forrest refused to be evacuated and moved from position to position, in the face of heavy enemy fire, to encourage and reorganize his men. He directed a defense of his position and led a successful counterattack.
, South Carolina
in 1951 as a company commander with the 8th Infantry Division and the 28th Infantry Division in Germany
, Fort Leavenworth
, Kansas
and the University of Wisconsin–Madison
, where he earned a master's degree in journalism
. He completed the Infantry Advanced Course, Ranger
, Airborne
and other schools, was assigned to the Pentagon
, and graduated from the Army War College.
In 1967 Forrest took command of the 3rd Battalion 187th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division
at Fort Campbell
, Kentucky. His unit was mobilized to maintain order during the August 1967 riots in Detroit, Michigan. He later took the battalion to Vietnam, where in two tours of duty he earned a second Combat Infantryman Badge; and awarded a third Silver Star, the Legion of Merit
, four Bronze Star
s for Valor, and four Air Medal
s for Valor. After the Tet Offensive of 1968, General William Westmoreland
awarded Forrest's unit the Valorous Unit Award
and Meritorious Unit Citation
.
After his Vietnam tours of duty in 1971, Forrest was assigned to the 2nd Armored Division, Fort Hood, Texas
as commander of 1st Brigade and Support Command, then chief of staff. From 1976 to 1978 he was commanding general of the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado
. In 1979 he took command of First United States Army at Fort Meade, Maryland
and led the military's response and logistical support during the 1980 Cuban refugee crisis. His final assignment in July 1981 was as Deputy Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Army Europe at Heidelberg
, Germany
where he retired after 33 years of active duty on August 11, 1983.
and plunged into civic affairs, winning election to the city council. As the first executive director of the U.S. Space Foundation, Forrest was a proponent of the Star Wars
space defense initiative of the Reagan Administration
. He died May 27, 1997 at age 69, following a series of strokes. In 1998, the Forrest Fitness Center at Fort Carson was dedicated and named in his honor. Forrest was buried at Evergreen Cemetery
in Colorado Springs.
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
and a career U.S. Army officer and combat commander during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
era.
Youth
Forrest was born in Mexia, TexasMexia, Texas
Mexia is a city in Limestone County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,552 at the 2008 census.The city's motto, based on the fact that outsiders tend to mispronounce the name , is "A great place, no matter how you pronounce it."...
, the second son of Robert E. and Gertrude Klug Forrest. One of his ancestors was Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest
Nathan Bedford Forrest
Nathan Bedford Forrest was a lieutenant general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. He is remembered both as a self-educated, innovative cavalry leader during the war and as a leading southern advocate in the postwar years...
. His father was severely injured as a United States Army Air Service
United States Army Air Service
The Air Service, United States Army was a forerunner of the United States Air Force during and after World War I. It was established as an independent but temporary wartime branch of the War Department by two executive orders of President Woodrow Wilson: on May 24, 1918, replacing the Aviation...
pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and his brother Robert fought in the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and survived capture by the Germans
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Forrest left Mexia when he was a young boy. The oil business led his father to move the family to Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
; Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...
; and Olney, Illinois
Olney, Illinois
Olney is a city in Richland County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,631 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Richland County.-History:...
. At Olney High School, he was a scholar and an athlete, joining the National Honor Society
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
and playing varsity
Varsity team
In the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
. A swimmer, he worked summers as a lifeguard
Lifeguard
A lifeguard supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, or beach. Lifeguards are strong swimmers and trained in first aid, certified in water rescue using a variety of aids and equipment depending on...
. Forrest was president of his senior class and the debate club, and voted "most popular."
Early military career and Korea
Forrest entered the United States Military Academy in 1945 during the closing days of World War II. As a West Point cadet, he played B-Squad football and fought on the A-1 boxing team. His roommates were Samuel S. CoursenSamuel S. Coursen
Samuel Streit Coursen was a 1949 graduate of the United States Military Academy and company commander in the United States Army during the Korean War. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions on December 12, 1950.-Youth and education:Samuel S. Coursen was born August 4, 1926 in...
, Joe Toomey, Murray Williams, Collier Ross, and Jim Scholtz. In his Third Class year, at the "Hop" dance party, Jack met Patricia Smith of Long Beach, New York
Long Beach, New York
Long Beach is a city in Nassau County, New York. Just south of Long Island, it is located on Long Beach Barrier Island, which is the westernmost of the outer barrier islands off Long Island's South Shore. As of the United States 2010 Census, the city population was 33,275...
, whom he married in July 1949 after graduation. Forrest proceeded to Fort Riley
Fort Riley
Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in Northeast Kansas, on the Kansas River, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 100,656 acres in Geary and Riley counties and includes two census-designated places: Fort Riley North and Fort...
