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<em>Charles Ream Jackson </em>was born in Petersburg, Virginia, on 14 July 1898. His parents were Montgomery Chamberlayne Jackson and Isabel Biscoe Jackson, and his only brother is Montgomery Chamberlayne Jackson.</div>
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In June 1917 Charles entered the United States Military Academy at West Point and was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Regular Army on 1 November 1918 as a member of the Class of June 1919. After a month's leave, Charles re-entered the Academy as a member of the Student Officers Battalion on 1 December 1918. During his stay in the Academy he developed an interest in history, especially in Roman history, that he never relinquished. Any mention of a name, place, or date of the Roman era to Charlie brought an immediate response with complete factual information of the background, action, and results connected with the subject.</div>
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Charlie went overseas with the Class during the summer of 1919, returned, and served in the Army until 19 January 1920, when his resignation was accepted. He then accepted a commission as a First Lieutenant in the Virginia National Guard on 20 February 1920 and held it until 17 June 1920, when he resigned.</div>
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Shortly after leaving the National Guard, Charlie accepted a commission in the Regular Army Infantry on 30 November 1920, transferring to the Coast Artillery on 8 June 1923, where he was promoted to First Lieutenant on 25 July 1924, but for some unknown reason, resigned on 27 July 1925.</div>
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From 23 October 1925 until 11 April 1927, Charlie held a Reserve Officer’s commission as First Lieutenant, Infantry, but had no active duty. During this period he worked for awhile for the Dupont Chemical Company.</div>
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Charlie’s Marine Corps career began when he enlisted at Detroit, Michigan, on 3 September 1927 as a private. He served in China for a total of almost three years, Nicaragua one year, and the Philippines for one year. He now was a First Sergeant, but became a temporary Sergeant Major on 14 August 1940, Meanwhile he was sent to Pearl Harbor, 2 July 1940, and to China on 14 November 1940, then returned to the Philippines on 1 December 1941.</div>
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When the Japanese invaded Luzon after the Pearl Harbor attack, Charlie was active in the fighting in Bataan, his unit, the Fourth Marines, being stationed on Corregidor. Charlie said he was verbally given the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, but no papers were issued, and after the war no records were available. I think Charlie was correct. When I was in Sixth Army Headquarters, 1948-51, I remember someone asking me if I had a classmate who was a Marine officer on Corregidor, but unfortunately I had to reply that I did not know.</div>
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During the fighting on Corregidor, Charlie was awarded the Purple Heart on 2 May 1942, and a Gold Star in lieu of a second Purple Heart on 6 May 1942. He also was awarded the Silver Star on 13 April 1942 for his bravery in saving the lives of his comrades while under direct enemy fire.</div>
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After the surrender of Corregidor, Charlie was taken north to Cabanatuan. There he managed to escape from the Japanese, and helped a small group of Americans to organize a Filipino guerrilla unit to harass the Japanese, When the Japanese organized a major retaliation against the guerrillas, Charlie started south on Luzon, hoping to work his way to Borneo or to Australia. While traveling south he contracted a severe case of malaria and became unconscious. He had given away most of his supply of quinine. When the Japanese found him, they gave him quinine and recaptured him. He was held in Manila for awhile, and then sent to Japan. There he worked in a copper mine and in the scrap metal department of a Japanese steel mill until the end of the war.</div>
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On his return to the United States, Charlie reverted to his enlisted rank, and then was appointed a Commissioned Warrant Officer, United States Marine Corps, 13 November 1947, On 7 April 1949, Charlie married Margaret MacRae in Alexandria, Virginia.</div>
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His serious eye trouble, a result of vitamin deficiency when a prisoner of war, forced Charles’s retirement on 1 November 1951, when he moved to San Diego and lived there until his death.</div>
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After retirement, Charlie pursued his hobbies of gardening, painting, and reading as much as his diminishing eyesight would permit. He was a substitute lecturer at California Western University in the early 50’s. When I was working for my Master’s Degree in history, I often found Charlie a most interesting and exhilarating person to talk with.</div>
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But his eye trouble became worse, until in 1970 he was practically blind. This, plus the fact that he was developing Parkinson’s Disease, so depressed him that on 4 May 1971 he took his life.</div>
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Charlie is survived by his wife Margaret.</div>
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<em>—Alexander G. Kirby</em></div>
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