Gulf Coast Gold Star Families |

James B. Blackmon, Jr.

September 30, 2019
/ Author Name
/ Testimonial

JB’s time on earth was not as long as I would have liked. We were just getting into the groove of married life and expecting our first and only child, Jayden. He was so excited to become a dad. He often talked about all the things he would teach our son, some of which were just to annoy me. He selected various types of music for me to play for “the baby” when we were traveling. I would place headphones on my belly so “the baby” could be exposed to Jazz, R&B, Classical, Rap and whatever else he thought would be beneficial to our son’s development. I say, “the baby,” because at the time of JB’s death, that’s what Jayden was still called. I named him Jayden James a few days after JB’s death. I was 32 weeks pregnant. JB was a very generous person. I remember just before I met him, there was a tropical storm in Pensacola. He stopped to help an elderly couple get their vehicle and themselves to safety and somehow his vehicle ended up flooded. He took it all in stride, with relief the people he stopped to help were safe. That generous spirit was showered on his loved ones. It was not only shown, he told all of us regularly. He would say to his mom Joyce and I, “it’s a beautiful day for a beautiful person!” His love extended to our circle of friends, and even beyond. JB knew no strangers. He would strike up a conversation with people everywhere we went, and I do mean everywhere. This year we would have celebrated 20 years of marriage in May. JB would have turned 50 in July and we would have enjoyed watching our son enter his senior year of high school in August. All of these milestones still came for me, but with only my memories of the wonderful man who died in his prime, not because he was sick, but because he had a job that was dangerous. JB served his country with pride, he loved what he did. He loved being a Marine. I miss JB, I miss all the memories we didn’t get to make. I miss him even more for our son, Jayden who did not have the pleasure of meeting him in person. The photo at the top is one of the few photos of all of us together as a family. I was pregnant and having a I don’t like this place we’re living moment. His solution was to send me flowers and take me on a weekend trip to the beach, it wasn’t Pensacola beach, but it did the trick. Cherish the little things, because those little things may turn into some of the best memories of your life.

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James B. Blackmon, Jr.

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