Medal of Honor recipient makes impression

Photo by John Vannucci Medal of Honor recipient Col. Jack H. Jacobs (retired) signs his book for a Soldier after speaking to Soldiers as part of a Professional Development Session. Jacobs was presented the Medal of Honor for his actions while serving as an advisor to the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division, Army of the Republic of Vietnam. The details of Col. Jack Jacobs’ heroic actions during the Vietnam War are chronicled in his new book, If Not Now, When?, but on Nov. 13, the Congressional Medal of Honor recipient gave Soldiers at Alexander Hall a taste of his sense of humor.

In March 1968, Jacobs was severely wounded on the battlefield.

Yet despite profuse bleeding from head and facial wounds which impaired his vision and immense gunfire, Jacobs pulled two dozen Americans out of the fighting saving 13 lives.

Despite the severity of his wounds and the threat to his life, Jacobs brought humor to his situation and relayed it to audiences.

“I woke up one and a half weeks later to a doctor with an expression of glee. ‘I’ve never seen this before,’” Jacobs said of the doctor. “He comes back with a lot of other doctors; some with cameras.”

Because of his wounds, Jacobs’ face was collapsing. Doctors needed to provide a support to help them stay in place. A physician inserted a piece of plastic tubing in his nasal cavity with a balloon attached and blew up the balloon.

A few weeks later, the physician return and removed it as the bones were healing properly.

Jacobs thanked him for his skill as a plastic surgeon.

“I’m not a plastic surgeon; I’m a gynecologist,” was the doctor’s reply.

Jacobs also told stories about his life after Vietnam.

In rich descriptive language, he talked about meeting a Soviet general at a cocktail party.

Jacobs is a short man at 5’4” tall. His Soviet counterpart was a towering figure.

Jacobs joked that his short stature caused his medals to look quite awkward on his uniform. He said he actually looked more like a hotel bellman instead of an officer.

The Soviet general asked how Jacobs earned all his medals.

“I said, ‘I got them killing communists,’” Jacobs said, adding that the Soviet general laughed about his response for most of the evening.

After the program, Jacobs signed copies of his book in the lobby of Alexander Hall.