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Jeannie’s Turn

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Written by

Amy Uptgraft


Her name popped into my email, and I instantly clicked it open. Did I remember her? Yes. Did I still write? Yes. Would I want to help her write her life story? An emphatic yes.

Jeannie Puckett is golden. She is funny, smart, a voice that rolls over you like a warm Georgia breeze, a laugh that bubbles up often and easy. She’s determined to figure out how we can Zoom, and she tells me without a second thought that she sometimes can feel overwhelmed by the THOUSANDS of emails that she personally answers in reference to her husband Ralph recently being awarded the Medal of Honor, which makes him one of the most decorated soldiers in the history of the United States Army. (If you count, he IS the most decorated, but humble COL Puckett won’t tell you that.)

COL Ralph Puckett, USA (Ret.). Google him. He is about as real an American badass as they come.

But my heart is with Jeannie, who Ralph describes in his book, Ranger: A Soldier’s Life, as “the most attractive, vivacious and outgoing person I had ever met.” She is all that and so much more… and she has asked me, and the Veteran’s Spouse Project, to help tell her story, her story of joy and heartache, through the aftermath of the Korean War into Vietnam, through homes around the world and until they landed all the way back “home” for good in Columbus, GA.

"While the Rangers will always hold the legendary COL Ralph Puckett in superhero status, Jeannie Puckett is mine . . . " @iwillwaitvsp Share on X
Jeannie at a VSP workshop in Columbus, Georgia in 2019

While the Rangers will always hold the legendary COL Ralph Puckett in superhero status, Jeannie Puckett is mine: 100% her own person, supportive, loving, artistic, and strong. She doesn’t mince words, and she doesn’t hold back, and as VSP shares her story with you over the next few months, you too will fall in love with Jeannie Puckett.

I dare you not to.

Join us in the month of November as we share the life of Jeannie Puckett through our “Stories We Tell” program.


Tags :
Army,Korean War,Medal of Honor,Military Family,Military Spouse,Ranger,Soldier,Stories We Tell,Veteran Spouse,Vietnam
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One Response

  1. Mrs Puckett, I met you and COL Puckett at 1sr Ranger Battalion in Savannah in 94. I hosted y’all a few times when you came to visit us. Knowing both of you meant a lot to me, and I regret not staying in touch.

    I doubt you remember me, but I would love to hear back from you.

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