Joe M. Jackson, Medal of Honor Recipient
The Luckiest Guy In The World
Lieutenant Colonel Joe M. Jackson wasn’t scheduled for anything unusual the morning of May 9th, 1968, in the jungles of Vietnam. He was supposed to have flown a normal, routine cargo mission from Da Nang Air Base, but fate had something different in mind.
Recalled from his original mission, Jackson learned the special forces camp at Kham Duc was being overrun by the North Vietnamese. He and others were sent to help evacuate survivors.
Heavy fighting and immense damage, including the loss of planes carrying several hundred evacuees, led to the command to withdraw and have fighter jets destroy everything left of the camp to avoid it falling into enemy hands.
That’s when the call came that three combat controllers were still on the ground.
Circling above the airfield in his C-123K, Jackson watched as an observation plane and another C-123 were unable to retrieve the men who were stranded. But watching the men run to try to catch the C-123 gave Jackson what he needed to know he could rescue them if only he could make it in to the destroyed airfield.
“We were the logical ones to do it,” Jackson said, “because I knew where they were.”
Jackson radioed his intent to land and started an extremely steep landing approach, an assault landing approach, he said, hoping to avoid gun and rocket fire and use what was left of the runway.
“I was the luckiest guy in the world,” Jackson continued. “I was able to touch down in the first 100 feet and stop that airplane exactly opposite the three guys that were in the ditch.”
Because the men were running to the airplane, Jackson maneuvered to meet them, stopping only long enough for them to belly flop into the rear of the plane, he said.
A 122-millimeter rocket had been fired directly toward the airplane as he landed, skidded down the runway, broke in half and came to a stop immediately in front of the nose wheel of the plane, according to Jackson.
“[It was] really, really close,” Jackson said. “It didn’t go off. So, again, I was the luckiest guy in the world, I guess.”
With the men safely in the belly of the plane, Jackson lost no time in leaving. “I ran around the rocket and back onto the runway and took off in the opposite direction. As I was taking off, automatic weapons and small arms fire was directly in front of me and probably behind me, as well,” he continued.
The runway erupted with mortar fire where the plane had just been.
Safely back at Da Nang, Jackson learned a month later he was being considered for the Medal of Honor for his efforts that day. “I was really flabbergasted,” Jackson said. “I had no idea such a thing would occur. That was an extremely high honor. To me, having the Medal of Honor is absolutely the last word.”
Jackson was awarded the Metal of Honor by President Lyndon Johnson in 1969.
When asked what lessons he’d like conveyed to the next generation, Jackson replied, “I’d like for the next generation to realize that they should make a decision early in their life just what their objectives in life are going to be. And they should direct their efforts towards achieving those objectives. And even though it may be distasteful, you have to show the courage to follow through and do those things. And you’ve got to have an ideal and faith in what you’re doing.”
After Vietnam, Col. Jackson served both in the Pentagon and as Chief of Strategic Forces Studies in the Department of Military Strategy at the Air War College until his retirement in 1973.
Col. Jackson had a close working relationship with McChord Air Force Base after his retirement. He was asked by the command staff to mentor selected personnel, which he did for many years.
In 2006, Main Street on McChord Air Force Base, south of Seattle, was renamed Col Joe Jackson Blvd. Six months later, C-17A s/n 00-0184 took his name, as well, and became The Spirit of Col. Joe M. Jackson.
Originally from Newman Georgia, Col. Jackson spent the remainder of his life in Washington and lived in Kent until he passed away in 2019 at the age of 95. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Photo Credit: Nick DelCalzo