The Weight of War

By Anthony Abriel and Vincent Pandey

Jerry burton blodgett

June 25, 1951 – May 26, 2007

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Photo of Jerry in high school.

Jerry Burton Blodgett was born on June 25, 1951, in Portland, Oregon to Francis Le Roy Blodgett and Silvia Agnes Blodgett. He spent his formative years in Oregon, attending high school in Harrisburg, a small town just north of Eugene, Oregon.[2] The population of Harrisburg during Jerry’s high school years was just over 900 and there were twenty-five fellow students in Jerry’s graduating class.[3] After graduation, Jerry made his way to Texas and at the age of 19, he was married to Rebecca G. Moore on September 18, 1970, in Potter, Texas. They had one child together prior to Jerry’s enlistment during the Vietnam War.[4]

At the age of twenty-one, Jerry enlisted into the United States Navy on August 31, 1972.[5] After completing basic training, Jerry officially became a sailor and joined the ranks as an Airman. What is available of his service record notes that he made the rank of E2/AA, Airman Apprentice. Within his scope of responsibility as an Airman Apprentice, Jerry would have duties such as repairing, maintaining, and stowing aircraft and associated equipment in preparation for flight operations. He would also have performed ground and deck duties involved with aircraft landings and take-off, on ship or on land.[6] After training he joined the fleet and war effort during Operation Linebacker II, ordered by President Nixon in December of 1972.[7] The operation was described as the most intense air offense of the Vietnam War concentrated on Hanoi and Haiphong. What is also referred to as the “Christmas Bombings,” was Nixon’s tactic to bring North Vietnam back to the negotiating table by having 20,000 tons of ordinance drop over the course of three days.[8] The task ended up taking the Navy and Air Force eleven days to carry out. Given the intensity of the bombing order, an all-hands effort of would have taken a heavy toll on the bodies and minds of the Airmen working at the height of the war. Whether from a ship or on land, Jerry and his fellow service members undoubtedly felt the weight of the war on their shoulders. During three years of active-duty service, Jerry witnessed the fever pitch of the Vietnam War era, the withdrawal of U.S. military involvement, and the fall of Saigon.

Jerry was discharged from the Navy on December 12, 1975. Following the war, he returned home to Rebecca and their child. However, just a few months later, Jerry and Rebecca were divorced on February 4, 1976. Following the divorce, Jerry spent time in various locations around the country. He spent some time in North Carolina and later Florida. By 1980, he found himself in the town of Flora in Carroll County, Indiana, working as a laborer. Here, he married Sheri Lyn Plunkett on September 17, 1980.[9] The two were married until February 16, 1989, when they were divorced. Following this, Jerry returned to Oregon where he spent the next several years in Albany. After his time in Albany, Jerry moved to Denver, Colorado shortly after the turn of the century. He lived in the Denver area until his death on May 26, 2007. [10]

Upon his death, Jerry’s remains went unclaimed. Much of his family, including his mother, were living far away in Oregon at the time. In late 2021, his remains were located by the Honors Burial Project, which then confirmed his veteran status through the records at the Veterans Administration in St. Louis, Missouri. The Honors Burial Project was started by Veteran members of the Vietnam Veterans of America Denver Chapter 1071 to help give service members the burial they are entitled to, in addition to ensuring that future generations of veterans are not abandoned by another generation.[11] With his identity confirmed, Jerry’s cremains were buried with full military honors along with six other veterans on April 14, 2022 at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver, Colorado.[12]

Footnotes ↓

[1] Matray, Margaret, “Marine Lance Cpl. Kyle W. Burns: Living with No Regrets,” Casper Star-Tribune Online, May 28, 2012. https://trib.com/article_c05393c5-58ad-53ac-9c95-1eb14be4e235.html.

[2] “U.S., School Yearbooks 1900-1999.” Ancestry.com entry for Jerry Burton Blodgett. Accessed May 4, 2022.

[3] “Harrisburg, Oregon Population.” Worldpopulationreview.com. Accessed May 19, 2022. https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/harrisburg-or-population

[4] "Texas, U.S., Divorce Index, 1968-2015." Ancestry.com, entry for Jerry Burton Blodgett. Accessed May 2, 2022.

[5] “U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File.” Ancestry.com. entry for Jerry Burton Blodgett. Accessed May 19, 2022. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/5526446:2441?tid=&pid=&queryId=ef5c73c1cd0736ec4d03d8c4411e1a45&_phsrc=pna98&_phstart=successSource

[6] “Navy Job: Airmen.” Enlisted Rating Job Description. Accessed May 3, 2022. https://www.thebalancecareers.com/navy-enlisted-rating-job-descriptions-airman-3345777

[7]. “Vietnam War Timeline.” History.com. Accessed May 19, 2022. https://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-timeline

[8]. Harder, Robert. “Operation Linebacker II: The 11-Day War.” Accessed May 16, 2022. https://www.historynet.com/the-11-day-war/

[9] “Indiana, U.S., Marriage Certificates, 1960-2005.” Ancestry.com, entry for Jerry Burton Blodgett. Accessed May 1, 2022. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/imageviewer/collections/61009/images/40475_541367-00446?treeid=&personid=&rc=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=fIH57&_phstart=successSource&pId=1523382

[10] “U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File.” Ancestry.com, entry for Jerry Burton Blodgett, Oregon. Accessed May 19, 2022. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/5526446:2441?tid=&pid=&queryId=ce01f6f1fcece73642e798e238e7cfc6&_phsrc=fIH77&_phstart=successSource

[11] “Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1071 Denver, Colorado.” vva1071.org. Accessed May 19, 2022.https://vva1071.org./honors-burial-project.html

[12] Hubbard, Jeremy. “‘Forgotten’ Colorado veterans laid to rest after remaining unclaimed for years.” kdvr.com. Accessed May 5, 2022. https://kdvr.com/news/problem-solvers/serving-those-who-serve/forgotten-colorado-veterans-laid-to-rest-after-remaining-unclaimed-for-years/

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