Wish I could have met Jake Lindsey

palebluedot

Active Member
While sitting beside the fire with 6 inches of snow outside (rare for south MS), I was rummaging through some photos I took last summer on one of many motorcycle day rides. One of those rides took me through Clara, MS, a rural community in the southeastern part of the state. I happened to stop next to a small cemetery for a butt break after riding for several miles.
It was a nice sunny day and I decided to tour around the cemetery while off the motorcycle. I wonder what the lives of the people buried there might have been like. There were many very old graves dating back to the Civil War era, but many that were much newer.
Then I happened upon a grave that I never expected to find in such a remote place, WWII Medal of Honor winner Jake W. Lindsey Sr. He is buried less than 50 miles from where I have lived for 63 years, but I had never heard of him and we don't have many war heroes that near. Returning to the motorcycle I promised to find out more about him, but had let it slip my mind until running across the photo again.
He was awarded the 100th Medal of Honor in WWII. It was awarded by President Truman before a joint Session of Congress, the only time it was ever done. The citation (below) reads like nothing Hollywood could ever perceive. If that was not enough, he then saw duty in the Korean War. This guy was the REAL Rambo. He died of a heart attack in 1988 at the age of 67.
Thank you Jake, I wish that I could have met you.

Technical Sergeant Lindsey assumed a position about ten yards to the front of his platoon during an intense enemy infantry-tank counterattack near Hamich, Germany. By his unerringly accurate fire he destroyed two enemy machine gun nests, forced the withdrawal of two tanks, and effectively halted enemy flanking patrols. Later, although painfully wounded, he engaged eight Germans, who were reestablishing machine gun positions, in hand-to-hand combat, killing three, capturing three, and causing the other two to flee.

http://www.homeofheroes.com/gravesites/states/pages_go/lindsey_jake.html
 
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porthole

Retired
Less then 1/3 mile from my house is a Civil War MOH recipient grave site. The only interest it ever receives is an annual flag raising by the high school NJROTC unit.

If you ever want to be awed by heroic actions spend a couple of hours on the CMOH site.

http://www.cmohs.org/
 

buckeyebob

Well-known member
we are walking in their footprints,and there is no way we can fill them!!thank you once again to all veterans for their sacrifices big or small.just watch tv and the events in iran.we can protest,gripe ,scream and yell and we still are free!!!! buckeyebob
 
Thanks for sharing, I spent the last several hours looking over the MOH web site. MOH winner, Bernie Fischer Lives near me and my son who is a Chief Master Sgt in the Air Force helps clean his yard and fix up his house a couple of times a year. Thanks to all of the Vets for all they have done. We love you
 

goldenbetty

goldenbetty
Some close friends of our, both retired Marines, have now been to their third child's graduation from Boot Camp. Their two older children have been to Iraq and Afghanistan 2 x. We went to their third child's coming home party this past weekend. He will report back to N.C. next week, then on to Oklahoma, then off to you know where. Prayers welcome. Fine family, dedicating their lives to keep us free. God Bless them all who serve for us.
 
While serving his tour in Korea now a 2nd Lt. Jake W. Lindsey was nominated once more for the Congressional Medal of Honor, and at that time was ordered to retire. I am not sure of his actions at that time for it is not talked about much in my family. I first learned of my uncles acts of valor while studying Alabama History. In the text books at that time there was a list of recipients form Alabama in it and I asked my grandmother about him.
 

porthole

Retired
At the recent NJ rally Bill and I went over to a small Viet Nam era museum. There in a display case was something I had never seen before, a MoH.
 
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