John Magness Death – A strong supporter of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, Ambassador John Magness passed away on Sunday morning, February 5, 2023, after reaching the summit of the highest mountain in the Americas, Cerro Aconcagua, in west-central Argentina. John had heart failure due to a lack of oxygen and could not be revived.
John was a devoted American and a skilled helicopter pilot; he was a former member of Task Force 160 (my alma mater) and oversaw a squadron of attack helicopters in the Persian Gulf that was tasked with guiding the 7th Corps in the conquest of Kuwait. John took part in both the campaign in Haiti and the Battle of the Black Sea in Mogadishu, Somalia.
A message from MG (Ret) Clay Hutmacher, President and CEO of SOWF:
“I have some tragic news to report. SOWF Ambassador, John Magness, a friend of mine, as well as a strong supporter of the Foundation, passed away yesterday morning after reaching the summit of the highest mountain in the Americas, Cerro Aconcagua, in west-central Argentina.
John suffered a lack of oxygen resulting in heart failure – he could not be revived.
John was a patriot and experienced helicopter pilot – he served as a member of Task Force 160 (my alma mater), and in the Persian Gulf, he commanded a troop of attack helicopters tasked with leading the 7th Corps with the liberation of Kuwait. John also participated in the Battle of the Black Sea in Mogadishu, Somalia, as well as in the operation in Haiti.
John sent me the picture you see here last week as he was on the ascent.
We ask that you please keep John and his family in your thoughts and prayers.”
To read more about John, please click on this link: https://specialops.org/who…/board-and-staff/John-Magness/.
Who was John Magness?
John Magness, a well-known pioneer in ecologically conscious industrial redevelopment, launched Hillwood’s first West Coast office in 2001, not long after joining the company. Through public-private cooperation, the initial project, Alliance California, rehabilitated the decommissioned Norton Air Force Base. With Kohl’s, Mattel, Amazon, and Amazon Air Cargo as core tenants, the multimodal industrial logistics complex has expanded to 2,000 acres under his administration.
After the development of over 4,000 acres and 32M SF in the Western region, John now manages key client relationships for Hillwood, which has resulted in an additional 31.5M SF of industrial and e-commerce projects across the U.S. Today, John also leads Hillwood’s partnership with NASCAR which includes 11 sites on 1,860 acres with 26M SF of future development.
Before joining Hillwood in 1998, John served as a consultant to the United Arab Emirates government. He is a Desert Storm veteran, having served nine years in the United States Army with roles as commander, staff officer, and pilot. His last assignment was as Operations Officer and Pilot with the famed Task Force 160 Night Stalkers, an elite Special Operations Aviation unit. In this unit, John participated in numerous combat missions. He is also an author, having published Pilot Vision in 1999.
John holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the United States Academy at West Point and earned his Master of Business Administration from Boston University. He is an active board member with the Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund serving the educational needs of “Gold Star” family members of our military.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
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