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CNN Live Today

Medal of Honor

Aired November 11, 2003 - 11:35   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Meanwhile, the nation's highest military award is the Medal of Honor. The president presents it for uncommon valor and bravery in combat. Fewer than 135 men have been honored with the medal are live today. There's a new book out called "Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor, Beyond the Call of Duty," that takes a look at many of these heroes. One of those, retired colonel Jack Jacob, is among the veterans profiled by the author Peter Collier.
And Captain Jacob is joining us in New York this morning to share his extraordinary story.

Captain, good morning.

COL. JACK JACOB, (RET.) MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT: Well, I used to be a captain. I retired as a colonel, but there's not much difference in pay between one or the other, believe me.

KAGAN: How about just sir?

JACOB: Call me Jack, if you wish.

KAGAN: Well, that doesn't quite sound right. But anyhow, we want to get your story. And I just want to say, we might have to take a pause if the president begins to speak. We'll go to the president and then we'll bring you back. Is that the deal?

JACOB: It's a deal.

KAGAN: OK. I want to go back to 1966. You were recently out of college, thought you were just signing up for the Army for three years.

JACOB: Well, that was my intention. I was going to do my bit, stay in the Army for a few years then get out. But you know what happens, time flies very, very quickly. I enjoyed what I was doing. I was with a band of brothers effectively who I wanted to be with, and also time goes fast as I said, I blinked, one minute I was 21 years old, and the next minute I was 42 years old, and I then decided to retire, but it went very, very quickly.

KAGAN: All right, Colonel, I think we're going to take a pause here, because I don't want to interrupt you in the middle of your very dramatic story of what happened in March of 1968. We'll come back to you in just a moment.

(INTERRUPTED BY LIVE EVENT) KAGAN: We were just listening to President Bush speak. And before he did, we had started a visit with man with a very rare honor. One of the nation's highest military awards is the Medal of Honor. And the president presents it for uncommon valor and bravery in combat. There are only 135 men who have been honored with the men who are still alive today.

There's a new book out. It's called "Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty." And it takes a look and introduces us to at many of these heroes. Retired Colonel Jack Jacobs among the veterans profiled by the author, Peter Collier.

Colonel, thanks for staying with us.

JACOB: My pleasure.

KAGAN: Appreciate you spending part of your Veterans' Day with us. And I apologize for the interruption, but I'm sure you understand.

JACOB: I stop for the president all the time.

KAGAN: Absolutely.

Let's go back to March 1968. You had spent about this time about two years in the Army so far, found yourself in Vietnam.

JACOB: Been in the Army about two years.

KAGAN: Tell us what happened on that day.

JACOB: Well I was an adviser to Vietnamese infantry battalion. It was towards the end of Tet of '68. And we had been in contact with the enemy for the majority of the previous two months. We got some intelligence that said that the enemy was located in a specific spot.

And we mounted a very large operation in which my battalion landed ashore on the Mikon River and moved inland. And a Vietnamese ranger battalion was inserted by helicopter moved perpendicular to our line of movement. And unfortunately my unit did not have any scouts providing security and we ran into an enormous ambush right out in the open.

KAGAN: And you, as I understand it, were severely wounded. And yet you tried to rescue others in this unit.

JACOB: Well, you try to do whatever you do. You don't recognize the extend of your injuries often. Or even when you do, you realize it doesn't matter at the end of the day. You're trying to accomplish the mission and save your buddies. And you do what you are trained to do and why you know you must do irrespective of what the pain is to you.

KAGAN: Well, sir, you sound rather humble about what you did in March of 1968. But apparently President Nixon was not and awarded you Medal of Honor back in 1969. JACOB: Well, if you talk to any recipient of any military award...

KAGAN: I think we're showing videotape or film of that taking place.

JACOB: Oh my goodness. That was a long time ago.

KAGAN: Do you remember that day?

JACOB: I do indeed. It was a beautiful day in Washington. And it was very, very sunny. And they -- back in those days security was different than it is now. They gave the government off so that they could come and see the ceremony. And on the South Lawn of the White House, as far as you could see, there were people. You couldn't see anything but people. There were many tens of thousands of observers. And that was the most startling thing about the award ceremony was the sea of people

KAGAN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) people even more so than the president of the United States hanging this rare medal around your neck.

JACOB: You know, you talk to any recipient and they will tell you pretty much the same thing. I was just doing my job. I don't think I deserve it. There were lots people who performed valiantly in combat and never received recognition whatsoever. And everyone who wears the Medal of Honor will tell you that he wears it for all of his buddies and for everybody who didn't come home and for everybody who did something valorous that was never observed.

KAGAN: Well, in the spirit of that, sir, what does Veterans' Day mean to you?

JACOB: I think all the time, not just Veterans' Day, of the young kids out there now defending the republic, defending freedom and making other people free. We have to recognize that they don't send old, decrepit people like me out to fight.

It's not John Wayne who was the company commander, it was Doogie Howser. They don't call it the infantry for nothing. It is young kids who are defending us and making us free and keeping us free. And we have to not just remember them on Veterans' Day. We ought to remember them on every day.

KAGAN: I got to say old and decrepit were not the words that came to mind when you popped up on our screen.

JACOB: Well you're very kind. It's all the makeup.

KAGAN: I want to thank you for sharing your story and especially for your service to this country.

JACOB: You're very welcome.

