The Rains County Leader

Choices, choices, choices. Making them every day, we usually regret the bad ones yet rarely give thanks for privilege of making them. Ray (Rabbit) Jackson discussed several life-altering decisions, but understands that without every single one - good or bad - he wouldn't be the man he is today or the author of two books.
As a youth, Rabbit never thought he'd be a writer; he thought he'd play professional sports. A gifted athlete in high school, the young man thought he could make a name for himself in baseball. He apparently did just that because while serving in the Army and playing fast-pitch softball, Rabbit received a letter from Gene Autry, owner of the California Angels at the time. Autry wrote that when Rabbit was discharged, the movie star/Angels owner wanted "to take a look at him." Unfortunately, that day never came.
After marrying and having daughter Tonya Rae, Rabbit vividly remembers why and when he first joined the Navy, then the Army because high grades got him into the Army Security Agency. About that time, the Vietnam Conflict jumped into high gear and with conscription (The Draft) in effect, Rabbit and some of his buddies decided "to join and to get it over with," possibly eluding going to Nam. No such luck.
In 1967 the woman who practically raised him, Rabbit's grandmother, died. He remembered burying her, then leaving for Ft. Leonardwood, Missouri, on Halloween. Rabbit explained, "It was a weird night. Kids were hollering trick or treat and there I was, all alone during a frightful time. But the military makes a man out of you early."
It definitely did that as he spent time in Vietnam's DMZ, a supposedly demilitarized combat-free zone between enemies North and South Vietnam, where some of the fiercest fighting and bloodiest battles took place. Rabbit assessed that war by saying the U.S. was essentially there to help another country through a conflict. "We tried to be a referee, but it was sad that we wound up being the primary target. However, that was where I matured," he added.
Coming home a Bronze Star medallist in 1970, thoughts of reenlisting crossed his mind but fearing he'd be deployed again to Viet Nam, Rabbit chose to stay home. Afterward came a divorce, various jobs for the police and Highway Patrol, working for the Southern Pacific Railroad, and driving trucks.
Then a cute girl working at Piggly Wiggly in Ennis caught his eye, yet Barbara was 12 years his junior. What was a guy to do? Age shouldn't be the determining factor, a friend said, so they've been married since 1979, with children Courtney, Todd, Kyle.
While driving a truck in 1980, meanwhile, Rabbit had his first "spell," blurred vision to the point of almost being blind. It passed but then hit again, at which time a nurse told him that "she could sweeten coffee with his finger." It took until 2000 for the Veterans Administration to issue a letter stating that exposure to Agent Orange could cause diabetes as well as many other afflictions. Agent Orange was our military's code name for a herbicide and defoliant used in Vietnam, sprayed on dense jungles to prevent Communist forces from hiding or raising crops. Millions, including Rabbit, were exposed and suffered the consequences. "I take enough medications now to kill a horse," he added.
Other tragedies hit after moving outside Emory as son Kyle, with a budding career as a college pole-vaulter, was killed in a car wreck in 2006. That was after son Todd was shot in the chest during a freak incident but before Barbara underwent brain surgery.
Has this family been through the mill? You bet. But this courageous man started putting words on paper, first by writing about the horrors of war, then by writing about people taking life for granted while overlooking what is important. His two books are Military Police Protection in Southeast Asia and Family Love, Happiness to Heartache. By the time you read this, he will have had a book signing at ALCO in Emory.
Choices? Sure. Rabbit might have played pro ball or waited until the draft, possibly avoiding exposure to Agent Orange. Perhaps a career in the military or a long-term job with the railroad. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.
Rabbit takes ownership of his choices but continues to move forward by writing, enjoying children and grandchildren, helping neighbors, loving his wife but more importantly, living for God. In closing he said, "After all, I have a son (Kyle) who is waiting on me, and I want to see him again."