Spirit of Adventure Award

The recipient of the 2023 Spirit of Adventure Award is William Jankowski '67.

At CC, Bill majored in zoology, played football and baseball, and was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. After CC, he completed two years of graduate school at the University of Wyoming in wildlife biology. With the draft looming, he chose to join the U.S. Air Force, completing Officer Training School and pilot training. In 1972, he went to Vietnam, flying the O-2A Skymaster as a Forward Air Controller. During one mission, his aircraft was hit by an SA-7 missile forcing him to parachute into a hostile combat zone. The next day, his first rescue helicopter was also shot down, but he survived and was rescued by another helicopter. Bill was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star with ‘V’ device, and several other medals. He earned an M.S. in Systems Management from the University of Southern California in 1975. Bill also served with the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve completing almost 35 years of military service. In 2003, he was called to active duty for Operation Enduring Freedom as a B-52 pilot. In 2006, he started flying as a wildfire observer for the U.S. Forest Service throughout the U.S. We honor Bill for his adventurous service to his country as both a military and civilian aviator.