OBITUARY: Major General Jeremiah "Jed" Pearson III

Jeremiah Williams “Jed” Pearson III, a retired Major General in the United States Marine Corp and a resident of San Juan Capistrano for nearly 20 years, passed away June 1. He was 74.

General Pearson was the former chairman of the 1/11 Marines Mayoral Committee and in 2006 was instrumental in helping the city adopt the 1st Battalion, 11th Marines, providing services and benefits for military personnel in the San Juan Capistrano community.

In November 1996, he came up 65 votes short of becoming one of three candidates elected to the San Juan Capistrano City Council. On Tuesday evening, the City Council dedicated its meeting in memory of Major General Pearson.

“Our community has suffered a great loss recently with the passing of General Pearson, who served our country for over 30 years,” began Mayor Larry Kramer. “General Pearson was a strong leader and a passionate human being who will be truly missed. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family. It was an honor to work with him in 1/11 and an honor to really know this man, and it was wonderful to have a man of that capability and heart live in this community.”

General Pearson began his military career as a Naval aviator and test pilot for the Marine Corps. He graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in June 1960 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Aernautical Engineering. He then was assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, Beaufort, SC, for the first three years, and his first operational tour was aboard the USS Independence aircraft carrier.

In 1966, General Pearson graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and joined the Flight Test Division. In July 1968, he joined the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in DeNang, Vietnam, as the maintenance officer. During his tour, he flew more then 400 combat missions.

Starting in September 1969, General Pearson spent the next four years at the Naval Missile Test Center at Point Magu, Calif., serving in Flight Test and as a project officer in the Western Pacific. From September 1974 through June 1977, he was assigned to Marine Corps Headquarters in Washington, DC, as the Aviation Plans officer, and it was there he was nominated as a USMC Space Shuttle pilot.

In May 1984, General Pearson assumed command of Marine Aircraft Group 11 and later became Deputy Commander of Marine Central Command in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during Operation Desert Shield/Storm. While serving in Vietnam and the First Gulf War, General Pearson was awarded two Distinguished Service Medals, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star and 26 air medals.

Following his retirement from the Marine Corps, General Pearson became the Head of Manned Space Flight for the National Aeronautic Space Administration (NASA) in Washington, DC. For three years he was responsible for the four NASA Space Centers—Johnson Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, Marshall Space Center and Stennis Space Center—and managed a $6 billion budget with more than 20,000 people.

For his service, Major General Pearson was awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal.

General Pearson also was remembered in the private business sector. He was senior vice president for Systems Development and Integration for Lockheed Martin IMS. He also was instrumental in the installation of the Automated High Speed Toll Collection System for the Orange County Toll Roads, and also developed the Statewide Automated Child Support Collection System for California.

More recently, General Pearson taught Graduate Rocket and Space Science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at the San Diego Center.

According to Keith Cowling in NASA Watch, a non-sponsored NASA website, General Pearson was “deeply committed to the Marine Corps and was confident in his abilities to lead both on the ground and in the air…He had a passion for testing airplanes and taking them to the edge of the envelope. He was a charismatic officer who was highly respected by juniors and seniors alike. He will be missed.”

General Pearson had lived in South Orange County on and off since 1972. He is survived by his wife, Patty, his son, Jeremiah Pearson IV, and daughters, Mary Ellen and Prudy, as well as by his three brothers and one sister. A memorial service and interment will be conducted at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.