CLAY NATIONAL GUARD CENTER, Marietta, Ga. May 10, 2012 – Colonel Joe M. Jackson addressed a gathering of Soldiers and Airmen of the Georgia National Guard nearly 44-years to the day after earning the Congressional Medal of Honor for combat actions during the Vietnam War. Jackson, an Air Force aviator veteran of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, recounted a 33-year career of military service and sacrifice.

On May 12, 1968, Jackson piloted a C-123 cargo plane that successfully extracted three Air Force combat controllers who were pinned down when their camp at Kham Duc was overrun. While under heavy fire and after six aircraft had been shot down, Jackson landed his aircraft near the trapped combat controllers. Despite rocket, mortar, and small arms fire, Jackson successfully took off with the Air Force personnel on board.

Jackson is one of only 81 living Congressional Medal of Honor recipients and is the oldest surviving recipient from the Vietnam War. A native of Newnan, Ga., Jackson received the Congressional Medal of Honor from President Lyndon Johnson at a White House ceremony on January 16, 1969.

At the conclusion of his remarks, Jackson was presented with the Minute Man Award by Brig Gen. Joe Jarrard, Assistant Adjutant General for the Georgia Army National Guard. The event is one of a series organized by the Georgia Guard in commemoration of the upcoming Memorial Day, which also featured comments by Maj. Gen. Jim Butterworth, Georgia’s Adjutant General; Georgia State Senator Don Balfour; Col. Brent Bracewell, Director of the Georgia National Guard Joint Staff; and Lt. Col. Manny Haldopoulos, Deputy Director of Joint Strategic Plans and Policies.

For Further Information, Contact 1st Lt. William Carraway, Media Relations Officer, Georgia Department of Defense:  (404) 788-1487 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it