Notable People from nearby Justin Texas

Justin, Texas - Since 1883

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Justin Texas Area Historical Society
Nearby Notables webpage

Notable People & Events from Nearby Towns and Communities

World War Two - Sadly, those who fought World War Two are becoming fewer and fewer. Several genuine heroes of WWII hailed from Denton County.

Robert Hal Jackson - WWII Navy Fighter Pilot - USN VF-17 Jolly Rogers and VBF-10 - 3 confirmed kills

Hal is currently being honored with a display at: Denton County Courts Building, 1450 E. McKinney St., Denton

Hal Jackson left the University of Texas Law School to begin Naval Aviation training on January 1, 1942. He served three tours of duty in the South Pacific during World War II as a member of US Navy Fighter Squadron Seventeen (VF-17), the 'Jolly Rogers' or 'Skull and Crossbones' Squadron. Later he flew with US Navy Fighter-Bomber Squadron Ten (VBF-10). As a member of VBF-10, he was stationed on the carrier Intrepid and took part in the sinking of Japan’s largest battleship, the Yamato, for which he received the Silver Star. He flew more than 120 combat missions. He was part of an attack in which U.S. forces sank two cruisers, five destroyers and the Japanese battleship Yamato. Jackson and his fellow fighter pilots escorted the bombers and he himself dropped a bomb and staffed the ships.
The following is from a 1945 Denton Record-Chronicle story which featured Hal Jackson:

"Local Army and Navy Pilots Swap Notes on Air Battles",
Highlighting Lieut. Jackson's memories of his more recent tour of duty [his second] is the famed attack that the Navy Air Force made on the Jap fleet April 7, when two cruisers, five destroyers and the 45,000-ton super battleship, Yamato, were sunk.
"We'd been sent on a number of searching parties to look for the fleet before," Lieut. Jackson laughed, "and when we pulled off the carrier that day, none of us figured we'd be in for much excitement. When the fleet was finally sighted, the fighter planes that were covering the bombers swooped low over the ships to drop their 1,000 pound bombs, strafing the surfaces of the ship as they went. Luck was with me," Lieut. Jackson said. "I was one of the last of about 380 planes to go over and about 10 minutes after I dropped my bomb, I saw the Yamato explode into a million pieces. It was the first battleship I had ever seen go down and it was a sight I'll never forget.".

Robert Bailey had a print offering of the attack on the Yamato which depicted Hal Jackson's airplane during the attack. it was signed by Hal Jackson.

USN Navy Fighter Pilot Hal Jackson of Denton, Tx

Hal’s WWII decorations include:

2 Distinguished Flying Crosses
8 Air Medals
Silver Star
World War II Victory Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Navy Unit Commendation
Hal also shot down three Japanese planes.

Amusing anecdote: "Starting on December 2nd, Fighting-17 enjoyed two weeks of R&R in Australia. Bacchus and Eros were well-honored. On the 15th, they went to Espiritu Santo for re-fit and re-organize. They welcomed Bobby Mims and Oc Chenoweth, while Lem Cooke and Jack Chasnoff departed. It was also announced that they would set up shop at a new forward base on Bougainville. Toward the end of their stay at Espiritu Santo, they realized they had a problem - 148 cases of beer they had acquired. Transport by ship was out of the question; it would be a 100% loss. Finally Hal Jackson, the scrounger, figured that the roomy ammunition cans inside the F4Us could hold a lot of beer. A little arithmetic indicated that if each of the Corsairs carried one-third of its ammo capacity, the beer could fit in the remaining space. Blackburn confirmed that 24 Corsairs, thus armed, could deal with any possible Jap opposition. When they arrived at Bougainville, each pilot gave his plane captain a can opener and invited him to have a cold one". - from AcePilots.com
After the war ended he returned to a career as a lawyer that spanned decades in Denton County Texas. Robert Hal Jackson passed away at the age of 87 on Saturday, January 19, 2008, at his home. He was buried at the I.O.O.F. Cemetery. Hal Jackson was born in Denton, November 29, 1920 to Brent C. Jackson, Sr. and Stormy Wilkins Jackson. He married Barbara Hancock on November 14, 1942 in the St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Denton. Hal graduated from Denton High School in 1937 and UNT in 1941. After World War Two he served two terms as Representative in the Texas Legislature, and finished his law education at Baylor University and SMU, receiving his law license in 1952. He was an active trial lawyer until his retirement in 2003. Hal was a member of the Denton County Bar Association, the Denton County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and a founding member of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. He served two terms on the Denton Airport Board, and was a supporter of the Boy Scouts of America.

Roger Ramey - After fighting in WWII, Roger Ramey of Denton became the commander of Roswell Army Air Field in New Mexico.

Roger Ramey, who went on to become a Major General during his 29 years of service, was the son of Mr. and Mrs. M.L. Ramey. He was a 1920 graduate of Denton High School, and he attended what is now the University of North Texas and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He was at Hickam Field in Hawaii at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Later during World War Two he led a raid on Tokyo. After WWII, he was on the plane (as project commander) that dropped an atom bomb in a test at the Bikini Islands in 1946.
H e got the most publicity when he was serving as the commander of New Mexico's Roswell Army Air Field, where in June 1947 debris from an unknown object led to speculation about the discovery of an alien from outer space. Gen. Ramey declared that the debris was from a high-altitude weather balloon and not an alien craft. Speaking of Alien Crash Sites - learn the history of the alleged UFO crash at Aurora, Tx which is 16 miles West of Justin, Tx.

We would like to compile a list of everyone who has served (From sovereignty Texians, to todays Texans). If you, or someone you know, has served in the US Armed Forces and are from the Justin area, please let us know here at JTXAHS.

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