In 1982 , President Ronald Reagan named Vessey as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff . He served until retiring in October 1985 , and his tenure was most notable for his high-profile support of the Reagan-era increase in defense spending and military preparedness . Vessey opted to retire before the completion of his second two-year term ; according to published reports , he had intended to retire in June 1985 in deference to his wife 's wishes to leave Washington , DC for their home in rural Minnesota , but remained on duty until the resolution of the TWA Flight 847 hostage crisis and other ongoing military activities . After leaving the Army , Vessey became involved in efforts to account for military personnel listed as missing in action , and made several trips to Southeast Asia to search for remains as part of resolving the Vietnam War POW/MIA issue . He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992 . Vessey died in North Oaks , Minnesota on August 18 , 2016 . He was buried at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls , Minnesota
TWA Flight 847
TWA Flight 847
John William Vessey Jr.