Arthur J. Jackson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | October 18, 1924 Cleveland, Ohio |
| Died | June 14, 2017 (aged 92) Boise, Idaho |
| Buried | Idaho State Veterans Cemetery, Boise, Idaho |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service | United States Marine Corps United States Army |
| Years of service | 1943–1984 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines |
| Battles / wars | World War II Korean War |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Purple Heart (2) |
Captain Arthur Junior Jackson (October 18, 1924 – June 14, 2017) was a United States Marine who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on Peleliu during World War II.[1][2] At the age of 19, PFC Jackson single-handedly destroyed 12 enemy pillboxes and killed 50 enemy soldiers. He was also the last surviving recipient of the Medal of Honor from the Battle of Peleliu.
On September 30, 1961, while serving at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Jackson fatally shot a Cuban worker named Rubén Sabariego, who he suspected was a communist spy, in self-defense after Sabariego attacked him.[1] He eventually buried the body in a shallow grave, but word leaked out.[1][2][3] He left the Marine Corps in 1962 after being denied a court-martial to clear his name.[1]
- ^ a b c d Adam Bernstein (June 17, 2017). "Arthur Jackson, Medal of Honor recipient for WWII 'one-man assault' at Peleliu, dies at 92". The Washington Post.
- ^ a b
Tim Woodward (May 26, 2013). "Tim Woodward: WWII hero breaks long silence over shooting at Guantanamo". Idaho Statesman. Archived from the original on 2013-06-29. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
Lopez died instantly. And Jackson was about to make a decision that would change his life, putting him at odds with the highest levels of President John F. Kennedy's administration. He hid the body. "I hoped no one would find out," he said. "The world found out."
- ^ Jana K. Lipman (2009). Guantánamo: A Working-class History Between Empire and Revolution. University of California Press. pp. 173–174. ISBN 9780520942370. Retrieved 2013-05-27.