<P> Jack had a rough childhood because of his abusive father, causing them to have a strained relationship . His father did not know that he was married, so when Jack found out that he and Rebecca were expecting triplets, he went to his father asking for money, citing gambling debts, rather than telling him that he intended to buy a house for his family . He also approached his boss and got a raise to $17,000 a year (Over 49,000 in 2016 dollars .), making him the highest paid foreman . Jack is revealed to have served in the Vietnam War as an Army mechanic before taking work as a manual laborer . </P> <P> The triplets and Randall were all born on Jack's 36th birthday . He struggled with alcoholism while the children were young, but he stopped drinking to focus more on his family . Jack always wanted to find out who Randall's biological father was, and never knew that Rebecca had found him . </P> <P> He was a construction foreman, who dreamed of opening his own firm, "Big Three Homes", but put his dreams on hold in order to provide a steady income for his children by getting a desk job . Jack died during his children's teenage years, and Kate keeps his ashes with her . </P> <P> Rebecca Pearson née Malone (born 1950 - 1951) portrayed by Mandy Moore . Rebecca as Jack's wife, and Kate, Kevin, & Randall's mother </P>

Who has the last name pearson on this is us