Tommy was among the first in our class to be killed. I remember the young soldier they sent with his body to offer escort to him and comfort to his family. He was no older than we were.
The class of 64 lost Tommy to Vietnam. I remember Tommy's dad, destroyed by the loss of his son. I remember Tommy, too. He went to do his duty. I sometimes think, because of him, I am free today to live a good life. I wish I could remember the name of the girl that dated him. I would like to know where she is, and what she is doing. I think her name was Sandra something. Tommy, you are a hero.
I met Tommy only one time with his dad at Mrs. Strickland's boarding house when I had lunch there with my parents, forgot the date, perhaps 1968 just before I went into the Army or when I was on leave. He was on the way to Vietnam in the Marines. My neighbor, Carl Wuestenhofer, told me that when his group of Marines were being relieved and leaving that hill, he heard someone call him "Wuestenhofer" when his Marines called him "Wes" and it was Tommy and his group going up the hill. He was killed the next day on that hill. I didn't know Tommy had been killed until I talked to Carl recently when Mr. Jaggers was at Carl's home about an addition being build on his house a few year ago. Carl doesn't talk much about his experiences, a long story about not talking from soldiers in very active combat.
The other man I knew was killed was Barry Crosby. I played poker with him in high school and later met his brother Harold and he told me about the incident, showed me the newspaper articles and met Harold's son, Barry, who was in pilot training at Columbus AFB at that time. I took Barry to the shooting range to shoot his new H&K 45 ACP. The last I heard he was flying USAF tankers in the Middle East.
Funeral services for Marine Cpl. Thomas M. Jaggers of 149 Pauline St., Greenville will be held at 8 a.m. Sunday at First Baptist Church, with Dr. Perry Claxton officiating.
Cpl. Jaggers was killed last week during a battle near Quang Tri, South Vietnam. Burial will be in Pleasant Grove Cemetery at Pontotoc under the direction of National Funeral Home of Greenville. Full military honors will be accorded. The 20-year-old soldier, who had lived in Greenville for 12 years before joining the Marine Corps, was a member of First Baptist Church.
Survivors include his father, Corbet L. Jaggers of Greenville; his mother, Mrs. Josephine Jaggers of Jackson and a grandfather.
The Delta Democrat-Times
Greenville, Mississippi
Sunday, May 14, 1967
Page 2
Jim Schepens
Tommy was killed in Vietnam in 1967.Ron Goodwin
The class of 64 lost Tommy to Vietnam. I remember Tommy's dad, destroyed by the loss of his son. I remember Tommy, too. He went to do his duty. I sometimes think, because of him, I am free today to live a good life. I wish I could remember the name of the girl that dated him. I would like to know where she is, and what she is doing. I think her name was Sandra something.Tommy, you are a hero.
Charles Sikes
I think about those days a lot now and I always remember you.Chas.Virginia Hill (Johnson)
My best memory of Tommy was from Junior High, when he recited the Gettysburg Address from memory. He did a very dramatic rendition of it.William McGraw
I met Tommy only one time with his dad at Mrs. Strickland's boarding house when I had lunch there with my parents, forgot the date, perhaps 1968 just before I went into the Army or when I was on leave. He was on the way to Vietnam in the Marines. My neighbor, Carl Wuestenhofer, told me that when his group of Marines were being relieved and leaving that hill, he heard someone call him "Wuestenhofer" when his Marines called him "Wes" and it was Tommy and his group going up the hill. He was killed the next day on that hill. I didn't know Tommy had been killed until I talked to Carl recently when Mr. Jaggers was at Carl's home about an addition being build on his house a few year ago. Carl doesn't talk much about his experiences, a long story about not talking from soldiers in very active combat.The other man I knew was killed was Barry Crosby. I played poker with him in high school and later met his brother Harold and he told me about the incident, showed me the newspaper articles and met Harold's son, Barry, who was in pilot training at Columbus AFB at that time. I took Barry to the shooting range to shoot his new H&K 45 ACP. The last I heard he was flying USAF tankers in the Middle East.
Robert Wylie
Thomas Murl "Tommy" Jaggers
Birth: Aug. 12, 1946 Greenville, Mississippi
Death: May 4, 1967 Quang Tri, Viet Nam
Burial:
Pleasant Grove Cemetery
Pontotoc, Pontotoc, Mississippi
Rip now in Peace, my brother
You can visit with Tommy at Find-A-Grave.com
Robert Wylie
Just located Tommy's obituary from 1967...
Cpl. Thomas Jaggers
Funeral services for Marine Cpl. Thomas M. Jaggers of 149 Pauline St., Greenville will be held at 8 a.m. Sunday at First Baptist Church, with Dr. Perry Claxton officiating.
Cpl. Jaggers was killed last week during a battle near Quang Tri, South Vietnam. Burial will be in Pleasant Grove Cemetery at Pontotoc under the direction of National Funeral Home of Greenville. Full military honors will be accorded. The 20-year-old soldier, who had lived in Greenville for 12 years before joining the Marine Corps, was a member of First Baptist Church.
Survivors include his father, Corbet L. Jaggers of Greenville; his mother, Mrs. Josephine Jaggers of Jackson and a grandfather.
The Delta Democrat-Times
Greenville, Mississippi
Sunday, May 14, 1967
Page 2