Arthur J. Jackson
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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.
Arthur J. Jackson | |
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Born | (1924-10-18)October 18, 1924 Cleveland, Ohio |
Died | June 14, 2017(2017-06-14) (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) |
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]