Jerri grew up in New Bedford, MA, graduating from New Bedford High. She then attended the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where she received a BA in English. After teaching for a year, she joined the US Air Force and was commissioned a 2nd Lt in 1968. After a tour as a Targets Officer at Strategic Air Command Headquarters, Omaha, NE she transferred to the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing at Ubon AB, Thailand. At Ubon, she was attached to the 433rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, “Satan’s Angels”, as an Intelligence debriefer, where she made many friends who remain loyal friends to this day.
She became one of the few non-pilots and women who became a member of the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association (the River Rats), whose membership was normally reserved for men who had flown in combat over North Vietnam. During her 10+ years of active duty she also served at Clark AB in the Philippines, and Ramstein and Hahn ABs in Germany.
After 10 years of active duty, she became an Air Reserve Technician and spent another 13 years on active service, achieving the rank of Lt Colonel. Along the way she earned a Masters degree in Public Policy from Webster University.
In October, 1989 she met her soon to become husband when she gave him a tour of the Customs Operations Center at March AFB, CA. As he often remarked later, “It was a good tour — I just didn’t know at the time it was going to last the rest of my life!”
Jerri retired from the Air Force in 1991 — at that time she was in the Individual Ready Reserve, and when she was informed that she might soon be brought back on active duty and sent to Saudi Arabia for the First Gulf War, she exclaimed to the personnel lady who recalled, “Gee! I’ve already done one war, but I’ve never been married — can I retire instead?”
The lady made it happen, and Bob and Jerri were married in February 1991. Bob was serving a tour as the Defense and Air Attache in the newly liberated country of Romania, so they flew back to Bucharest four days after their marriage for two challenging years in the diplomatic corps.
Jerri excelled as a hostess, often organizing two or three formal dinners for 20+ people a month, while also working full-time at the Agency for International Development. Not an easy task when you consider the shortage of fresh food in the country in the first year-and-a-half after the Romanian Revolution.
Jerri was a tough, intelligent, and highly accomplished woman who brooked no nonsense but had a compassionate, gentle and loving streak a mile wide. She was the most wonderful wife a man could have. As Ben Sira says, “A loyal wife brings joy to her husband, and he will finish his years in peace. A good wife is a generous gift bestowed upon him who fears the Lord. Whether rich or poor, his heart is content, a smile ever on his face.” Her husband continues smiling even through his tears.
She became one of the few non-pilots and women who became a member of the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association (the River Rats), whose membership was normally reserved for men who had flown in combat over North Vietnam. During her 10+ years of active duty she also served at Clark AB in the Philippines, and Ramstein and Hahn ABs in Germany.
After 10 years of active duty, she became an Air Reserve Technician and spent another 13 years on active service, achieving the rank of Lt Colonel. Along the way she earned a Masters degree in Public Policy from Webster University.
In October, 1989 she met her soon to become husband when she gave him a tour of the Customs Operations Center at March AFB, CA. As he often remarked later, “It was a good tour — I just didn’t know at the time it was going to last the rest of my life!”
Jerri retired from the Air Force in 1991 — at that time she was in the Individual Ready Reserve, and when she was informed that she might soon be brought back on active duty and sent to Saudi Arabia for the First Gulf War, she exclaimed to the personnel lady who recalled, “Gee! I’ve already done one war, but I’ve never been married — can I retire instead?”
The lady made it happen, and Bob and Jerri were married in February 1991. Bob was serving a tour as the Defense and Air Attache in the newly liberated country of Romania, so they flew back to Bucharest four days after their marriage for two challenging years in the diplomatic corps.
Jerri excelled as a hostess, often organizing two or three formal dinners for 20+ people a month, while also working full-time at the Agency for International Development. Not an easy task when you consider the shortage of fresh food in the country in the first year-and-a-half after the Romanian Revolution.
Jerri was a tough, intelligent, and highly accomplished woman who brooked no nonsense but had a compassionate, gentle and loving streak a mile wide. She was the most wonderful wife a man could have. As Ben Sira says, “A loyal wife brings joy to her husband, and he will finish his years in peace. A good wife is a generous gift bestowed upon him who fears the Lord. Whether rich or poor, his heart is content, a smile ever on his face.” Her husband continues smiling even through his tears.
