George Jackson

George D. Jackson, 73, a retired US Air Force major, died July 8th at Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Mr. Jackson was born in Richwood, West Virginia, the oldest of four children. He graduated from Richwood High School in 1952 and worked in the coal mining industry doing various jobs including surveying. He joined the Air Force through the Aviation Cadets Program in 1955.
Major Jackson served 21 years of distinguished service in the US Air Force. He graduated from Undergraduate Navigator Training and Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) School in 1957. He served as a B-52 Electronics Weapons Officer at Loring AFB, Maine, Biggs AFB, Texas, Walker AFB, New Mexico, and Westover AFB, Massachusetts. Major Jackson retired from his final Air Force assignment at the Richmond Radar Bomb Scoring (RBS) Site, Richmond, Kentucky. Major Jackson served in various leadership positions including two tours in Standardization and Evaluation (STAN BOARD), Electronic Warfare Instructor, RBS Operations Officer and RBS Commander. He accomplished five deployments to South East Asia from 1967 through 1972. His decorations include the Bronze Star, the Air Medal (3 oak leaf clusters), the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Air Force Commendation Medal.
Mr. Jackson earned a BS in Business Education from Eastern Kentucky University. After retiring from the Air Force in 1976, he worked various interests including teaching, real estate, and auctioneering. He retired to Long Beach, Mississippi in 1987 where he was an avid golfer, gardener, and card enthusiast.
His wife of 45 years, Tina Marie LaRosa of Long Beach, Mississippi, died in July, 2004.
Survivors include two daughters and a son, Dianna Clarkson of Lexington, Kentucky, Sally Crain of Spotsylvania, Virginia and Donald Jackson of Atlanta, Georgia. He is also survived by his sister, Elaine Travis, his brother Norman Jackson, and his eight grandchildren.
The family will receive friends on Sunday, 15 July from 6 to 8 p.m. at the RIEMANNFAMILY'S Gulf Coast Funeral Home, 11280 Three Rivers Rd., Gulfport, Mississippi. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, 16 July followed by an internment with military honors at Biloxi National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, a donation in memory of George Jackson may be made to the Richwood High School Alumni Scholarship Fund, PO Box 408, Richwood, WV 26261-0408. An electronic guest book is available to send condolences to the family at www.riemannfamily.com.