Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Former Resident Honored By French Government

June 6, 1944, Omaha Beach, Normandy, France.

This day has special meaning for the freedom of the world, and will forever be known as "D-Day." On this day, invasion forces hit the beach at Normandy to attack the German Nazi soldiers and turned the tide of World War II in favor of the allied attack.

The invasion of Normandy, code name "Overlord", was also one of the bloodiest battles fought during WW II, as more than 9,000 American GI's gave their lives in the first 24 hours of the attack.

The Battle of Normandy, however, lasted from June 6-24, 1944, ending with the Nazis being ousted.

Because of this, survivors and/or their families of the first 24-hours of "D-Day" had the opportunity to get a Jubilee of Liberty Medal from the French government.

A former resident of Prescott received this honor. Marshall G. Jackson's widow, Evelyn Jackson, of Waldo, received the medal through the mail recently.

She was sent a letter from the Counseil Regional de Basse-Normandie, through the Directeur de Cabinet of Phillipe Forin, stating French President Rene' Garrec, answered favorably for Jackson receiving the Jubilee of Liberty medal. The medal, Forin wrote, was offered by the Regional Council of Lower Normandy in memory of her husband.

Mrs. Jackson said her husband earned seven bronze stars during his time in the European Theater, coming home with one silver star and two bronze stars.

The couple were newlyweds, by and large, when he was drafted. They had been married a scant 16 months. But, on May 5, 1942, Jackson received his draft notice.

While he was overseas, his wife went to nursing school and became a Licensed Practical Nurse to do her part during the war.

Jackson, though, was all over the European front, fighting in Africa at French Morocco, the battle of the Black Forest in Germany, where he was lost for 10 days with no one knowing if he was alive or dead, and, of course the Battle of Normandy.

Jackson's war efforts caught the notice of President Harry S. Truman, who presented him with the Presidential Citation.

As a member of the 17th Armored Engineering Battalion, U.S. Second Armored Division, Jackson also saw action in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, traveling through Algeria, Tunisia and England.

The Second Armored invaded North Africa, Sicily and Omaha Beach, while also campaigning in Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland and Central Europe.

These efforts during WW II resulted in notice from the Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge, Penn. This organization constructed an "Altar of Battles" the Second Armored Division fought in during the war.

This altar was made from large stones from each state and country the division traveled through from Benning to Berlin.

Along the walkway are brass plaques naming each battalion and regiment in the order of their battle casualties. Additionally, a tree was planted in memory of each Congressional of Medal recipient.

When the war ended, Jackson returned home and started working as a carpenter. According to his wife, Jackson was the foreman for Whitehead Construction Co. of Magnolia until he retired.

He died seven years ago from complications of cancer, never knowing about the Liberty Medal.

Mrs. Jackson received a video from the Second Armored Division's reunion club showing what had been captured on film during WW II, from the time the division entered the foray until its last reunion in 1997.

She said most of the soldiers in the Second Armored Division were from the North and East, while Jackson was one of the very few from the South, and the only one from Arkansas.

"The medal brought back memories," she said. "It was a nightmare (the war years)."

There were times, she said, when she didn't know if her husband were alive or not, and after the war ended, she didn't know he'd survived until he showed up at home. Jackson was officially discharged from the army Sept. 30, 1945.

When the war began, there were 12,000 men in the Second Armored Division. Of this, some 8,000 were killed, wounded or captured during the war, with 4,000 making it home after fighting in seven campaigns and traveling more than 1,700 miles in battle.