|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Home » About Norwich » SGS Today »
South Korean MPs patrol the Demilitarized Zone [photo courtesy of Larry Jackson].
MBA alumnus walks in footsteps of family war hero
by Daphne Larkin, staff
© Aug. 22, 2008 Norwich University Office of Communications
Most soldiers pronounce it "Hoe-vee," but when descendents of Master Sgt. Howard C. Hovey (rhymes with "lovey") visited Camp Hovey in South Korea, soldiers stationed there received an impromptu history lesson.
In May, Norwich University School of Graduate Studies (SGS) Master of Business Administration (MBA) 2006 alumnus Larry Jackson visited the Army base named for his great-uncle, who was killed in the Korean War and was a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross.
"I asked why they pronounced it that way, and the only thing anyone knew was that's the way it has always been," Jackson said. "I informed them [of] the correct pronunciation … They were very surprised, and we discussed it for some time."
Jackson and his family were the first of Hovey's descendents to visit the camp. While there they met and ate with American troops, shared historic photos of the war hero and recounted stories of Hovey's service.
Master Sgt. Howard C. Hovey died at Pork Chop Hill in 1953 after leaving the relative safety of his bunker for a nearby trench to direct fire at the enemy. Historic accounts say Hovey sacrificed his own life by leaving the trench with a carbine and hand grenades, charging enemy forces and "inflicting numerous causalities and checking their advance."
Hovey, who also served with Patton's 3rd Army in World War II, died from an enemy napalm grenade. Jackson said he was surprised to find that his ancestor's name appears on a list of fallen soldiers at the Korean War Memorial in Seoul.
Jackson, who retired from the Air Force after a 26-year career and is a military history buff, seized the opportunity to visit Camp Hovey on a trip he took to visit his son, Curtis, 28, stationed at Osan Air Force Base.
While at Camp Hovey, which is located adjacent to the larger Camp Casey and near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Jackson's visit was a chance to connect his personal history with present-day tensions between North and South Korea.
The Jacksons visited the DMZ and were impressed by the high-level security, the cautious rituals South Korean soldiers perform to avoid enemy fire, and stories of minor conflicts between the two sides.
Jackson grew up in Vermont, spending his early childhood on Central Street in Northfield, just down the road from Norwich University, America's oldest private military college. One of his earliest memories is of Norwich cadets and the cannons on campus. Jackson said he always wanted to attend Norwich.
|
|
| |
“[The MBA program] gave me more exposure to things in marketing. As we work on plans here and grow and plan things, I've found it to be helpful.” |
|
|
As a child visiting the home of his grandmother, Hovey's sister, photos and mementos of Camp Hovey and stories of his ancestor's heroic service were the frequent stuff of family history. On his visit, Jackson found that the present-day camp has been modernized, but carries remnants from his great-uncle's time.
"There are still a few Quonset huts there; they still use them," Jackson said.
Raised in a family with a long history of military service, Jackson entered the Air Force straight out of high school, where he was a firefighter who rose to the rank of fire chief.
Jackson's interest in Norwich was renewed when he served with an alumnus; a former Corps of Cadets commander who shared stories of life as a cadet.
"I remember him telling me that the rooks had to walk in the ditches, and they used to yell at them for having dirty shoes and boots."
Stationed all over Europe during his military career, Jackson earned a bachelor's degree and raised two children.
Jackson entered the SGS MBA program in 2004, which he said directly benefitted his second career in financial services.
"[The MBA] helped me a lot, especially in the finance part," Jackson said. "It gave me more exposure to things in marketing. As we work on plans here and grow and plan things, I've found it to be helpful."
Jackson's son has been in the Air Force for 10 years and his daughter, Lyndsay, 25, attended Norwich (Class of '05) and graduated from SGS's Master of Education program in June 2008.
Jackson said that after raising his children on military bases in Europe for most of their lives, Norwich "was a good fit for [Lyndsay] because I'd been in the military so long … all she ever knew was the military. So it was a good transition for her to go where there are civilian and corps."
Jackson, who still lives in Vermont, visits the Norwich campus several times a year. On his trip to Korea he brought a Norwich University flag to Camp Hovey.
History is alive for Jackson, and the story of his great-uncle Hovey is still being written.
"His body was never recovered, but last year our family was contacted by the Army," Jackson said. "[The Army] had gone into North Korea and recovered body parts. They had 100 high-priority names, and his was one. They collected DNA from his son for matching."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Norwich University - School of Graduate Studies
|
Admissions: 1-800-460-5597
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
