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World War II Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient
Pfc. Douglas Thomas Jacobson, USMC
 MAJOR
DOUGLAS T. JACOBSON, USMC
(DECEASED)
World War II 1941-1945
Medal of Honor Recipient
Major Douglas T. Jacobson, who was presented the country's highest honor - the Medal of Honor - on October 5, 1945, by President Harry S. Truman, for heroism on Iwo Jima , died August 20, 2000 in Port Charlotte, Florida.
Born at Rochester, New York, on November 25, 1925, Captain Jacobson attended elementary and high school in Port Washington, New York. He worked for his father as a draftsman, and was a lifeguard and swimming instructor before enlisting in the Marine Corps Reserve on January 28, 1943, at the age of 17.
Following recruit training at Parris Island, South Carolina, he was transferred to the 23d Marine Regiment at Camp Lejeune, New River, North Carolina, and was promoted in July 1943, to private first class. As a member of the 3d Battalion, 23d Marines, 4th Marine Division, he was sent overseas in December 1943, and participated in the campaigns for Tinian, Marianas Islands, Marshall Islands, and Iwo Jima.
Promoted to corporal in April 1945, he returned to the United States that September, reporting to Headquarters Battalion, Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C., and was subsequently transferred to the Naval Shipyard, New York, New York, until discharged as a corporal in December 1945.
He then reenlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on April 22, 1946, and was retained at District Headquarters Recruiting Station, Washington, D.C., as a recruiting sergeant. Reappointed a line corporal in September 1946, he was ordered to a replacement battalion at Oceanside, California, embarking in November aboard the USS General William Mitchell as a replacement for the 1st Marine Division, FMF. He joined the 1st Engineer Battalion in December 1946, and served with the 1st Marine Division in Peiping and Tsingtao, China. He was promoted to sergeant in May 1947.
Returning from overseas in December 1948, he reported to the Marine Air Detachment, U.S. Naval Air Station, Columbus, Ohio, and was subsequently returned to the Naval Base, New York, New York, for discharge as a sergeant on April 21, 1949.
He later served 8 months in the Florida National Guard before being discharged to reenlist in the Marine Corps Reserve as a technical sergeant in September 1953 as a member of the 2d 155mm Gun Battalion, at Miami, Florida. Shortly thereafter, he was ordered to active duty to attend the 9th Officer Candidate Course, at Quantico, Virginia. Discharged from the Reserve in December 1953, he was immediately reappointed a technical sergeant in the regular Marine Corps, and subsequently commissioned a second lieutenant in March 1954, with date of rank from June 5, 1953.
Following graduation from the 1st Basic Course at Quantico in June, 1954, he served briefly as a detachment officer until transferred to the 3d Marine Division, at Camp Pendleton. As a member of the 3d Marine Division, Lieutenant Jacobson left the United States in December 1954, arriving in Japan the next month. During this tour of duty he served as executive officer and later commanding officer of Company A, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division, and was promoted to first lieutenant with date of rank from December 5, 1954.
Returning from overseas in June 1955, Lieutenant Jacobson reported to the Marine Barracks, U.S. Naval Base, Brooklyn, New York, and served as a guard officer until July 1956, when he was transferred to the 2d Battalion, 2d Marines, 2d Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. At Camp Lejeune, he served as a company officer in Company D and later as commanding officer of H&S Company.
In August 1957, he became a range officer at the Rifle Range Battalion, Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune, and was promoted to captain in November.
In January 1958, he was reassigned to the General Supply Service Company, 2d Service Regiment, 2d Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, to attend Supply Officer Course #2-58. Upon completion of the school in April 1958, he was assigned duties as a supply officer with Sub Unit #1, Headquarters Company, Headquarters Battalion, Marine Corps Base, at Camp Lejeune.
In October 1958, he became officer in charge of Self-Service Center, Base Material Battalion, 2d Force Service Regiment at Camp Lejeune, and then served in various other supply duty capacities with the battalion until July 1960, when he was ordered to duty with the 3d Marine Division on Okinawa.
Captain Jacobson served as Regimental Supply Officer of the 3d Marine Regiment with the division until December 1960, when he returned to the Base Material Battalion, at Camp Lejeune. There, he served as assistant warehouse officer and officer in charge, Subsistence Branch and Storage Division until April 1962, when he was assigned as Commanding Officer, H&S Company, 2d Pioneer Battalion, 2d Marine Division, Camp Lejeune. He was promoted to major on July 1, 1964 and retired in 1967.
In addition to the Medal of Honor, Major Jacobson's medals and decorations include: the Letter of Commendation (Saipan and Tinian), Presidential Unit Citation with two bronze stars (Saipan and Tinian, and Iwo Jima), the Good Conduct Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four bronze stars (Marshalls, Marianas, Tinian, and Iwo Jima), the American Campaign Medal, the Victory Medal, the China Service Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal.
In addition, while a corporal during World War II , he was commended in division orders of the 4th Marine Division "for excellent performance of duties as a Browning automatic rifleman while serving with a rifle company during action against enemy Japanese forces on Saipan, Marianas Island from June 15 to June 28, 1944"
Douglas T. Jacobson, 74, a retired U.S. Marine who was awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for bravery, for his valor on Iwo Jima during World War II, died September 10, 2000 in North Port, Florida. The cause of death was not reported.
