Photo By Maj. William Carraway | Soldiers of the Newnan-based Company B, 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment,...... read more read more
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Soldiers of the Georgia National Guard’s Company B, 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment welcomed citizens of Coweta County to a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly renovated Jackson-Pless Armory in Newnan February 10, 2025. Highlights of the $4 million renovation included upgraded ventilation and air conditioning for the readiness center, which has been used as a community shelter during past emergencies, as well as a new 2,100 square foot multi-purpose training building. This latter addition provides space training and increased capacity for computer systems and communications.
Brigadier General Jason Fryman, commander of the Georgia Army National Guard was the ceremony’s keynote speaker.
“Today as we cut the ribbon and open the doors to this newly renovated armory, we honor the legacy of Bravo 2-121,” said Fryman. “This armory will be one of many that testify to the hard work and valor the Soldiers that came before us as well as the current and future generations of Soldiers who proudly carry on their success and traditions.”
Construction of the Newnan Armory was completed in 1956. On April 22, 1978, the facility was dedicated in honor of Medal of Honor recipients, Air Force Col. Joe Jackson and U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Stephen W. Pless, both former residents of Newnan. Georgia Governor George Busbee presided over the dedication ceremony which was attended by Col. Jackson and the family of Maj. Pless.
Jackson and Pless, both pilots, were on their second tour of duty when they earned the Medal of Honor for life saving actions while surrounded by enemy forces in Vietnam. Colonel Jackson, the pilot of a C-123 aircraft, was cited for making a daring rescue of three airmen at Kham Duc, South Vietnam on May 12, 1969. Pless was honored for landing a helicopter in the midst of Viet Cong forces and rescuing four American Soldiers stranded on a beach near Quang Ngai, South Vietnam on August 9, 1967.
The first unit of the Georgia National Guard established in Newnan was the Newnan Guards organized on May 6, 1872. Over the decades, Newnan has hosted numerous National Guard units with culminating in 2007 with the assignment of Company B, 2nd Battalion 121st Infantry Regiment, the current armory occupant. Soldiers of Company B recently returned from overseas mobilization to Egypt in support of the Multinational Force and Observers on the Sinai Peninsula The unit had previously deployed four times in support of overseas combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. During World War II, the 121st Infantry Regiment was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for combat action leading to the capture of Hurtgen, Germany. In addition to its combat history, the unit has supported multiple domestic response operations following hurricanes and contributed to the state’s coordinated response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
At the conclusion of the ceremony community members and Soldiers of Company B, 2-121 joined Fryman and Maj. Gen. Dwayne Wilson, Georgia’s Adjutant General, for a ceremonial ribbon cutting. Soldiers then provided attendees with a guided tour of the facility.
| Date Taken: | 02.10.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 02.10.2025 15:10 |
| Story ID: | 490476 |
| Location: | NEWNAN, GEORGIA, US |
| Hometown: | MARIETTA, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 204 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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