Jerri grew up in New Bedford, MA, graduating from New Bedford High. She then attended the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where she received a BA in English. After teaching for a year, she joined the US Air Force and was commissioned a 2nd Lt in 1968. After a tour as a Targets Officer at Strategic Air Command Headquarters, Omaha, NE she transferred to the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing at Ubon AB, Thailand. At Ubon, she was attached to the 433rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, “Satan’s Angels”, as an Intelligence debriefer, where she made many friends who remain loyal friends to this day.
She became one of the few non-pilots and women who became a member of the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association (the River Rats), whose membership was normally reserved for men who had flown in combat over North Vietnam. During her 10+ years of active duty she also served at Clark AB in the Philippines, and Ramstein and Hahn ABs in Germany.
After 10 years of active duty, she became an Air Reserve Technician and spent another 13 years on active service, achieving the rank of Lt Colonel. Along the way she earned a Masters degree in Public Policy from Webster University.
In October, 1989 she met her soon to become husband when she gave him a tour of the Customs Operations Center at March AFB, CA. As he often remarked later, “It was a good tour — I just didn’t know at the time it was going to last the rest of my life!”
Jerri retired from the Air Force in 1991 — at that time she was in the Individual Ready Reserve, and when she was informed that she might soon be brought back on active duty and sent to Saudi Arabia for the First Gulf War, she exclaimed to the personnel lady who recalled, “Gee! I’ve already done one war, but I’ve never been married — can I retire instead?”
The lady made it happen, and Bob and Jerri were married in February 1991. Bob was serving a tour as the Defense and Air Attache in the newly liberated country of Romania, so they flew back to Bucharest four days after their marriage for two challenging years in the diplomatic corps.
Jerri excelled as a hostess, often organizing two or three formal dinners for 20+ people a month, while also working full-time at the Agency for International Development. Not an easy task when you consider the shortage of fresh food in the country in the first year-and-a-half after the Romanian Revolution.
Jerri was a tough, intelligent, and highly accomplished woman who brooked no nonsense but had a compassionate, gentle and loving streak a mile wide. She was the most wonderful wife a man could have. As Ben Sira says, “A loyal wife brings joy to her husband, and he will finish his years in peace. A good wife is a generous gift bestowed upon him who fears the Lord. Whether rich or poor, his heart is content, a smile ever on his face.” Her husband continues smiling even through his tears.
She became one of the few non-pilots and women who became a member of the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association (the River Rats), whose membership was normally reserved for men who had flown in combat over North Vietnam. During her 10+ years of active duty she also served at Clark AB in the Philippines, and Ramstein and Hahn ABs in Germany.
After 10 years of active duty, she became an Air Reserve Technician and spent another 13 years on active service, achieving the rank of Lt Colonel. Along the way she earned a Masters degree in Public Policy from Webster University.
In October, 1989 she met her soon to become husband when she gave him a tour of the Customs Operations Center at March AFB, CA. As he often remarked later, “It was a good tour — I just didn’t know at the time it was going to last the rest of my life!”
Jerri retired from the Air Force in 1991 — at that time she was in the Individual Ready Reserve, and when she was informed that she might soon be brought back on active duty and sent to Saudi Arabia for the First Gulf War, she exclaimed to the personnel lady who recalled, “Gee! I’ve already done one war, but I’ve never been married — can I retire instead?”
The lady made it happen, and Bob and Jerri were married in February 1991. Bob was serving a tour as the Defense and Air Attache in the newly liberated country of Romania, so they flew back to Bucharest four days after their marriage for two challenging years in the diplomatic corps.
Jerri excelled as a hostess, often organizing two or three formal dinners for 20+ people a month, while also working full-time at the Agency for International Development. Not an easy task when you consider the shortage of fresh food in the country in the first year-and-a-half after the Romanian Revolution.
Jerri was a tough, intelligent, and highly accomplished woman who brooked no nonsense but had a compassionate, gentle and loving streak a mile wide. She was the most wonderful wife a man could have. As Ben Sira says, “A loyal wife brings joy to her husband, and he will finish his years in peace. A good wife is a generous gift bestowed upon him who fears the Lord. Whether rich or poor, his heart is content, a smile ever on his face.” Her husband continues smiling even through his tears.
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Interred: Nov 25, 2020
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