Call to Quarters - Fork Union Military Academy

John Jackson (second from left) standing with members of his crew and a fellow FAC pilot in front of the lightairplane he piloted in Vietnam in 398 combat missions as a Forward Air Controller.The Summer of ‘69Soon it was the summer of 1969. The Beatleswere broken up, John Lennon and Yoko Onorecorded “Give Peace a Chance” from their “bedin”at the Queen Elizabeth hotel in Montreal,and a young Captain Jackson headed off to dutyin Vietnam with the 22nd Tactical Air SupportSquadron. As Neil Armstrong walked on themoon and 400,000 young people gathered atWoodstock, Captain Jackson piloted a smallCessna O-1 “Bird Dog” airplane over hostile territoryas a Forward Air Controller flying out ofSoc Trang Air Base in the Republic of Vietnam.The duties of an FAC typically involved flyinglow and slow over enemy-held territory, markingtargets for the tactical fighter-bombers to hit anddirecting their strikes, all while dodging groundfire and avoiding missiles in a vulnerable lightairplane.Jackson is characteristically reticent on thesubject of his service in Vietnam and reluctantto speak of those days, but the record shows thatthen Captain Jackson, call sign “David Three-One,” flew 398 combat missions during hismonths in Vietnam.He performed the duties required of him ina manner that earned him the DistinguishedFlying Cross, the Bronze Star Medal, and theAir Medal with 14 oak leaf clusters (indicatingthis medal was earned a total of fifteen times),among other awards.The Distinguished Flying Cross is awardedfor individual acts of heroism or extraordinaryachievement in aerial flight above and beyondthe call of duty.With typical self-deprecating humor, Jacksonremarks that these medals were awarded for “beingshot at -- a lot.”12 Call to Quarters