Jackson E. (Jack) McKenzie

Memorial Location

COLUMN:   ROW: 37

  • Captain
  • Served: November 3, 1943 – November 4, 1945
  • World War II
  • Pilot

Deceased October 8, 1997. Interred in Marenisco, Michigan.

During World War II, Captain Jack E. McKenzie flew 44 missions over the Mediterranean Theater of Operations and over Germany with the oldest B-26 Marauder group led by Major General John K. Cannon’s 12th AAF. The group completed 400 missions over Northern Italy and was cited by General DeGaulle, Chief of the French armies for outstanding bombing support of the ground forces in Northern Italy. His last mission over Germany resulted in an enemy attack, downing the B-26 aircraft he was piloting. He was taken as a prisoner of war by the Nazi’s and held for three months before his liberation at the end of the war.

He was Marenisco’s first commissioned officer. Jack returned home to Marenisco, married his high school sweetheart, Jean Gunderman who served in the US Navy during World War II. They raised two children. Jack retired from the US Air Force as a captain and raised his family in California. The family continues to call Marenisco home.

See also Brothers Donald and Richard McKenzie, Great-Grandfather James Daniel McKenzie.