DONALD G. JACKSON, LCDR, USN
Donald Jackson '44
Lucky Bag
From the 1944 Lucky Bag:
Donald Gordon Jackson
Pasadena, California
His popularity and readiness to “go to bat” for his classmates were proved by his election as company representative. He kept in shape with soccer and lacrosse, and the rows of numerals on his bathrobe proudly stated that he played on the teams which won the Regimental championships. “Jack’s” favorite remark, “I can’t resist women,” was a consummate falsehood. To be sure, he paid attention to all of the ladies but with the result that none captured his heart, while his long eyelashes made them swoon at his feet. Always honest with himself, Don is certain to make as high a bow wave as have former naval heroes.
The Class of 1944 was graduated in June 1943 due to World War II. The entirety of 2nd class (junior) year was removed from the curriculum.
Donald Gordon Jackson
Pasadena, California
His popularity and readiness to “go to bat” for his classmates were proved by his election as company representative. He kept in shape with soccer and lacrosse, and the rows of numerals on his bathrobe proudly stated that he played on the teams which won the Regimental championships. “Jack’s” favorite remark, “I can’t resist women,” was a consummate falsehood. To be sure, he paid attention to all of the ladies but with the result that none captured his heart, while his long eyelashes made them swoon at his feet. Always honest with himself, Don is certain to make as high a bow wave as have former naval heroes.
The Class of 1944 was graduated in June 1943 due to World War II. The entirety of 2nd class (junior) year was removed from the curriculum.
Obituary
From The Enterprise of Lexington Park, Maryland, on October 13, 1955 (formerly at http://stmalib.archivalweb.com/scans/stmalib/ENTERPRISE/1955/1955-10-13_001.pdf):
Air Crash Victim Rites At Arlington
LCDR Donald Gordon Jackson, 34, of the NATC, Patuxent River, Md., who was killed on October 6 in a plane crash on the Eastern Shore, was buried with full military honors at Arlington Cemetery on Tuesday, October 11.
Th burial followed funeral services in the chapel at Fort Myer, Va. He is survived by his wife, Charme B. Jackson, and two children, Donald G. "Chip" Jackson, 10, and Terri Charme Jackson, 5.
His plane crashed near Hebron, Md. after a mid-air collision with another jet fighter piloted by Lt. Valentine H. Schaeffer, Jr. Lt. Schaeffer parachuted to safety.
The two aircraft crashed to the ground about two miles apart. Both pilots were attached to the Armament Test Division.
LCDR Jackson was a graduate of the Bullis School in Washington. He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and graduated from the Naval Academy in 1944.
He served on the Battleship USS North Carolina during the world war and spent two combat tours in Korea. He was a graduate of the Test Pilot Training School at Patuxent River.
Other Information
From researcher Kathy Franz:
Donald served in the Florida National Guard's 31st Infantry Division. He enlisted on July 7, 1938; and at the time, he was living in White Plains, New York.
He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
