WWAY TV3 (wwaytv3.com)

July 5, 2005

 

Leland Salutes Fallen Vietnam Vet

 

LELAND – The Town of Leland chose this Independence Day to remember a fallen son. A man who died 36 years ago while serving his country in Vietnam. While honoring John Edwin Jacobs, leaders also gave his family the closure they've waited for.

Many of those who stopped on this Fourth of July to remember Leland's only Vietnam casualty never met Private First Class John Edwin Jacobs. But they do understand what the 20-year-old sacrificed when, just one month after arriving in Vietnam in 1968, he died from enemy fire.

"He was my mentor," said Command Sgt. Major Charles Holliday, Sr, Jacobs' nephew. "He was someone I could look up to. Today, I am an American Soldier because of Private First Class John Edwin Jacobs." The Leland native's family still lives here, the place where a memorial now marks the life of their hero. Holliday said, "Talking to my grandparents and the family, that's all they wanted was some type of memorial to him. So they can come about and recognize that he gave his life not only for his country but for this community."

You could say the small town stood still for a moment, stopping traffic and encouraging drivers to take part in honoring a stranger whose death is now a part of Leland's history. Mayor Franky Thomas said, "Like the song says, some gave some and some gave all, and we remember the guys that gave it all."

John Jacobs's parents still live near the family cemetery where they laid their son to rest. The military awarded Jacobs the purple heart for his service to his country.