Texas Tidbits: One Ranger - An Incomparable Man

Badass Man

Texas history is full of larger-than-life characters, good and bad - Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, Bonnie and Clyde, LBJ, etc. One of the least-known of those Texas Legends is a man man named Joaquin Jackson.

I had heard of Joaquin Jackson before, but a couple of days ago I was reminded of him by my good friend, Bob Zeller. Bob also referred me to a book that Jackson wrote and he (Bob) highly recommended it. By now, no doubt you are asking yourself, "Who the hell is Joaquin Jackson?"

Joaquin Jackson is one of the most legendary Texas Rangers in the storied history of that law enforcement agency. Wikipedia tells us, "Joaquin Jackson was the Ranger who responded when riots threatened, violence erupted, and criminals needed to be brought to justice across a wide swath of the Texas-Mexico border from 1966 to 1993." The article continues, "He followed legendary Ranger Captain Alfred Y. Allee Sr. into a shootout at the Carrizo Springs jail that ended a prison revolt—and left him with nightmares. He captured "The See More Kid," an elusive horse thief and burglar who left clean dishes and swept floors in the houses he robbed. He investigated the 1988 shootings in Big Bend's Colorado Canyon and tried to understand the motives of the Mexican teenagers who terrorized three river rafters and killed one. He even helped train Afghan mujahedin warriors to fight the Soviet Union." These accomplishments alone would be defining moments in almost any lawman's career, but we are not talking about any lawman here. We are talking about a Texas Ranger Legend, so you know there are more fascinating adventures to learn about. That's where Joaquin Jackson's books come in.

Ranger Jackson's book that Bob Zeller told me about is called One Ranger followed up by One Ranger Returns. According to the reviews I seen, these two works are riveting not just because of superior writing, but because the stories are something straight out of Hollywood...but they are true. I have got to order these books!

I wish I had more space to dedicate to this extraordinary man, but I will leave you with more about his remarkable journey with an interview from the July, 2002 issue of Texas Monthly. It's amazing reading, so give it a look. You can thank me later. :)

Now you know who Joaquin Jackson is.