Rank: Captain
Unit: Air Cavalry Troop, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
MOS: 1542 – Infantry Unit Commander
Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device, Purple Heart Medal, Air Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Badges: Combat Infantryman Badge, Army Aviator Badge, Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab
Unit awards: Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm device
Note: AH-1G, Tail # 67-015861, Pilot
Flight class 69-12, Fort Wolters, Texas
Enlisted by: Regular
Date of birth: 14-Jan-1943
Hometown: Ft Benning, Georgia
Marital status: Married to Roselyn J. Jackson
Campaign: Vietnam Conflict
Entered service: 14-Oct-1964
Start of tour: 11-Aug-1969
Incident date: 5-Sep-1969
Date of casualty: 5-Sep-1969
Age at death: 26
Cause of death: Hostile, died. Helicopter Crash — Crew (MC). Aircraft loss, crash not at sea.
Fred Orr Jackson Jr was killed while pilot of a military aircraft on a combat operation when the aircraft was fired upon by hostile ground forces. The aircraft crashed and burned. / Pilot on AH-1G aircraft on combat mission. Aircraft received hostile ground fire and crashed and burned.
Two Blackhorse troopers died in this incident:
CPT Fred Orr Jackson Jr
WO Terrance Edward Ledden
Location of fatality: Binh Long, South Vietnam, XU 709 112
Place of interment: Fort Benning Post Cemetery, Fort Benning, Georgia, USA
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DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS
POSTHUMOUS
CAPTAIN FRED ORR JACKSON JR, INFANTRY
5 SEPTEMBER 1969
AIR CAVALRY TROOP
11TH ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT
Captain Jackson distinguished himself by heroism while participating in aerial flight evidenced by voluntary actions above and beyond the call of duty on 5 September 1969, while serving as a helicopter pilot with the Air Cavalry Troop, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, in the Republic of Vietnam. On this date in the vicinity of Loc Ninh, Captain Jackson was flying cover for a light observation helicopter which was performing a visual reconnaissance of the area. Suddenly the aircraft came under a heavy barrage of enemy ground fire which seriously damaged it. Captain Jackson immediately gave the pilot instructions for arriving safely at the Quan Loi basecamp and simultaneously set his gunship for a run on the enemy emplacements. Disregarding the intense hostile fire directed at his aircraft, he brought a highly accurate barrage of machine gun fire on the positions. He then broke contact and followed the damaged light helicopter, contacting the medical facilities and alerting them to the situation. When the disabled ship had landed safely, Captain Jackson volunteered to return to the same area with a second observation helicopter. He directed the aircraft out of the line of hostile fire when suddenly intense machine gun fire swept the gunship, setting it aflame. He began returning to the base camp, but the gunship was too severely damaged and crashed, killing him. Captain Jackson’s unwavering devotion to duty and personal courage were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
Headquarters, II Field Force Vietnam, General Orders No. 2811 (17 October 1969)