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Who I am...
If you are looking for Gary A. Jackson, perhaps you have found him.
I am the tenth child in a family of eleven children and I
was born and raised in the Silver Lake section of
Belleville, New Jersey.
I went to
James G. Shawger Elementary school, better known as Number 4 school. I
attended Belleville Junior High School
and then Belleville High School.
After High School
I briefly attended Rutgers in Newark, NJ where I tutored Algebra students. I was also working
at the time and after two semesters, I decided to join the Navy.
The US Navy...
I joined the Navy
in 1986 and went to Great Lakes, Illinois for boot camp. I went to
Basic Electricity and Electronics training as well as Advanced Electronics A school.
I was an Electronics Technician ET4, when I graduated.
I went to Norfolk, Virginia for 3 months to attend C schools.
I later moved to San Diego, California, where I was
stationed on the USS Elliott from March 1988 until October 1990. I went on one
WestPac and one three month cruise while on the Elliott, which was in dry dock
when I first reported for duty. My shipmates were like a great big family.
I loved San Diego and planned on living there when I got out of the Navy.
I visited:
Transferred...
 
I left the Gulf just prior to Desert Shield.
I was later transferred to Yokosuka, Japan, where I was stationed on the USS Fife
from December 1990 until December 1992. I learned some Japanese, some Kanji,
Katakana, and some Hiragana all of which I have almost totally forgotten in the
time since. On my first weekend in Japan, I went to Tokyo without getting
directions. On my way back, I walked from Ripongi to Shinagawa train station
and it took me nearly 4 hours non-stop to do so.
I was fortunate enough to meet an elderly man who was on his way, so we talked
and walked together.
I returned to Yokosuka on a different train line and it was a bit confusing but I made my
way back to my ship. I learned my way around without much help and I kept myself busy all
night.
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Desert Storm...
I flew into Dubai on the eve of Desert Storm to participate
in the Gulf War. The morning of the beginning of Desert Storm I slept on the floor
of an airport warehouse with other sailors in transit. I awakened early to take a shower before
the rest of the sailors got up and it got crowded. I heard some noise and made my way
to a back room where staff members were listening to news reports of the initial bombing attacks.
Outside of the warehouse there were armed Dubai Gurardsmen walking around but we were unarmed,
which is a bit unnerving since these men were not US Military personnel. We were orderd to
change into civilian clothes and to wait inside for our transport vehicles.
I left in a cargo plane destined for the USS Midway just before breakfast was served,
but because of the launching of an air assault, I could not land on the USS
Midway so we returned to Dubai. We then set out again, just before lunch was served,
but this time we were redirected to Bahrain, where I met some Marines who were kind
enough to spare a few MREs (Meals Ready to Eat). I hadn't eaten in 191/2
hours and I was starving.
Later, I was flown out on the cargo plane and did land on the USS Midway, where I
spent two days. Landing on that ship on a plane was incredible! I was lucky to
enjoy such a treat. I was then taken by helicopter to a supply ship, where I spent
two more days, and finally taken by helicopter to my ship, the USS Fife to
participate in Desert Storm. The entire journey to my ship was exciting and a great
deal of fun. A helicopter ride is unusual for a Navy man in my rate so two rides
on one trip was phenomenal!!! I also had a chance to be onboard the USS Midway while
it was underway and that was incredibly cool. I was stationed on Spruance Class
Descroyers which are quite small by comparison.
Also visited:
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 The train accident...
During my time in Japan I was unfortunate enough to be accidentally pushed in
front of a train, which placed me into a coma for 3 days.
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The death of my father...
To me, my father was a strong quiet man who tried his best for his family.
He was a good teacher, ethically strict, and a moral man who spent much of his time
around his family. We played games, learned, went camping, took vacations, worked and
did an array of things together as a family that made a lasting impression on me.
When I last saw my father before leaving for Japan, he was healthy looking although
losing his twin brother had taken a toll on him.
While in the service, I was reliable and completely
dedicated to my ship, my division, my job and my country. As a result, my Division Officer
transferred me to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for out processing so that I could be near my
ailing father. My father was gaunt and frail looking in the hospital and a far
cry from the strong and powerful man that I left behind just 2 years before.
I hadn't taken leave in those 2 years so I was completely surprised by his
appearance and weakened state. To me, it was like the coma when no time had
passed but in that time his health had suffered greatly. Cancer from smoking
for decades devastated his body and he lay there between the administration of
medications wishing only to return home where he wanted to die. Unfortunately,
he died in the hospital.
I got out of the Navy and decided to fulfill a dream of his, which was to have
a son with a college degree. Unfortunately, my father passed away before I ever
returned to school, but I did my best while there to make him proud. He was the
best man I have ever known, I miss him every day and I keep him in mind when I
think about my actions because I want him to be proud.
College...
After re-activating my student status at Rutgers, a friend talked to me about
DeVry. Initially, I planned to attend DeVry and get a 6 month certificate so that
I could get a job while going to Rutgers. DeVry had just stopped offereing the
certificate in lieu of an Associate's degree.
Because I didn't want to delay starting school, until the next semester,
I decided to attend DeVry from March 1993 until November 1994. DeVry was located
in Woodbridge, New Jersey at the time. I got my AAS degree and decided to attend
NJIT to get my BS in Computer Science. A classmate suddenly became
interested in me and soon afterward I began dating the woman who would become my
wife. Her father is an identical twin just like my father, though we did not share
this for years as both our fathers were deceased.
When we met, she had a 3 year old daughter named Stephanie.
While at DeVry, I tutored business writing students, creative
writing students, had an article appear in the school newspaper, submitted a
story that was published in a book for my Creative Writing course and helped
another student write a story that was published in the same book.
I attended DeVry Institute of Technology in Decatur, Georgia from November 1994
until March 1996. I graduated with a BS in Computer Information Systems with a
3.91 GPA. (Summa Cum Laude). My girlfriend graduated shortly afterward.
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Marriage...
After graduation, we had a baby and nearly two years later
we purchased a house.
We planned to get married the following Thanksgiving Day at home as a surprise
to our guests, but her mother decided not to come so we put our marriage plans on
hold.
My fiance, a legal alien from St. Vincent at the time, wanted to become a
naturalized citizen before getting married so she studied, took the test and at
her swearing in ceremony, our daughter Stephanie led the Pledge of Allegiance.
We got married a few months later in June of 2000 and we currently have two children.
She is also my best friend so we spend a lot of time together. Our two children
are well mannered and well spoken. My wife has secretely wanted another child
since June of 2000 and after talking we decided to have another child.
She got pregnant in June 2007. Both of our children are happy about the idea of
having a baby around the house.
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Knowledge is the only Jewel worth searching for.
