The Leland American Legion Post #68 Honors Mr. John E. Jacobs by ensuring he is and will be always remembered. He was a citizen of Leland who stepped up and served his country paying the ultimate price for freedom. That is why the area veterans have named American Legion Post #68 after John E. Jacobs. Post #68 Commander John Hacker stated, “John would have been 75 years old this year, yet he still inspires us and we want to ensure that the community that raised this wonderful young man will always remember his sacrifice.”
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.
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’s gratitude is beyond any words that we can express.”
The Man. 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.”
Today, John E. Jacobs American Legion Post #68 of Leland, NC is one of the fastest growing American Legion Posts in the state of North Carolina and will continue to honor the name of John E. Jacobs as the Post continues to provide support for local veterans, youth and the Leland community.