Bio
Colonel Jack T. Shannon entered active duty in 1940 and by 1942 had undergone parachute, British Commando, and amphibious training. In early 1944, he was recruited into the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) as part of the JEDBURGH project.
He jumped into France on 27 June 1944 as part of the Inter-Allied Mission BERGAMOTTE. He helped supply French partisans with weapons, arranged the destruction of bridges, and ambushed German troops.
After service in Europe, he served in Burma with Detachment 101, observing OSS operations that assisted the MARS Task Force.
In 1952, Shannon was selected as the Executive Officer of the newly-formed 10th Special Forces Group (SFG) at Fort Bragg, NC. When that unit deployed to Germany, he became the first commander of the 77th SFG.
Leaving Fort Bragg for Korea, Shannon served first in the Korea Civil Assistance Command (the main Civil Affairs unit for Korea) in 1954 and then as the commander of the 8239th Psychological Warfare detachment in the Far East in 1955. From 1956 to 1957, Shannon commanded SF units in the Far East that would later comprise the 1st SFG.
As a key officer in early SOF units, Colonel Jack T. Shannon is rightfully recognized as a SOF icon.