James J. Jacques is one of the last names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall. His name appears on Panel 01W Line 131.

Born and raised in Colorado, Jacques enlisted in the Marine Corps soon after his eighteenth birthday in 1974. Though his family was worried about him joining, they supported his desire to serve his country.

Jacques deployed to Vietnam in December 1974. Though the Paris Peace Accords had been signed, establishing peace in Vietnam and ending the war, the agreement did not encompass Laos and Cambodia, where Jacques’ unit served.

From May 12 to May 15, 1975, the U.S. merchant vessel, “SS Mayaguez,” was seized and its crew taken hostage by Khmer Rouge, the name given to communist forces in Cambodia. The U.S. launched a rescue operation on May 15, encountering much stronger defenses than expected.

Jacques was killed during this operation when his helicopter was shot down. His family received the news of his death just seven months after he enlisted. “The Mayaguez Incident” was the last battle of the Vietnam War. Twelve Marines were unaccounted for at the battle’s end, Jacques among them. It wasn’t until 1995 that the location of his remains were discovered, after a Cambodian civilian turned in his dog tags to U.S. officials. It took another 17 years for DNA technology to positively identify his remains.

In 2012, after almost 40 years, Jacques’s sister was notified that her brother was finally coming home. In October, Pfc. James Joseph Jacques returned to Colorado to be buried in Fort Logan National Cemetery.

We honor his service.