Jerry Duane Newman
June 14, 1946 - December 4, 2016
Jerry was born in Gary, Indiana to Margaret and Verne Newman. Jerry's claim to fame is that he was born in the same hospital as Michael Jackson. He grew up in Momence, Illinois, along the banks of the Kankakee River, in a family of three boys and three girls and graduated from Momence High School in 1964.
Jerry served in Vietnam as an infantryman in the 9th Infantry Division during the 1968 Tet Offensive. He was part of the Mobile Riverine Force, which worked with Navy Seals, and saw heavy action in the Mekong Delta, around the village of My Tho during Tet. In the 1994 movie "Forest Gump" Tom Hanks portrayed Gump as a member of the 9th Infantry Division. Jerry was hit by enemy gunfire five times but never wounded. The enemy rounds hit his canteen, helmet etc. Jerry was also shot down twice in helicopters and nearly drowned once in the Mekong River.
After Vietnam Jerry settled in Indiana, earning a private pilot license before moving to Houston 30 years ago. He was a long-time employee of Black & Decker and lived in "The Heights" for the last 15 years. Jerry was an expert at cross word puzzles and loved to watch Jeopardy on TV! He was qualified to be a member of Mensa. He was an aviation expert and truly loved airplanes.
Jerry will be missed greatly by his many Houston friends. He is survived by his sisters Laura and Julie and brother Jim and by his son Jeremy McCloud, and daughter Michelle Newman Brady and beloved granddaughter Mirabelle.
Arrangements under the direction of Heights Funeral Home, Houston, TX.
Published online by Heights Funeral Home
June 14, 1946 - December 4, 2016
Jerry was born in Gary, Indiana to Margaret and Verne Newman. Jerry's claim to fame is that he was born in the same hospital as Michael Jackson. He grew up in Momence, Illinois, along the banks of the Kankakee River, in a family of three boys and three girls and graduated from Momence High School in 1964.
Jerry served in Vietnam as an infantryman in the 9th Infantry Division during the 1968 Tet Offensive. He was part of the Mobile Riverine Force, which worked with Navy Seals, and saw heavy action in the Mekong Delta, around the village of My Tho during Tet. In the 1994 movie "Forest Gump" Tom Hanks portrayed Gump as a member of the 9th Infantry Division. Jerry was hit by enemy gunfire five times but never wounded. The enemy rounds hit his canteen, helmet etc. Jerry was also shot down twice in helicopters and nearly drowned once in the Mekong River.
After Vietnam Jerry settled in Indiana, earning a private pilot license before moving to Houston 30 years ago. He was a long-time employee of Black & Decker and lived in "The Heights" for the last 15 years. Jerry was an expert at cross word puzzles and loved to watch Jeopardy on TV! He was qualified to be a member of Mensa. He was an aviation expert and truly loved airplanes.
Jerry will be missed greatly by his many Houston friends. He is survived by his sisters Laura and Julie and brother Jim and by his son Jeremy McCloud, and daughter Michelle Newman Brady and beloved granddaughter Mirabelle.
Arrangements under the direction of Heights Funeral Home, Houston, TX.
Published online by Heights Funeral Home
Jerry Duane Newman
June 14, 1946 - December 4, 2016
Jerry was born in Gary, Indiana to Margaret and Verne Newman. Jerry's claim to fame is that he was born in the same hospital as Michael Jackson. He grew up in Momence, Illinois, along the banks of the Kankakee River, in a family of three boys and three girls and graduated from Momence High School in 1964.
Jerry served in Vietnam as an infantryman in the 9th Infantry Division during the 1968 Tet Offensive. He was part of the Mobile Riverine Force, which worked with Navy Seals, and saw heavy action in the Mekong Delta, around the village of My Tho during Tet. In the 1994 movie "Forest Gump" Tom Hanks portrayed Gump as a member of the 9th Infantry Division. Jerry was hit by enemy gunfire five times but never wounded. The enemy rounds hit his canteen, helmet etc. Jerry was also shot down twice in helicopters and nearly drowned once in the Mekong River.
After Vietnam Jerry settled in Indiana, earning a private pilot license before moving to Houston 30 years ago. He was a long-time employee of Black & Decker and lived in "The Heights" for the last 15 years. Jerry was an expert at cross word puzzles and loved to watch Jeopardy on TV! He was qualified to be a member of Mensa. He was an aviation expert and truly loved airplanes.
Jerry will be missed greatly by his many Houston friends. He is survived by his sisters Laura and Julie and brother Jim and by his son Jeremy McCloud, and daughter Michelle Newman Brady and beloved granddaughter Mirabelle.
Arrangements under the direction of Heights Funeral Home, Houston, TX.
Published online by Heights Funeral Home
June 14, 1946 - December 4, 2016
Jerry was born in Gary, Indiana to Margaret and Verne Newman. Jerry's claim to fame is that he was born in the same hospital as Michael Jackson. He grew up in Momence, Illinois, along the banks of the Kankakee River, in a family of three boys and three girls and graduated from Momence High School in 1964.
Jerry served in Vietnam as an infantryman in the 9th Infantry Division during the 1968 Tet Offensive. He was part of the Mobile Riverine Force, which worked with Navy Seals, and saw heavy action in the Mekong Delta, around the village of My Tho during Tet. In the 1994 movie "Forest Gump" Tom Hanks portrayed Gump as a member of the 9th Infantry Division. Jerry was hit by enemy gunfire five times but never wounded. The enemy rounds hit his canteen, helmet etc. Jerry was also shot down twice in helicopters and nearly drowned once in the Mekong River.
After Vietnam Jerry settled in Indiana, earning a private pilot license before moving to Houston 30 years ago. He was a long-time employee of Black & Decker and lived in "The Heights" for the last 15 years. Jerry was an expert at cross word puzzles and loved to watch Jeopardy on TV! He was qualified to be a member of Mensa. He was an aviation expert and truly loved airplanes.
Jerry will be missed greatly by his many Houston friends. He is survived by his sisters Laura and Julie and brother Jim and by his son Jeremy McCloud, and daughter Michelle Newman Brady and beloved granddaughter Mirabelle.
Arrangements under the direction of Heights Funeral Home, Houston, TX.
Published online by Heights Funeral Home
Inscription
SP4, US Army, Vietnam
In Loving Memory
