The nature of sacrifice is such that something of great value is irrevocably forfeited. When a human life is sacrificed the person who made the sacrifice and those who love them are undeniably changed; forever. But it goes even further. Others who knew them, and some who only hear of their sacrifice are forever changed. Such is the case here.
In early May 1967 word reached Shreveport that Marine Lance Corporal John Wendell Jackson had been killed in Vietnam. The helicopter in which he was performing his duties was brought down by hostile fire. Both Wendell and the helicopter pilot died in the crash. The Shreveport Times ran Wendell's obituary, probably on Sunday May 14, 1967. That was Mother’s Day in 1967.
Two photos are in the obituary. One is of Wendell and the other of his father. Both were killed in wars they undertook in service to their country. The father, Lt. Wendell Holmes Jackson, was 26 when he died on June 8, 1944, during the Normandy Invasion. His infant son, Wendell, was only one month old when Lt. Jackson last saw him. Wendell died on May 12, 1967, at age 23.
Wendell grew up in Shreveport. His Mother Eursle Roberson Jackson never remarried after the death of her husband and worked at United Gas to support her family. Wendell graduated from Fair Park High School and joined the Marines in 1961. He planned to make the military his career. In about 1966 he met and married Jerry Norsworthy of Fisher, LA. Jerry had attended Northwestern State and worked as a nurse at Schumpert Hospital. She and Wendell were able to share a place of their own for only about a month before he shipped out for Vietnam. Jerry moved in with her Mother-in-Law to await Wendell’s return.
Even though Wendell and I attended Fair Park High School at the same time we did not know each other. Such are the realities of life when you attend a large school. In fact, I spent most of my adult life not even knowing that one of my classmates had died in Vietnam. After I was told of Wendell’s death by Lionel Wright, a classmate who was one of Wendell’s best friends, I felt compelled to learn more about Wendell and his family. I located Wendell’s mother, Mrs. Eursle Roberson Jackson, living in the San Antonio area. She is a most remarkable woman. Even though she lost both her husband and her only child in war she is neither bitter nor remorseful. When I spoke with her she was in her mid-80’s, still active both physically and mentally, and still honors the memories of her husband and son. She provided her favorite picture of Wendell to use in his obituary that I have included on the Classmate Memorial page of the Fair Park Class of 1961 website.
Mrs. Jackson also put me in touch with Wendell’s widow Jerry. She remarried after Wendell's death and now lives in North Carolina. Jerry told me that she and her husband honor Wendell’s sacrifice by visiting the Vietnam Memorial Wall each Memorial Day. Jerry also maintains contact with Wendell’s Mom and sends her birthday cards and flowers each year. That’s classy behavior in my book.
My involvement in this story amounts to little more than touching faint images of the reality. However, it was impossible to learn of the sacrifices made by Wendell, his Dad, his Mom, and his wife and walk away untouched. I’ve thought at length about the pain that Wendell’s Mom and wife endured, the simple joys they never experienced, the children and grandchildren that will never be born, and the strength and dignity they have shown in dealing with their losses. It was a gut wrenching experience for me. And it has changed forever how I look at the sacrifices of war.
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