September 26, 2002

MORAL MAN, GALLANT SOLDIER

Yale Kramer

I found myself at loose ends the other day. I was in Washington D.C. for a few hours between planes, so I decided to find some interesting focus for my restlessness. Of late I have come to avoid large cultural institutions when visiting new cities--no more three-star museums please, not even two-star sights. Instead I look forward to finding some unsung place--a place where I might be the only visitor, or perhaps one of two or three. I find often that the docent or curator of such a place is so starved for attention that he or she is overflowing with fascinating information and stories that I would never find anywhere else.

I found a museum I had never heard of before, far from the Mall and the main attractions there. It was called the National Museum of American Jewish Military History. It held three small but fascinating exhibits: on women in the military; the rescue and organization of hundreds of thousands of displaced persons--mostly concentration camp victims--by the US Army at the end of WW2--an unsung story of tragic proportions; and finally an exhibit on the 13 Congressional Medal of Honor winners throughout the course of American history who happened to be Jewish .

I got my wish. My wife and I were alone there for almost an hour before two very quiet and very black men arrived. Their shyness suggested to me that they were foreign, so I asked them where they were from. They explained that they were from Ethiopia and of Jewish stock. They were here to try to learn more about Jews in America. Poor bastards, I thought, black and Jewish, they've really got a heavy burden. But they bore whatever burden they felt graciously and listened attentively when the docent arrived to conduct us around the place. The Docent, an 85 year old Polonius, full of fascinating anecdotage and Jewish blather.

One of those he pointed out in the Congressional Medal of Honor exhibit was a man named Jack Jacobs who served in the Vietnam war. What caught my attention in the exhibit was Jacobs' ability to recapture and articulate what motivated him during his remarkable action. It is not often that we are able to hear from CMH winners about what made them do what they did. Many receive the honor posthumously and many, though very brave, are not given to talk about their wartime experiences.

Captain Jacobs' citation goes as follows:

"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Captain Jacobs (then 1st Lt.), Infantry, distinguished himself while serving as assistant battalion advisor, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry, 9 Infantry Division, Army of the Republic of Vietnam. The 2nd Battalion was advancing to contact when it came under intense heavy machine gun and mortar fire from a Viet Cong battalion positioned in well fortified bunkers. As the 2nd Battalion deployed into attack formation its advance was halted by devastating fire. Capt. Jacobs, with the command element of the lead company, called for and directed air strikes on the enemy positions to facilitate a renewed attack. Due to the intensity of the enemy fire and heavy casualties to the command group, including the company commander, the attack stopped and the friendly troops became disorganized. Although wounded by mortar fragments, Capt. Jacobs assumed command of the allied company, ordered a withdrawal from the exposed position and established a defensive perimeter. Despite profuse bleeding from head wounds which impaired his vision, Capt. Jacobs, with complete disregard for his safety, returned under intense fire to evacuate a seriously wounded advisor to the safety of a wooded area where he administered lifesaving first aid. He then returned through heavy automatic weapons fire to evacuate the wounded company commander. Capt. Jacobs made repeated trips across the fire-swept open rice paddies evacuating wounded and their weapons. On 3 separate occasions, Capt. Jacobs contacted and drove off Viet Cong squads who were searching for allied wounded and weapons, single-handedly killing 3 and wounding several others. His gallant actions and extraordinary heroism saved the lives of 1 U.S. advisor and 13 allied soldiers. Through his effort the allied company was restored to an effective fighting unit and prevented defeat of the friendly forces by a strong and determined enemy. Capt. Jacobs, by his gallantry and bravery in action in the highest traditions of the military service, has reflected great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army."

In his gallantry Captain Jacobs did not distinguish rank, race, religion, or national origin; he felt his duty was to rescue all for whom he was responsible. Afterward, when he was asked what was in his mind at the time of his action, he answered, "Inside my head was this one [Rabbi] Hillel precept: If not you, who? If not now, when? I thought of what would happen if I didn't do what Hillel had implied is always a Jew's duty: to act when no one else will, and to act now. The decision was an easy one."

It struck me as I looked at an enlarged photograph of Capt. Jacobs--a handsome young officer wearing the Congressional Medal of Honor around his neck--that the moral precepts he carried in his head gave him the strength to do the impossible, and that it somehow resonates in today's world, when we may be asked to do impossible things again.