John C. "Jack" Thornton

John C. “Jack” Thornton, 88, of Terre Haute, died at 0600 hours Sunday, March 30, 2008, in Union Hospital with family present. Jack was born in Terre Haute, on Feb. 7, 1920, the son of John C. Thornton Sr. and Ione Hazledine Thornton. Jack graduated from Wiley High School in 1938, attended Purdue University, and after moving with his family to Chicago, attended Illinois Technical College in Electrical Engineering.Survivors include his wife of 53 years, Peggy Thornton; his sister, Ione Strum of Carmel, Calif.; his sons, John C. Thornton III of Santa Ana, Calif., and Matt Thornton of Greenville, S.C.; his stepdaughter, Kathy Gettys of Denver; his daughters, Meg Thornton of Bloomington, Ind., and Betsy Thornton of Terre Haute; four grandchildren, Jacob Thornton of Santa Ana, Elle Riddle of Terre Haute, Brittney Holobinko of Denver, and Caroline Thornton of Torrance, Calif.; niece, Sarah Strum of New York; and nephew, Arthur Strum of Seattle.In 1941, Jack enlisted in the U.S. Navy and entered flight training in Glenview, Ill., completing the program in Pensacola, Fla., where he was chosen to become a U.S. Marine Corps fighter pilot. He graduated fighter flight training at Opa Locka, Fla., and his aircraft carrier checkouts were in San Diego and Glenview. He deployed overseas to Hawaii, Guadalcanal, Solomon Island, and then on to Rabaul with VMF 211, the Avengers’ replacements for the Wake Island squadron wiped out by the Japanese in battle. Jack served two tours of duty in the Pacific. He flew combat “Wildcat” and “Corsair” Marine fighters; the Corsair was his favorite fighter plane. On one occasion, Jack was forced to parachute from his aircraft after it had been disabled by enemy fire, and as a consequence of surviving the bailout, he became a life member of the “Caterpillar Club.” Jack served as an engineering officer for his squadron, mastered aerial photography for intelligence work, and was a Marine test pilot. His military awards include the Distinguished Flying Cross, three Air Medals, the Presidential Unit Citation and many area medals.Following active service in World War II, Jack joined a Reserve Squadron in St. Louis, where he served during the Korean War and continued to serve as commanding officer of the Marine Fighter Squadron in St. Louis and Columbus, Ohio. He transferred to NAS Memphis, Tenn., as Marine Group Commander. Jack flew 8000 hours in most naval and Marine aircraft, including early Glen Curtis Sea Planes. He was one of the few WWII-era “prop-driven” aircraft pilots who successfully transitioned to jet fighter aircraft. Jack held commercial, twin engine and instrument rating certificates. Before retirement from the Marine Reserves, he was promoted to the rank of colonel.After World War II, Jack returned to Indiana as a decorated war hero, and was employed by Belden Company as sales manager. Moving on to Twigg Industries, he designed and sold jet aircraft components to such companies as Pratt and Whitney, and to NASA’s Mercury Space Program. From Twigg, Jack rejoined E.T. Hazledine Company, a business founded by his grandfather, Edward T. Hazledine. As sales and marketing manager, Jack was contacted by Harold Dodd of Dodd’s Sawmill, Sullivan, to design and build the first semi-automatic commercial notching machine for wooden pallets. This entry into the design, manufacture and marketing of pallet equipment lead to a long succession of machines, acknowledged as the “gold standard” for the industry.Recognizing the growth potential of the pallet industry, and being an early advocate of the repair and recycling of used pallets, Jack launched and became president of Hazlethorn Machine Company. His advocacy of “sustainable distribution packaging,” and developing passion for serving the requirements of pallet repair operations then led to the establishment of Woodthorn Corporation. Woodthorn was on the leading edge of offering machines and systems to enable efficient and profitable pallet recovery.Jack was a charter member of the Canadian Pallet Association, one of the first associate members of the National Wooden Pallet and Container Association, IAPR, and Western Pallet Association. He served a term as the associates’ representative on the NWPCA Board of Directors. Among the successful people in the pallet industry whom Jack employed, trained, and mentored are: Mona Tracy, Trace Equipment, Terre Haute, Randall Keko, Viking Engineering, Randall Kimbrell, Pallet Solutions, and Jeff Riddle, Mobile Pallet Service, Chicago. Jack formally retired in 1998, and worked on a consulting basis as Colebrook Engineering until his final illness.During his last decade of his life, Jack dedicated his time and considerable energies to educating youth in the area regarding the value and importance of military service, the significance of World War II and the history of the Pacific Theatre. Sharing his personal experiences as a fighter pilot was an activity that Jack relished, and his audiences were enthusiastic. He participated in multiple oral history projects, including the efforts initiated by Lt. Col. Brad Spice and the ROTC Unit at South Vigo High School. It was this recorded testimony of his wartime experiences that were documented in the Congressional Record. Additionally, Jack was a past-president and current program chairman of the local Military Officers Association (MOA), and was an active member of the Marine Corps League and Wabash Valley Pilots Association. He was also a proud member of the Torque and Recoil Club.A memorial service will be Saturday, April 19, 2008, in Callahan and Hughes, 605 S. 25th Street, Terre Haute. Visitation for family and friends is 1 to 3 p.m. with a full military service to commence at 3 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be directed to the Semper Fi Fund, which provides crucial support for active-duty wounded Marines and their families throughout recovery. Make checks payable to Semper Fi Funds, and be sure to enter on memo line “Col. John C. Thornton.” Send checks to: Injured Marines Semper Fi Fund, MCCCK, P.O. Box 355, Prospect, KY 40059.