He received the honor in 1945 for his service as a private first class during the battle. He later received his officer's commission and served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars before retiring from active duty as a major.
Buried be at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va. Memorial donations may be made to American Heart Association, 3612 Evans Ave., Fort Myers, FL 33901.
Maj. Douglas T. Jacobson, United States Marine Corps, is one of 367 Medal of Honor Recipients who rest in Arlington National Cemetery. Maj. Jacobson is inurned in the Columbarium. The stone paving blocks reflect the grey light of the sky on a cold April 7 at the Columbarium Arlington National Cemetery.
CITATION:
JACOBSON, DOUGLAS THOMAS
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, 3d Battalion, 23d Marines, 4th Marine Division. Place and date: Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 26 February 1945. Entered service at: New York. Born: 25 November 1925, Rochester, N.Y.
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 3d Battalion, 23d Marines, 4th Marine Division, in combat against enemy Japanese forces during the seizure of Iwo Jima in the Volcano Island, 26 February 1945. Promptly destroying a stubborn 20mm. antiaircraft gun and its crew after assuming the duties of a bazooka man who had been killed, Pfc. Jacobson waged a relentless battle as his unit fought desperately toward the summit of Hill 382 in an effort to penetrate the heart of Japanese cross-island defense. Employing his weapon with ready accuracy when his platoon was halted by overwhelming enemy fire on 26 February, he first destroyed two hostile machinegun positions, then attacked a large blockhouse, completely neutralizing the fortification before dispatching the 5-man crew of a second pillbox and exploding the installation with a terrific demolitions blast. Moving steadily forward, he wiped out an earth-covered rifle emplacement and, confronted by a cluster of similar emplacements which constituted the perimeter of enemy defenses in his assigned sector, fearlessly advanced, quickly reduced all six positions to a shambles, killed ten of the enemy, and enabled our forces to occupy the strong point. Determined to widen the breach thus forced, he volunteered his services to an adjacent assault company, neutralized a pillbox holding up its advance, opened fire on a Japanese tank pouring a steady stream of bullets on one of our supporting tanks, and smashed the enemy tank's gun turret in a brief but furious action culminating in a single-handed assault against still another blockhouse and the subsequent neutralization of its firepower. By his dauntless skill and valor, Pfc. Jacobson destroyed a total of sixteen enemy positions and annihilated approximately 75 Japanese, thereby contributing essentially to the success of his division's operations against this fanatically defended outpost of the Japanese Empire. His gallant conduct in the face of tremendous odds enhanced and sustained the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
01/09/04
Dedication of Port Charlotte veterans nursing home is today
Governor set to attend
PORT CHARLOTTE -- Hundreds are expected to attend the dedication of the Douglas T. Jacobson State Veterans Nursing Home in Port Charlotte today.
Gov. is scheduled to be the principal speaker at the 10 a.m. affair.
The nursing home is named in honor of Medal of Honor recipient Douglas T. Jacobson, who single-handedly waged an assault on 16 enemy gun emplacements during the Battle of Iwo Jima on Feb. 26, 1945.
At the time of his award, Jacobson was a private 1st class in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, serving with the 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marines, 4th Marine Division. He retired as a U.S. Marines major in 1967 and moved with his wife, Joan, to Port Charlotte in 1987. They later moved to North Port, where Douglas died in August 2000.
Joan and several other family members will be on hand at Friday's dedication.
There are also expected to be a number of local, state and national officials in attendance, including U.S. Reps. Katherine Harris, R-Sarasota, and Mark Foley, R-Palm Beach; Gordon Mansfield, acting deputy secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs; state Sen. Lisa Carlton, R-Osprey; , speaker pro tempore of the Florida House, R-Punta Gorda; state Rep. , R-Port Charlotte; Col. Rocky McPherson, USMC (Ret.), executive director, Florida Department of Veterans Affairs; and Charlotte County Commission Chairman .
Rich Owens, director of the Charlotte County Veterans Service Office, suggested that people arrive between 9 a.m. and no later than 9:45 a.m. Friday.
Parking will be along Bachmann Boulevard. The county will provide shuttle buses to the nursing home, and there will also be golf carts to get people from their cars to the parking lot in front of the home.
Prior to the dedication, there will be a VIP reception by invitation only, according to Owens. There will also be a reception open to everyone following the dedication. At that time, the public will be given a tour of the new nursing home.
The 120-bed, $11 million facility is expected to be open for business in February. It was originally scheduled to open later this month, but due to a delay in getting the necessary state permits, the date was pushed back.
Half of the beds in the facility are for Alzheimer's patients, and the other half are for patients who need skilled nursing care.
To obtain more information about having someone admitted to the home, call Philip Cahusac at 613-0919, ext. 605.
The new veterans home is the fifth to be built in Florida using state and federal funds. The first home was constructed a decade ago in Daytona Beach.
The easiest way to reach the nursing home is to drive east on Veterans Boulevard at U.S. 41, on the north side of Port Charlotte, a couple of miles to Yorkshire Street and turn right. Go two blocks south to Bachmann Boulevard, turn left and go about a block or so. By the time you arrive, there should be cars parked along the shoulder of this street.
By DON MOORE
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