JACKSON, JAMES WESLEY JR.

Name: James Wesley Jackson, Jr.
Rank/Branch: E3/US Marine Corps
Unit: L/3/4, 1st Marine Division
Date of Birth: 26 February 1948
Home City of Record: Atlanta GA
Date of Loss: 21 September 1969
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 164310N 1071200E (YD340510)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 4
Refno: 1492
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: Ground

Others Personnel in Incident: (none missing)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 October 1990 from the
following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, Atlanta
Constitution article written by Ron Martz, Stars & Stripes. Updated by the
P.O.W. NETWORK 2020.

REMARKS:

SYNOPSIS: On September 21, 1969, LCpl. James W. Jackson, Jr. was slightly
wounded in an accidental explosion at a remote hilltop fire support base
near the Demilitarized Zone, called Fire Support Base Russell. Jackson
suffered minor fragmentation wounds and was quickly medevaced with others in
his unit to the Naval hospital at Quang Tri, South Vietnam.

There is no record that indicates that Jackson ever arrived at the hospital,
but a friend saw him getting off the helicopter and a Navy corpsman
remembers treating his wounds.

Jackson walked into the hospital, was treated by a 3rd Medical Battalion
corpsman in triage, and then disappeared. A thorough search by CID and FBI
and the Marine Corps revealed nothing. Jackson's honor was not questioned.
He was classified Missing In Action and was never removed from that status
until a review board declared him dead during the Reagan Administration. No
one saw Jackson again.

The possibilities of what may have happened to Jackson are endless, and of
course, include the possibility of capture or death. His family waits with
that special agony that comes from uncertainty.

With over 10,000 reports received by the U.S. concerning Americans still
missing, prisoner or unaccounted for in Southeast Asia, Jackson's parents
understand their son could be one of them.

It's time we brought our men home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

01/2020

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt00000001UFcEAM

• Conflict
• Service
• Status

• VIETNAM WAR
• UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
• Unaccounted For

 

Lance Corporal (LCpl) James Wesley Jackson Jr. entered the U.S. Marine Corps from Georgia and served in Company L, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. On September 21, 1969, while he was at Fire Support Base Russell, there was an accidental explosion of ammunition and explosives and LCpl Jackson suffered a minor wound in the blast. A fellow Marine dressed his wound and helped him aboard a CH-46 for medevac to the 3rd Medical Battalion. He was helped from the helicopter and taken to the battalion's triage facility, but the Marine who helped him had difficulty in obtaining LCpl Jackson's name and thought LCpl Jackson may have suffered a concussion in addition to his wound. At some point during the confusion of caring for the other patients, LCpl Jackson disappeared from the triage facility and could not be located. Intensive investigations failed to determine LCpl Jackson's whereabouts and he was not seen again. Following his disappearance, the Marine Corps promoted LCpl Jackson to the rank of gunnery sergeant. Today, Gunnery Sergeant Jackson is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. 

Based on all information available, DPAA assessed the individual's case to be in the analytical category of Active Pursuit.

If you are a family member of this serviceman, DPAA can provide you with additional information and analysis of your case. Please contact your casualty office representative.

Service member profile discrepancy? Please help us ensure the accuracy of each profile by submitting documentation about a service member profile.

GySgt JAMES WESLEY JACKSON Jr.

• Unit LCO 3BN 4MAR
• Historical Country of Loss
  South Vietnam
• Current Country of Loss
  VIETNAM
• Home of Record GA