Major Jack Carlson

Major Jack Carlson. Kangaroo Squadron. Jack Leo Carlson was born in Brownwood on 20 August 1917 to Torje Carlson and Vertna Ragsdale Carlson. He graduated from Brownwood High School in 1935 and graduated from Texas Tech University where he was on the college golf team. Jack joined the US Army Air Corps on 15 March 1941 and graduated as an aerial navigator in October 1941. On 6 December 1941, his B-17 group, the 88th Reconnaissance Squadron, left California for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. They flew into Pearl Harbor at 0800 after 13 hours of flying on 7 December 1941 to find it under attack by the Japanese. Under attack, being fired upon by friend and foe, almost out of gas, and with no ammunition, Captain Frank Bostrom was able to land their B-17 on the Kahuka Golf Course in north Oahu, Hawaii. Although originally scheduled to go to the Philippines which were now under Japanese control, they were transferred to a B-17 Flying Fortress squadron in Australia. The 435th Squadron was a heavy bombardment squadron consisting of B-17 aircraft, known as Flying Fortresses. They were the first unit to fly the southern route to Australia to avoid the Japanese. The " Kangaroo Squadron" flew crucial bombing and reconnaissance missions with Jack as navigator and later as an intelligence officer. Jack was awarded a Silver Star for gallantry during the first US bombing raid on Rabaul. In March 1942, in one of the most secret and clandestine missions of World War II, Jack guided his B-17 as navigator to evacuate General Douglas MacArthur, his staff, and his family from Mindanao, Philippines, to Australia. One week later, he led the evacuation of Philippine President Manuel Quezon to Australia. His awards include Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, the four-in-one battle ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation with two oak leaf clusters, the Air Medal, and many more. The squadron was now the 435th Bomb Squadron under the 19th Air Group. After the war in August 1945, Jack returned to Brownwood where he owned and operated Carlson's Automotive and the Jack Carlson Company for 40 years. He married Patricia Craig in 1946, and the couple had three daughters. Jack proudly served on the Brownwood Industrial Foundation when it secured the establishment of a Brownwood location for both the 3M and Kohler companies. He was a life member of the Rotary Club, the Masonic Lodge, served on the Brownwood Chamber of Commerce Board, the First National Bank Board, the Brown County Water Improvement District Board, was three time president of the Brownwood Country Club, and was three time Brownwood City Golf Champion. Jack Leo Carlson passed away in Brownwood on 24 January 1985 at the age of 67.