Colonel Jack Jacobs

Born on August 2, 1945, in Brooklyn, New York, Jack Howard Jacobs later moved to Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, and graduated from Woodbridge High School. He attended Rutgers University, where he earned both Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees. A member of the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps program, he entered military service as a second lieutenant in 1966. His extensive military career included serving as a platoon leader in the 82nd Airborne Division, a battalion executive officer in the 7th Infantry Division, and a battalion commander with the 10th Infantry Regiment in Panama. He completed two tours of duty in Vietnam as an advisor to infantry units of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN).

During his first deployment to Vietnam, on March 9, 1968, First Lieutenant Jacobs distinguished himself when his battalion came under intense enemy fire. Despite being wounded by mortar fragments to the head and arms, he took command of the allied company after its commander was incapacitated. He then repeatedly moved through heavy fire across open rice paddies to evacuate wounded soldiers, saving a fellow advisor, the company commander, and twelve other allied personnel. He also single-handedly repelled three Viet Cong squads during these efforts. For these actions, he was promoted to Captain and awarded the Medal of Honor, which was formally presented by President Richard M. Nixon on October 9, 1969. His other commendations from Vietnam include two Silver Stars, three Bronze Star Medals, and two Purple Hearts. Jacobs retired from the Army in 1987 with the rank of Colonel.

After his military retirement, Colonel Jacobs began a career in investment banking. He founded and served as Chief Operating Officer of AutoFinance Group, Inc., a company specializing in the securitization of debt instruments, which was later acquired by KeyBank. He also worked as a managing director at Bankers Trust, overseeing foreign exchange options and engaging in the institutional hedge fund business until 1996. Currently, he is a principal in The Fitzroy Group, an investment and residential real estate development organization based in London. He also serves as a military analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, and is deeply involved with military-related organizations, including serving as vice chairman of the Medal of Honor Foundation and a member of the board of trustees for the National World War II Museum. He also holds the McDermott Chair of Politics at the U.S. Military Academy. In 2016, Jacobs was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.