Fallen Soldier: Jason O.B. Hickman

SFC Hickman, 35, of Kingsport, TN., died January 7, 2010, at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered earlier that day when enemy forces attacked his unit with an IED and small arms fire.

SFC Hickman joined the Army in 1999. He was deployed to Afghanistan in February 2003 and returned home safely. He spent the next six years as a recruiter in Sheboygan, WI. In February 2009, he was again deployed to Afghanistan for a one-year tour as the platoon Sergeant.

SFC and his wife Tiffany had two boys, Hayden and Landon. Landon was a big NASCAR fan. At Christmas 2009, he wrote a letter to Joey Logano thanking him for an autograph. In the letter, he mentioned that he hoped to attend the Coca-Cola 600 one day to see the soldiers’ names on the cars. The Joey Logano Foundation did a little digging, learned about Landon’s father and reached out to the family. On Memorial Day weekend 2010 SFC Hickman was honored by NASCAR’s Joey Logano, as part of a special Memorial Day Weekend tribute during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.