KAGAN: Thank you so much, retired Colonel Jack Jacobs, joining us on this Veterans' Day. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired November 11, 2003 - 11:35   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Meanwhile, the nation's highest military award is the Medal of Honor. The president presents it for uncommon valor and bravery in combat. Fewer than 135 men have been honored with the medal are live today. There's a new book out called "Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor, Beyond the Call of Duty," that takes a look at many of these heroes. One of those, retired colonel Jack Jacob, is among the veterans profiled by the author Peter Collier.
And Captain Jacob is joining us in New York this morning to share his extraordinary story.

Captain, good morning.

COL. JACK JACOB, (RET.) MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT: Well, I used to be a captain. I retired as a colonel, but there's not much difference in pay between one or the other, believe me.

KAGAN: How about just sir?

JACOB: Call me Jack, if you wish.

KAGAN: Well, that doesn't quite sound right. But anyhow, we want to get your story. And I just want to say, we might have to take a pause if the president begins to speak. We'll go to the president and then we'll bring you back. Is that the deal?

JACOB: It's a deal.

KAGAN: OK. I want to go back to 1966. You were recently out of college, thought you were just signing up for the Army for three years.

JACOB: Well, that was my intention. I was going to do my bit, stay in the Army for a few years then get out. But you know what happens, time flies very, very quickly. I enjoyed what I was doing. I was with a band of brothers effectively who I wanted to be with, and also time goes fast as I said, I blinked, one minute I was 21 years old, and the next minute I was 42 years old, and I then decided to retire, but it went very, very quickly.

KAGAN: All right, Colonel, I think we're going to take a pause here, because I don't want to interrupt you in the middle of your very dramatic story of what happened in March of 1968. We'll come back to you in just a moment.

(INTERRUPTED BY LIVE EVENT) KAGAN: We were just listening to President Bush speak. And before he did, we had started a visit with man with a very rare honor. One of the nation's highest military awards is the Medal of Honor. And the president presents it for uncommon valor and bravery in combat. There are only 135 men who have been honored with the men who are still alive today.

There's a new book out. It's called "Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty." And it takes a look and introduces us to at many of these heroes. Retired Colonel Jack Jacobs among the veterans profiled by the author, Peter Collier.

Colonel, thanks for staying with us.

JACOB: My pleasure.

KAGAN: Appreciate you spending part of your Veterans' Day with us. And I apologize for the interruption, but I'm sure you understand.

JACOB: I stop for the president all the time.

KAGAN: Absolutely.

Let's go back to March 1968. You had spent about this time about two years in the Army so far, found yourself in Vietnam.

JACOB: Been in the Army about two years.

KAGAN: Tell us what happened on that day.

JACOB: Well I was an adviser to Vietnamese infantry battalion. It was towards the end of Tet of '68. And we had been in contact with the enemy for the majority of the previous two months. We got some intelligence that said that the enemy was located in a specific spot.

And we mounted a very large operation in which my battalion landed ashore on the Mikon River and moved inland. And a Vietnamese ranger battalion was inserted by helicopter moved perpendicular to our line of movement. And unfortunately my unit did not have any scouts providing security and we ran into an enormous ambush right out in the open.

KAGAN: And you, as I understand it, were severely wounded. And yet you tried to rescue others in this unit.

JACOB: Well, you try to do whatever you do. You don't recognize the extend of your injuries often. Or even when you do, you realize it doesn't matter at the end of the day. You're trying to accomplish the mission and save your buddies. And you do what you are trained to do and why you know you must do irrespective of what the pain is to you.

KAGAN: Well, sir, you sound rather humble about what you did in March of 1968. But apparently President Nixon was not and awarded you Medal of Honor back in 1969. JACOB: Well, if you talk to any recipient of any military award...

KAGAN: I think we're showing videotape or film of that taking place.

JACOB: Oh my goodness. That was a long time ago.

KAGAN: Do you remember that day?

JACOB: I do indeed. It was a beautiful day in Washington. And it was very, very sunny. And they -- back in those days security was different than it is now. They gave the government off so that they could come and see the ceremony. And on the South Lawn of the White House, as far as you could see, there were people. You couldn't see anything but people. There were many tens of thousands of observers. And that was the most startling thing about the award ceremony was the sea of people

KAGAN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) people even more so than the president of the United States hanging this rare medal around your neck.

JACOB: You know, you talk to any recipient and they will tell you pretty much the same thing. I was just doing my job. I don't think I deserve it. There were lots people who performed valiantly in combat and never received recognition whatsoever. And everyone who wears the Medal of Honor will tell you that he wears it for all of his buddies and for everybody who didn't come home and for everybody who did something valorous that was never observed.

KAGAN: Well, in the spirit of that, sir, what does Veterans' Day mean to you?

JACOB: I think all the time, not just Veterans' Day, of the young kids out there now defending the republic, defending freedom and making other people free. We have to recognize that they don't send old, decrepit people like me out to fight.

It's not John Wayne who was the company commander, it was Doogie Howser. They don't call it the infantry for nothing. It is young kids who are defending us and making us free and keeping us free. And we have to not just remember them on Veterans' Day. We ought to remember them on every day.

KAGAN: I got to say old and decrepit were not the words that came to mind when you popped up on our screen.

JACOB: Well you're very kind. It's all the makeup.

KAGAN: I want to thank you for sharing your story and especially for your service to this country.

JACOB: You're very welcome.

KAGAN: Thank you so much, retired Colonel Jack Jacobs, joining us on this Veterans' Day. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com