Jack McWethy

I remember Mr. McWethy quite well, Ned, especially for his coverage of 9/11. Please accept my condolences for your--not to mention our--loss.

I remember him, too. He was always introduced as John McWethy, and I always got a chuckle when Peter Jennings introduced him as "Jack." It was even possible to discern the bond between those two as professionals. The world is poorer for the loss of both those gentlemen.

I've never heard of the man untill today. I've only recently been following the news, mainly the last two years. I would have followed the 9/11 news if I wasn't in Army Basic Training at the time. I'm sure he was a good man, and I'm sure he'll be missed by many. Two coins for you Jack, two coins.

Yes, I've never quite gotten over the loss of Peter Jennings, and now ABC loses another good one (even if retired). And people wonder why I don't like skiing....

Mr. McWethy was a great guest instructor at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. He played an important role in bridging the gap between the media and the U.S. Military. Our country has lost a true treasure. May God Bless

We lost a great journalist and very decent man.

John "Jack" McWethy was a good reporter, a good man and a friend of Soldiers. As an Army PAO, I worked with him on the ground in Bosnia and Europe, and later in the Pentagon. He was honest, of good humor and a true gentleman. His word was his bond, he earned the respect of those he dealt with on a day-to-day basis. He was the gold standard for journalists to model themselves after. He will be missed.

I worked with Jack McWethy when he was the editor of The DePauw, the school newspaper for the private college by that same name in Indiana. He was an exceptional young man in the late 60's, and made the DePauw alumni proud to have known him as he became an outstanding national journalist. His loss is a loss for many.

Jack was a high school classmate of mine. I remember, vividly, the night when I first saw him reporting on Nightline -- "John McWethy, ABC News" -- and I sat up and shouted to my husband, "I know that guy!!" What a great newsman!

It was about nine at night and we were sitting on the roof of the Sahafi hotel on the K-5 circle in Mogadishu, Somalia . It was after Black Hawk down, but before the Americans had pulled out. The American troops were off the streets and behind the wire of the airbase, so there wasn’t much safety in Mog any longer.
Jack, cameraman James Mitchell and soundman Baker (only one name apparently), had stopped at the French PX on base and bought some liquid courage to help pass the time while locked down in our hotel that evening. Jack, in a very unlikely move, purchased a bottle of white wine that had been stored in a trailer in the back of the PX in 140 degree heat, so we knew it would be good.
As the sun went down, the Kat was delivered and the streets turned into a scene from a Fellini movie. There was celebratory gun fire, sometime in our direction, but not always. Across the street in a blown out building a Bollywood movie was playing against the only standing wall and sitar music was wafting up from the street. The Army was flying night-ops with chopper gun ships and would pass overhead at about 50 feet and 100 miles per hour. Down the road, toward the air base, you could see flares being lofted over the wire to light up the enemy positions for the American snipers. It was odd at best.
Jack, I noticed was actually drinking his bottle of wine as the rest of us shared a bottle of bourbon. Now Jack is a real cheap date, one or two drinks and you could have your way with him. He was easily into glass three, and he was starting to lose control of his neck muscles as his head bobbed.
I final turned to him, thinking something was terribly wrong, and said, “Jack, what’s up, you don’t’ drink, and when you do you don’t do it well.”
He looked at me through bleary unfocused eyes and said, “This is one heck of a way to spend my birthday”.
Well we couldn’t have agreed with him more, so we poured him into his bed and went back to the roof to continue the evening entertainment.
Jack was one of the best men I have ever known. Still, to this day, I can’t believe he is gone. It is such a tragic, tragic loss.
Love ya always brother
Dean