Lt. Col. John (Jack) Redmond graduated from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and was commissioned through ROTC on June 6, 1959. He earned his wings at Laredo AFB, TX in Class 61ECHO and went on to F-100 training at Luke and Nellis AFB. His first real assignment was to the 80th TFS, 8 TFW Itazuke AB Japan. While in Japan he sat alert at Osan AB Korea one week out of every three. The Wing transitioned from the F-100 to the F-105 in 1963 and moved to Yokota in 1964. While at Yokota the 80th Squadron deployed TDY to Korat in 1964 and Takhli 1965. One of his missions was the first ever raid against the Surface to Air Missile “SAM” sites in North Vietnam. That mission was on the 27th of July 1965. When 48 Thunderchiefs “Thuds”, 24 from Korat and 24 from Takhli, attacked two SAM sites and lost 6 aircraft (the sites were dummies). Of the 4 aircraft in his flight his was the only one without battle damage. He returned to the States in December of 1965 as an F-105 RTU instructor in the 561st TFS, McConnell AFB, KS. He returned to Korat in April 1968 where he was given a Wild Weasel checkout in the 44th TFS. He completed 100 missions over North Vietnam that year. He transferred to Eielson AFB, AK in early 1969 and returned to the Thud and McConnell in 1971. In the spring of 1972 he went TDY to Korat for 179 days and back again in 1973 for another 60 days. He moved to George AFB in June 1973 and became the 35th OMS Commander. In 1974 he checked out in the F-4 and moved to the 20th TFS. In November of 1974 he checked out in the F-5E and went remote as an advisor to the Imperial Iranian Air Force. He returned to the States in 1976 to the Tactical Fighter Weapons Center, Studies and Analysis, Nellis AFB, NV. In 1980 he moved to Keesler AFB, MS as DO for Battle Staff Operations, 7th Airborne Command and Control Sq. (Cricket, Alleycat). He returned to Nellis in July 1982 as the 554th Range Group ADO and in 1986 moved up to Vice Commander. Jack retired from the United States Air Force in December of 1987. He met and married the former Lois Simcox while at McConnell and they have two children, Jeff and Jennifer, and four grandsons: Zachary, Jeremiah, Nathanael and David.