By Sue Moore
Serving in the military is often a family tradition for many in this area. The Jim Henderson family of 208 Bair Street, Vicksburg is especially proud of son Joey, a 2012 Vicksburg High School graduate who enlisted in the Marines on a delayed entry program, November 2011.
After boot camp he took Marine combat training in San Diego, then headed to Aviation Support schooling in Pensacola, FL, then back to San Diego for more training where graduated first in his class on November 1, 2013. Besides that he received a meritorious promotion to Lance Corporal along with receiving a grey belt for the Marine Corps Martial Arts program. He will be performing maintenance on Huey and Cobra helicopters in New River, NC.
Joey would be the first to admit that signing up for the Marines, was heavily influenced by the many generations before him who have been Marines. It reads like this:
Jim Henderson II, Joey’s father, was in the Marine Corps Reserve, based in Battle Creek. He signed up during the Persian Gulf War in 1991-94.
Jim Henderson Sr., Joey’s grandfather, served as a corporal in the Fleet Marine Force from 1962-65 in Hawaii, Taiwan and Japan.
John Spencer, Joey’s great grandfather, born in 1923, served in the Army from 1942-45 in World War II in the European theater, participating in the Battle of the Bulge in France as a machine gunner in the Infantry. He achieved the rank of Corporal.
John Spencer Jr., Joey’s great uncle, born in 1948, served in the Army Airborne from 1966-70. He fought in Vietnam and received a purple heart. He achieved E-5 Specialist rank.
Delbert Spencer, Joey’s great, great uncle, served in the Army in the Korean War from 1950-53.
Gabriel Kievet, Joey’s great, great, great uncle, served in the Army and fought in WW I.
Lorenzo Watson, Joey’s great, great, great grandfather, fought in the Spanish American War in 1898.
With that lineage, it was pre-ordained that Joey would serve his country in the military.