Service Thursday for Medal of Honor recipient Art Jackson
A military service to honor Boise resident Art Jackson, a World War II hero who killed 50 Japanese soldiers and saved countless American lives during a fierce battle on the Pacific island of Peleliu, will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery.
The service will include a flyover by U.S. Marine Corps pilots, singing by the Boise Police Department Honor Guard Choir, taps by U.S. Army veteran Larré Robertson and remarks by Chaplain Bill Rose of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 63.
The cemetery is located at 10100 N Horseshoe Bend Road.
Jackson, 92, died Wednesday at the Boise VA Medical Center.
Jackson was one of nine Marines who were presented the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration, for their actions on Peleliu. Besides killing the Japanese soldiers, Jackson destroyed a dozen enemy pillboxes.
Fighting for control of the island lasted for two months, beginning in September 1944. The Japanese, entrenched in caves, killed 1,800 American soldiers and injured 8,000 more.
John Sowell: 208-377-6423, @IDS_Sowell
This story was originally published June 19, 2017 at 4:31 PM with the headline "Service Thursday for Medal of Honor recipient Art Jackson."