Retired Col. Joe Jackson poses with a permanent Medal of Honor display March 24, 2015, at the Pentagon in Washington D.C. The display depicts him and other medal recipients. (U.S. Air Force/Scott M. Ash)
Editor's Note: This article by Oriana Pawlyk originally appeared onMilitary.com, a leading source of news for the military and veteran community.
Medal of Honor recipient Joe M. Jackson, a retired Air Force colonel and veteran of three wars, died Sunday. He was 95.
The Congressional Medal of Honor Society announced Monday that Jackson had died in Washington state.
The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds perform a fly-over as newly graduated cadets from the U. S. Air Force Academy toss their hats at the conclusion of their commencement ceremony in Colorado Springs, Colorado, May 23, 2018. Shortly after the event ceremony's commencement, the Thunderbirds put on an aerial demonstration show. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Dennis Hoffman)
Ah, memories.
It's now 2019, but it's always worth taking a look back and remembering what happened over the past year, and when it comes to articles here at Task & Purpose, that includes everything from stories of heroism to the news that Marines depleted an entire booze supply in Iceland.
When it comes to war flicks and military shows, 2018 has been an interesting year.
There were some fun blockbusters, like Hunter Killer, which was essentially Olympus Has Fallen on a submarine, and The Predator, Shane Black's campy but entertaining sci-fi horror flick, which feels like what you'd get if TheDirty Dozen met the man-hunting alien from the original Predator.
The star-studded Afghanistan War drama 12 Strong wasn't bad, but felt out of touch with today's outlook on the 17-year-old war it depicts, as Adam Linehan noted in his review for Task & Purpose. Then there were the numerous cable television series, like the second season History's SEAL Team drama, SIX, which delivered on the dark tone its fans have come to expect.
All that said, the biggest standouts for shows and movies weren't major motion pictures or network military dramas. Instead, they were largely documentaries and a few non-military shows where the character's service was critical to their identity, but not the sum of it.
Medal of Honor recipient Florent Groberg's advice for the next time the enemy starts shooting at you is simple: Keep your cool and trust your teammates.
One of the four Army Special Forces soldiers killed in the Oct. 4, 2017 ambush in Niger may potentially be under consideration for the Medal of Honor, according to a new report.
