Finishing first in his class again, he got to choose his next duty station. San Diego, California would be his first choice and, lucky for him, there was an open billet. Upon his arrival there, he was selected and immediately sent through Naval welding school for exotic metals. This would later prove to be the catalyst for his sculpting. Wade spent the next three and a half years working on the aircraft in which he flew. Most notably, he was a hoist operator on HH3F helicopters flying search and rescue missions over the same waters in which he grew up. After his discharge, he met a beautiful woman, married her and bore two wonderful sons. The next twenty-five years were spent building a successful family and wholesale distribution business.

Fast forward to March, 2007. Wade's life takes a "wipe-out". It was a small bleed in the center of his brain, technically called an "Intra-Cranial ventricular bleed", like an aneurysm. His brain bleed went on for five days and was not discovered until there was a CAT scan done at St. Joseph Hospital. He was hours from death. By then, Wade was in a coma and his prognosis was bleak. Events such as these are not often survivable; and when they are, disabilities are the usual outcome. Wade did survive, and his disabilities are acute. The blood ate away a portion of his brain leaving him with severe and constant headaches, cognitive and word-finding issues. But he got a second chance at life. "God gave me a Mulligan, a do-over, a chance to try something new. Wademade art... that's what I do."He tried returning to the business that he and his family had built. But the pressures and complexities of running a business that had grown to seven states, 45 branches and over 150 employees was more than his brain could bare. So he started to sculpt as a way to deal with the headaches and get his brain working again. Something clicked: "It was like God shut off the light switch in one side of my brain and turned on the lights in the creative half... I can't draw it. I have a hard time describing it. But I can see the art in my head and my hands just know what to do."

A compassion for the ocean and all things aquatic is reflected in Wade Jackson's work. Utilizing metal and stone as his primary medium, Wade's sculptures are personally commissioned with no two pieces alike. His art truly has an international appeal and is suitable for display in both public and private venues. "Life can be short, it can change in an instant. To create something of pleasure and something that will last, that was God's gift to me, and my gift to those who choose..."