Captain Jack Ferris

"Captain Mac” was a close friend of my parents, (then) Captain “Jack” Ferris and my Mom Katherine when they were all stationed at March Field, CA circa 1939. There Mac became my oldest sister, Patsy’s godfather. They were all transferred to Hickham Field in Hawaii before December 7, 1941. After the Japanese attack, then Colonel Jack Ferris went on to become Commander of The Hawaiian Air Depot at Hickham Field with the 7th AF for the duration of the War. Mac went to Australia where he participated in a series of test flights to evaluate a new air drop weapon: napalm. On his final mission they ran into engine problems and could not jettison the heavy bombload. Mac, as aircraft commander, ordered the rest of the crew to bailout as he tried to save the aircraft. But he was killed in the ensuing crash. Mac was awarded the DFC, Air Medal and Purple Heart and is at rest in The Punchbowl on Oahu.

Guy Ferris, Former Captain USAF

(photo credit- Daniel Ramirez from Honolulu, USA / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)