, Kansas and Fort Benning
Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
where he attended the Infantry Basic Course before being sent to the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
Forrest led a platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
of the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division through the darkest days in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. After fighting in the Battle of the Pusan Perimeter, his command was the first to enter North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
and the North Korean capital Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
. He earned the Combat Infantryman Badge
Combat Infantryman Badge
The Combat Infantryman Badge is the U.S. Army combat service recognition decoration awarded to soldiers—enlisted men and officers holding colonel rank or below, who personally fought in active ground combat while an assigned member of either an infantry or a Special Forces unit, of brigade size...
, two Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
s, and two Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
s. Two of his West Point roommates, Lt. Samuel S. Coursen
Samuel S. Coursen
Samuel Streit Coursen was a 1949 graduate of the United States Military Academy and company commander in the United States Army during the Korean War. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions on December 12, 1950.-Youth and education:Samuel S. Coursen was born August 4, 1926 in...
, a fellow 5th Cavalry Regiment company commander and Medal of Honor recipient, and Lt. Joe Toomey, were killed in action in Korea.
From Forrest's Silver Star citations: "Courageously gathering his six remaining men, he briefed them on his plan of surprise action to rout the enemy group... he led them yelling and shouting into the enemy's midst. This ruse... completely baffled and surprised the enemy into believing their main position had fallen..." Although wounded in the leg during the early part of the action, Lieutenant Forrest refused to be evacuated and moved from position to position, in the face of heavy enemy fire, to encourage and reorganize his men. He directed a defense of his position and led a successful counterattack.
Post-war career and commands
Upon his return from Korea, Forrest was posted to Fort JacksonFort Jackson
Fort Jackson can refer to several places or things:*Fort Jackson , also called Fort Toulouse, a War of 1812 fort*Fort Jackson , a frontier trading post located near present-day Ione, Colorado...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
in 1951 as a company commander with the 8th Infantry Division and the 28th Infantry Division in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
and the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, where he earned a master's degree in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
. He completed the Infantry Advanced Course, Ranger
United States Army Rangers
United States Army Rangers are elite members of the United States Army. Rangers have served in recognized U.S. Army Ranger units or have graduated from the U.S. Army's Ranger School...
, Airborne
Airborne forces
Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...
and other schools, was assigned to the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
, and graduated from the Army War College.
In 1967 Forrest took command of the 3rd Battalion 187th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
at Fort Campbell
Fort Campbell
Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astraddle the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee...
, Kentucky. His unit was mobilized to maintain order during the August 1967 riots in Detroit, Michigan. He later took the battalion to Vietnam, where in two tours of duty he earned a second Combat Infantryman Badge; and awarded a third Silver Star, the Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
, four Bronze Star
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
s for Valor, and four Air Medal
Air Medal
The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
s for Valor. After the Tet Offensive of 1968, General William Westmoreland
William Westmoreland
William Childs Westmoreland was a United States Army General, who commanded US military operations in the Vietnam War at its peak , during the Tet Offensive. He adopted a strategy of attrition against the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam and the North Vietnamese Army. He later served as...
awarded Forrest's unit the Valorous Unit Award
Valorous Unit Award
The Valorous Unit Award is the second highest unit decoration which may be bestowed upon a U.S. Army unit and is considered the unit equivalent of the Silver Star...
and Meritorious Unit Citation
Meritorious Unit Citation
The Meritorious Unit Citation is a collective group decoration awarded to members of Australian military units. It recognises sustained outstanding service in warlike operations...
.
After his Vietnam tours of duty in 1971, Forrest was assigned to the 2nd Armored Division, Fort Hood, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
as commander of 1st Brigade and Support Command, then chief of staff. From 1976 to 1978 he was commanding general of the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. In 1979 he took command of First United States Army at Fort Meade, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and led the military's response and logistical support during the 1980 Cuban refugee crisis. His final assignment in July 1981 was as Deputy Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Army Europe at Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
where he retired after 33 years of active duty on August 11, 1983.
Post-Army career and retirement
In retirement, Forrest moved to Colorado Springs, ColoradoColorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
and plunged into civic affairs, winning election to the city council. As the first executive director of the U.S. Space Foundation, Forrest was a proponent of the Star Wars
Strategic Defense Initiative
The Strategic Defense Initiative was proposed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan on March 23, 1983 to use ground and space-based systems to protect the United States from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles. The initiative focused on strategic defense rather than the prior strategic...
space defense initiative of the Reagan Administration
Reagan Administration
The United States presidency of Ronald Reagan, also known as the Reagan administration, was a Republican administration headed by Ronald Reagan from January 20, 1981, to January 20, 1989....
. He died May 27, 1997 at age 69, following a series of strokes. In 1998, the Forrest Fitness Center at Fort Carson was dedicated and named in his honor. Forrest was buried at Evergreen Cemetery
Evergreen Cemetery
Evergreen Cemetery may refer to:In the United States* Evergreen Cemetery * Evergreen Cemetery , listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Cochise County, Arizona...
in Colorado Springs.
External links
- http://www.west-point.org/users/usma1949/17127/
- 4th Infantry Division Commanders
- US Army Europe Deputy Commanders
- "Roger, Houston . . . Er, Colorado" in Time Magazine, May 13, 1985