Jerome Blalock Obituary

Lincoln-Jerome (Jerry) Blalock (Two Bear), age 82, crossed over into the Arms
of Jesus on June 28, 2025.
He is survived by the love of his life for 43 years, Vikki, and Brother :
Benny (Pat) Blalock, Sister: Jeanette Brooks, Chosen Son: QiBin
(Benny) Xaio, Others: A Host of Beloved Nephews, Nieces, and
Cousins, Two Dogs, a Cat, and many Farm Animals.
Preceeded in death by his Parents, Jack and Lessie Crawford Blalock: Father in
law, John (Jasper) Brooks: Mother in law, Eugenia Rohr Brooks,
Brother in law, John Charles Brooks.
Jerry was raised in Calhoun County on a farm by a Christian family.
His father had also been a soldier in World War II.
He was a football player and a Graduate of Wellborn High School.
After high school, his dad made sure that he joined the military.
Jerry has won the hearts of many people with his smile, love, and
caring for them. After a change in Jerry's Spiritual life, Jerry preached
at local churches, pastored at the House of Prayer in Anniston, and led
others to also want to share his Love for the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Having met Vikki at Jacksonville State University, they married, built
their dream home and created a homestead for organic gardening and
raising animals. They both enjoyed teaching homesteading skills.
Since Jerry's father and mother were both respectively, three quarters
Cherokee and Creek, Jerry was also three quarters Native American
Indian. He took on the name, Two Bear. Three times in No. Carolina
and other locations, he would see 2 bears cross in front of him.
Jerry and Vikki would travel to North Carolina and other locations for
Earth Skills Rendezvous and Indian related events. They taught
primitive survival skills. Some of the skills Jerry taught were how to make and use a sling shot, make rabbit sticks to have food, and Witching which is a way to find underground water.
Jerry joined the Navy and became a "Frogman" or an "Underwater
Sea Diver". He also worked at the Naval Yards overhauling ships.
When they took the submarine, "Silversides", out to sea to determine
its seaworthiness at commissioning time, toxic fumes from the air
conditioning was going through the air ventilation system while they
were submerged under water. Jerry received a special
Commendation for saving the lives of all the crew members when
he created an alternate way for the fumes to be released. Jerry would
also put on his diving suit after mixing up an asbestos product to put
on the exterior of the submarine while being submerged.
Jerry received numerous complimentary evaluations from his
superiors. At the time of his retirement, he had achieved the high level
of Chief Warrant Officer, CWO7.
Very few people knew that Jerry took on the responsibility of his Seal
teammate's girlfriend's unborn children when he was killed.
Jerry became the husband for the girlfriend and father for his friend's
children financially when he gave them his last name.
Jerry became one of the highest trained warriors of the military
when he became a member of the Navy's Elite Seal Team. While
serving in the Vietnam War, Jerry was a Seal Team Leader for SEAL
TEAM 1.
Jerry loved Tina Turner because she gave USO Tours free of charge.
In his world, anytime he heard her sing on the radio, everything would
stop, because he would dance and sing. He admired her very much.
Vikki said that Jerry was a very good dancer both slow and fast
dances. She said that he had to have had dance lessons. He was a
good kisser as well.
Jerry was awarded 3 Purple Hearts and other commendations during
the war, but the medals had to be returned and were sealed for a period
of 50 years. Because of the security and sensitivity of the missions
that his team performed, all mention of his service and awards on the
ground during the Vietnam War was erased even his Purple Heart
Awards. They covered the time during the Vietnam War with his
being on board a ship. You will see a picture of Jerry in one of the
River Boats while in Vietnam in the book, Tour of Duty John Kerry
and the Vietnam War, by Douglas Brinkley on page 8 of the inside
picture section.
On some of their missions, they would be dropped off into the jungle
and then separated from others for days at a time. His body still
carried the scars of his wounds.
The first Purple Heart was when his jugular vein was cut by an
enemy. Jerry survived the attack but the enemy did not.
The second Purple Heart was from a Viet Cong who stabbed his
abdomen. Again, Jerry survived, but the enemy did not. His other
team members were in the same village hut. One of them was
wounded and unconscious. While Jerry held his abdominal wound
together, he also carried the other soldier running miles to safety with
the enemy hot on their trail. When he got back to the base, he had to
have extensive abdominal surgery to treat an infection.
The third Purple Heart was life changing. In Vietnam, General
Zumwalt had the story leaked as a cover up that he would be on the
Mekong River on August 15th. The Viet Cong ambushed Jerry's
flotilla of 37 fast river boats from both sides. Only 3 boats returned
from the ambush.
Jerry's team was in the bow of the boat when they started taking fire.
The gunner on the Big 50 Calibre machine gun was killed. Jerry
jumped up to the machine gun and took the gunner's place.
Afterwards, the boat hit an underwater explosive device which caused
an explosion.
When the recovery helicopter team plucked him out of the water, they
saw that Jerry's bag was snagged on the debris of the boat. It had kept his face above the water until August 17th. He said that he would drift
in and out of consciousness, but remembered the sun on his face and
seeing the stars. Jerry was sent to a hospital in Pearl Harbor for
identification since he was in a coma.
During his stay at a Naval Base for 18 months in California, he created
a code for the other patients to communicate with when a doctor or
staff was coming. He enjoyed telling this story.
He had received multiple injuries and qualified for full disability, but
he would not give in to leaving the Navy and fought it. He did stay in
for 7 more years but only received a 10% disability. At the time of his
retirement, his rank of Chief Warrant Officer, CWO7 was changed to
Navy Master Chief E9. He got his wish and provided his services for
other Navy Seals on the ground.
Jerry enjoyed being a cyclist, and purchased a 1974 Superglide
Extended Front End Harley Davidson. He named it, Captain
HogTrough, after Miss Piggy's boyfriend. His motorcyclist, best
friend had named his motorcycle, Miss Piggy. Jerry and Vikki
enjoyed taking road trips with friends and alone. He did not belong to
a motorcycle club.
Jerry would celebrate every year on August 17th, the day he was
plunked out of the MeKong River with a wild party at his home. After
Jerry changed his life by having a Spiritual encounter with his Lord,
Jerry stopped having the wild parties. He became a minister and
started receiving his Joy through the Holy Spirit, who lived inside of
him.
Jerry was protected many times with many miracles, even after the
war from dying. One of these times was when he was nine years old
and fell into a deep wet well. He was able to climb up and out of the
well. Another time, he was in a fireball while dismantling a 20,000
volt transmitter. His face and hands were burned. Jerry's facial skin
healed to the point of being the same as a baby's skin. He was loved by all who knew him.
Jerry will Rest in Peace and will be able to see his Christian Friends
and family, "When we all get to Heaven".
The family will receive friends on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, from 11:30am-12:30pm at Talladega Funeral Home. The service will follow in the chapel at the funeral home at 12:30pm with Gail Benefield officiating. Burial will be at Boykin-Truitt Cemetery with Jerome Brooks, Matthew Brooks, Daniel Brooks, Yusuf Cuevaf, QiBin Xiao, Waleed Jaber serving as pallbearers. Talladega Funeral Home will direct the service.