Born: United States of America
Primarily active in: United States of America

John A. Todd, 70, a retired Army colonel and past president of the Federal City Chapter of the American Helicopter Society, died of cancer August 6, 1994 at his home in Springfield, Virginia.  He enlisted in the Army in 1945, and served during the Korean War as a platoon leader and company commander.  Much of his subsequent career was in Army aviation, in which he held the rating of master aviator.  He served three tours of duty in the Vietnam War and was a battalion and aviation group commander.  At his retirement in 1977, he was the assistant for research and development to the undersecretary of the Army in the Pentagon.

His military decorations included the Distinguished Flying Medal and two awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross.  In his eulogy comments Zugschwert cited Todd as a "the epitome of the truly professional soldier."  Shortly before his death, Col. Todd attended an awards ceremony at AHS headquarters, where he was honored for his dedicated service to the American Helicopter Society.  Attendees at the ceremony included MG Jerry Harrison, Dick Ballard, Col. Alex Rankin (ret.), BG Jean St. John (ret.), Ron Krape, LTG Jim Merryman (ret.), Pete Peduzzi, Robert L. McDaniel, Terry Crews, John Zugschwert, and Society representatives Rhett Flater, Kim Smith and Stacey Fusco.

AHS Update: Vertiflite July/August 1994