Coweta County's Medal of Honor recipients will be honored next week, and the two -- Col. Joe M. Jackson and the late Maj. Stephen W. Pless -- were also a focus at the Veterans Day program held at Lee Middle School.
A number of local schools hold Veterans Day observances -- spread over several days -- each year. The program at Lee on Thursday morning was one of the first for 2009. Dr. Bob Heaberlin, principal at Lee, read the citations honoring Jackson and Pless during the assembly in the gymnasium.
Both Jackson and Pless were honored for daring rescues of American soldiers. Their service "came from the Vietnam War," Heaberlin said.
Jackson piloted a C-123 Provider transport aircraft to conduct a rescue on May 12, 1968, near Kham Duc. The rescue by Pless, a UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" helicopter pilot, was near Quang Nai on Aug. 19, 1967.
The two Newnan natives received the Medal of Honor from Pres. Lyndon Johnson in a White House ceremony on Jan. 16, 1969 -- just four days before Johnson left office.
Pless, who died in a 1969 motorcycle accident, was the only Marine aviator to receive the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War.
Jackson was in the U.S. Army Air Corps and then the U.S. Air Force. He was in the military for 33 years -- including service in World War II and Korea, as well as Vietnam.
Statues of the Medal of Honor heroes are to be dedicated during the community Veterans Day program on Wednesday at Veterans Memorial Plaza just north of Newnan's downtown business district. That program will start at 11 a.m.
Joe Dumas, a military veteran who now teaches at Lee, told the students the Medal of Honor is "the highest award that is offered to military personnel for wartime duty." Heaberlin described the medal as "the highest award your country can give."
Each veteran present was recognized by Heaberlin, who gave a short rundown of the person's military history. Veterans stood in groups at the front of the room -- gathering by branches of service. Sustained applause followed the presentation of each branch.
Students who were related to veterans stood as their relatives' names were called. Veterans also stood while the chorus sang their branch's song.
Heaberlin told the students the veterans program took place on "one of the best days we have" during the school year -- a time to honor family members and others who have served in the military.
Dumas welcomed the veterans at the program. He said it felt good "to look out to see my fellow war dogs." He spoke of the bonds that connect all veterans.
"We've been exposed to the same things, and we've chewed the same dirt," he said.
Heaberlin gave a brief history of wars involving American troops. He explained that he is able to trace his ancestry to a Revolutionary War soldier and recounted military men in his family tree through succeeding generations.
He also talked about the role played by military spouses. Heaberlin remembered his mother caring for the family while his father served in the military. The family once lived in France, far from any other Americans.
Heaberlin also spoke of his grandmother, a Rosie the Riveter who worked in a plant making military supplies during World War II.
"We want to thank the spouses of our veterans," the principal said.
The band and chorus at Lee Middle provided patriotic music for the program. The music students wore T-shirts with the names of branches of the service. The colors of the shirts were -- red, Marines; blue, Navy; gray, Air Force; orange, Coast Guard; and black, Army.
Naima Waddy, assistant principal, read "In Flander's Fields," and Cindy Bennett, assistant principal , shared the history of "Taps." Dumas talked about military medals and what they mean, and Brock Meeker, Lee's Student Council president, led the pledge of allegiance.
A color guard from the East Coweta High School Marine Corps JROTC presented the colors.
Several World War II veterans attended the program at Lee. There also were veterans of the wars in Korea and Vietnam and of military engagements in Somalia, Haiti and the Persian Gulf. "This is like a history book here today," Heaberlin reflected.
