***
Friday, November 24, 2006
The Central Maine Morning Sentinel
The family of soldier killed in Iraq is inviting Mainers to celebrate his life and help his widow get back on her feet, as she struggles to raise four young children.
Staff Sgt. William "Jack" Samuel Jackson II, who was killed earlier this month by a roadside bomb, will be honored Sunday at a memorial service in Thomaston, said Pastor Scott Townsend of the Calvary Baptist Church in Warren. The service will be held at 2 p.m. at Georges Valley High School.
The family has also set up a fund to benefit Jackson's widow, Katie, and her four children, Zachariah, 6; Levi, 4; Samuel, 2; and Hannah, seven months. Katie Jackson lives in Saginaw, Mich., but her husband grew up in Thomaston, where he and his family are well known.
Sunday's service precedes a formal burial ceremony with full military honors on Wednesday at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
"The family wanted to do this (local memorial service and fund) because quite a number of people were wondering how they could help," Townsend said Wednesday.
Jackson's parents, William S. and Carolyn A. Jackson of Warren, have been members of Calvary Baptist Church for more than 20 years. A public fellowship gathering and meal will be held at the Route 1
church following the memorial service. A contingent of Patriot Guard Riders, a motorcycle group that has participated in services for other Maine soldiers killed in action, will be on hand for Sunday's service,
said Ken Barrett, a rider captain in Friendship.
Gov. John E. Baldacci has ordered that all U.S. and state flags be flown at half staff from sunrise to sunset on Sunday. The governor plans to attend the service.
Katie Jackson, the fallen soldier's wife, will be unable to attend because her family will be holding a memorial service in Michigan on Saturday.
According to the Department of Defense Web site, the 29-year-old Jackson was killed on Nov. 11 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during a combat operation in Ramadi. Two other soldiers were killed in the attack.
The soldiers were assigned to the 16th Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, which is based in Giessen, Germany.
Jackson attended Christian schools, graduating from the Calvary Family School in 1995.
"I remember that he was always smiling," said his third grade teacher, Christine Reed of Nobleboro. "And even at that age he wanted to be a soldier. He acted like a soldier sometimes in class, pretending he was
firing a machine gun and such things. He was a very bright young man, a very tender person."
After graduating from the Calvary Family School in Warren, Jackson participated in a mission to India where he helped with Bible translation. He also took part in missions to Mexico, Venezuela and
North Africa.
Don Champeon, a former pastor of the church and close friend of the Jackson family, will be the principal speaker at Sunday's service.
Brad Wiggin of Camden was childhood friends with Jackson. Though they grew apart over time, Wiggin said that whenever he saw his friend in his adult years, Jackson was the same person he knew when they were eight.
"He always loved his family. I think that is because he has great parents, who instilled him with a strong family values," Wiggin said.
Jackson attended Northland Baptist Bible College in Dunbar, Wis., where he met his wife. He majored in Hebrew and Greek. Prior to their marriage on March 18, 2000 in Tennessee, Jackson enlisted in the Marines. He was deployed to Bosnia, Pakistan and Afghanistan during his tour with the Marines.
Jackson returned for a while to midcoast Maine where he worked for Telford Aviation. He eventually re-enlisted with the Army and was deployed to Iraq in January 2006.
The Jackson family has created a memorial fund to benefit William and Katie Jackson's children. Donations should be sent to: Jack Jackson Memorial Fund; care of Damariscotta Bank and Trust, P.O. Box 1067, Warren, ME, 04864
*Reader comments*
Nov 24, 2006 12:52 PM
Westboro Baptist Church (the ones who picket funerals of fallen soldiers, children, etc in the name of their cult) is planning to picket Sgt. Jackson's funeral Sunday.
