USMC PFC. Douglas Jacobson: "I just wanted to get off that hill"

USMC PFC Douglas Jacobson enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1943 at the young age of 17. As part of the 4th Marine Division, he fought against the Japanese on Saipan and Tinian as a Browning automatic Rifleman and received a commendation for his actions on Saipan.

He landed on 19 February on Iwo Jima, part of 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marines, 4th MarDiv. On 26 February, he single-handedly took out a 20mm gun crew, two machinegun positions, a tank, two pillboxes and a blockhouse. He actually took out the 20mm position operating a bazooka single-handedly, a weapon that usually took a two-man team. He also used satchel charges he had strapped over his shoulders to take out the other positions throwing these bombs into one Japanese position after the other. And of course, he used his Browning automatic rifle to eliminate enemy soldiers. Doing a quick calculation in my head, Jacobson could have been carrying around 70-80 pounds of gear as he ran around killing the Imperial Japanese forces (bazooka = 12.75 lbs., Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) = 19.4 lbs., satchel charge = 10 lbs., bazooka round = 3.5 lbs. (probably had 3-4 of them), 20-round BAR magazine = 1 lb. (usually would have carried 10-20 magazines on his body). So, carrying a bazooka, four bazooka rounds, a Browning automatic rifle, at least 10 magazines, and at least two satchel charges would have weighed a total of 76.15 pounds.

In reading the reports, it seems he single-handily took all this equipment to the point of attack and then, after ascertaining what he needed to eliminate the threat, Jacobson would then deploy the weapon of choice needed for the situation. Jacobson was a one-man, combined-arms, fire team. He killed 75 Japanese around Hill 382 as the Marines pushed through the island’s middle. He simply went berserk. He got the Marines in his sector moving by taking out strong defensive positions—before Jacobson’s actions, his platoon had been penned down for several days. A panel of top newspapermen and combat veterans named Jacobson the most “outstanding living” enlisted WWII Marine according to historian James Hallas and one whose deeds most resembled the exploits of the most famous hero of World War I, Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant Alvin York.

Jacobson’s heroics supersede anything I have studied of any Marine Corps Rifleman during the Pacific War, except maybe USMC Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone’s exploits on Guadalcanal. How Jacobson survived what he did on Iwo Jima on the 26th of February defies reality. Moreover, the fact that he fought during the entire Battle of Iwo Jima when units were suffering over 70-80 percent attrition means this man really did have nine lives. When President Harry S Truman asked Jacobson how in the world he did all he did, the 19-year-old Jacobson simply said, “I don’t know how I did it…I just had one thing in mind… to get off that hill.” Well, he was indeed able to leave Hill 382 and the island of Iwo Jima with his life and all his body parts intact.

On the 40th anniversary of the battle, 19 February 1985, at the dedication of the Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno, California, Jacobson methodically and firmly declared, “those were the days that men were men and proud of it…They never asked if the island was needed or if the war was just. When they were called to do their duty, they stood up and were counted.” Such attitudes and accomplishments described and performed by men like Jacobson are part of the reason why Marines have created one of the best military organizations in the history of warfare. The tradition of hard work, camaraderie, determination, courage and Semper Fidelis are exemplified by men like Jacobson.

After the war, Jacobson continued his military service and rose up through the enlisted ranks for a few years and then became an officer in 1954. He would retire from the Corps in 1967 with the rank of major. Semper Fi, Sir!

To learn more about the heroes of Iwo Jima, see my book “Flamethrower”: https://www.amazon.com/Flamethrower-Recipient-Williams-Controversial-Holocaust/dp/1734534109/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid&sr&fbclid=IwAR2f1rsCasi9YxM9H3qIPpVGZlu-ODwE8mZCN1iptADaQy5MoeqLiDePkrY