John E. Jacobs American Legion Post 68, Leland

PFC John E. Jacobs

Memorial

Vietnam War Virtual Wall Posting: LINK

1. The Post ReNaming.  Post 68, having given considerable thought and consideration since the Post was first organized, has received permission to rename the Post in honor of PRIVATE FIRST CLASS JOHN EDWIN JACOBS,  Post 68’s new charter stipulates that the Post will hereafter be named the John E. Jacobs American Legion Post 68, Leland, NC, Inc., Department of North Carolina.

2. The Soldier. Private Jacobs was the only service member from Leland, North Carolina that is listed as a casualty in the Vietnam War.  He was a United States Army Infantryman.

John was born in Leland on December 4th, 1947. He was a 1967 graduate of what was formerly known
as Lincoln High School and was a devout member of Hooper’s Chapel Missionary Baptist Church. John
was drafted into the U.S. Army in March 1968. Following training, he was assigned to B Company, 1st
Battalion, 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division as a Combat Infantryman and departed for Vietnam in
September of that same year. While on patrol in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam on October 1st,
1968 his unit was ambushed, and Pfc John Edwin Jacobs was killed by small arms fire. While his time
in service was brief, he gallantly served our nation.

He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and was laid to rest in his family’s private cemetery
near the family home on Hooper Road, where a memorial now marks the resting place of their hero.
He was also awarded the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam
Campaign Service Medal, and National Defense Service Medal. Pfc Jacobs is listed on panel 42W, line
057 of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, DC.

At a July 4, 2005 Town of Leland ceremony honoring Pfc Jacobs, his nephew, Command Sergeant
Major Charles Holliday, Sr. said “He was my mentor. He was someone I looked up to. Today, I am an
American Soldier because of Private First Class John Edwin Jacobs.”

3. The Family.  John’s parents, Mr. John and Mildred Jacobs of Hooper Road, and his  sister, Reverend Martha Jacobs, a former Pastor of the community, have given consent and are honored that we are paying tribute to John’s
sacrifice in this manner. Reverend Jacobs said, “Our loved one, a soldier, never dies as long as he is remembered. God does everything for a reason; the solemnity of Post 68’s action is heartwarming. The family gratitude is beyond any words that we can express.”

4. Renaming Ceremony. WWAY, WECT and Wilmington Star News covered the Renaming Ceremony and provided following links on the ceremony:

-WECT TV Link
-WWAY TV Link
-Star News Link

5. Renaming and Reception Program. Link

Never let us forget that “Freedom is not free”.