Senator Peralta inducts Andrew Jackson into the New York State Senate Veterans’ Hall of Fame   

(East Elmhurst, NY) – State Senator Jose Peralta inducted today Andrew P. Jackson Sekou Molefi Baako into the New York State Senate Veterans’ Hall of Fame, which pays tribute to New Yorkers whose gallantry in the U.S. Armed Forces is complemented by their service to the community.

“It is an honor to recognize the brave men and women who served our great Nation and protected our freedom,” said Senator Peralta. “The Senate Veterans’ Hall of Fame pays tribute to all those who serve, but singles out special recognition of those whose sacrifices and service have helped make our nation and our communities better places to live, and Mr. Jackson is a clear example of that combination.”

Senator Peralta thanked Mr. Jackson for his service and for “protecting our values and defending our freedom.” Andrew Jackson served in the U.S. Air Force between 1964 and 1968, and was assigned to the 4^th Air Commando Squadron at Nha Trang Air Base in Vietnam.  

“As a veteran, Mr. Jackson has made sacrifices in the name of freedom, and we should recognized him, and all other veterans and active military personnel, today and every day,” noted Senator Peralta.

“Over the years, I’ve received numerous awards and honors. My military service has pretty much been ignored, so to be selected for induction has deep significance for me. Vietnam veterans still feel the pain for how we were received when we returned home from the war,” said Mr. Jackson Sekou Molefi Baako. “I accept this high honor for all my brothers-in-arms who never came home, as well as those of us who left a part of ourselves somewhere in Vietnam. None of us came home unscathed. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Mr. Jackson was selected as First Term Airman of the Year. He also received the Bronze Star Medal and Distinguished Unit Citation, and was honorably discharged with the rank of Staff Sergeant (E-5).

Andrew Jackson has served as executive director of the Queens Library Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural Center since 1980. A product of East Elmhurst, he is set to retire from his position at the library by the end of the year. For the past decade, Mr. Jackson has been an adjunct instructor at Queens College Graduate School Library and Information Studies, and he has been teaching Black Studies and Cultural Diversity in York College since 2001.

He co-edited “21^st Century Black Librarian in America: Issues and Challenges,” an award-winning book. He is the author of “Queens Notes: Facts About the Forgotten Borough of Queens.” Mr. Jackson also penned many essays, among them, “In the Tradition: The Legacy of Cultural Messengers from Langston Hughes to Tupac Shakkur.” He also wrote the Foreword of the ninth and tenth editions of the African American Almanac.        

Andrew Jackson serves as Chairman of the Queens Borough President’s African American Planning Committee. He is a founding member of the Corona-East Elmhurst Historic Preservation Society and he is also a member of the York College President’s Advisory Council. He earned his Master of Library Science from Queens College and his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from York College.   

The New York State Senate Veterans’ Hall of Fame was established to honor and identify outstanding veterans who have distinguished themselves in both, military and civilian life.