[Muskrat aka Driver Mac]

Here’s LT Jacobs’ military history as sent to me by his son, Byron. Note there is a writeup in the November 2014 Newsletter on LT Jacobs with a picture of him.
Tex

1 st Lt. Ralph Edward Jacobs, USAF
Military Record
15 Dec 1942 – 23 Jan 1952
15 Dec 42 – 29 Mar 43 Kansas City, MO: Private, enlisted in US Army Ser# 17136111 as
Aviation Cadet
29 Mar 43 – 21 Apr 43 Sheppard Field, TX: Aviation Cadet – Basic Military Training
22 Apr 43 – 8 Aug 43 305th CTD, Fayetteville, AR: Student College Training, 5 days in
Veterans Hospital for Lipoma of left hand.
9 Aug 43 – 29 Aug 43 SAACC, San Antonio, TX: Classification
1 Sep 43 – 3 Nov 43 SAACC, San Antonio, TX: Preflight Training
5 Nov 43 – 7 Jan 44 Hicks Field, Ft. Worth, TX: Air Corps Primary Pilot Training,
Fairchild PT-19 aircraft, 57:47 hours.
9 Jan 44 – 12 Mar 44 Majors Field, Greenville, TX: Air Corps Basic Pilot Training, Vultee
BT-13 Valiant aircraft, 80:10 hours.
14 Mar 44 – 23 May 44 Blackland AAF, Waco, TX: Air Corps Advanced Pilot Training,
Cessna AT-17 Bobcat (twin engine), 75:45 hours.
9 May 44 – 9 May 44 Blackland AAF, Waco, TX: Qualified as Marksman, .45 Pistol, Score
67.
22 May 44 Blackland AAF, Waco, TX: Honorable Discharge as US Army
enlisted man in preparation for promotion as 2nd Lieutenant, Army Air
Corps (AR 615-160). ER Excellent. Awarded Good Conduct Medal
and National Service Defense Medal.
23 May 44 Blackland AAF, Waco, TX: Commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant, Army of
the United States by Headquarters, Army Air Forces Central Flying
Training Command, Randolph Field, TX. Serial# AO-2059058.
23 May 44 – 28 Jun 44 Section H, 2542nd AAFBU,BAAF, Waco, TX: Attached unassigned,
awaiting permanent assignment.
29 Jun 44 – 13 Aug 44 Keesler Field, Biloxi, MS: B-24 flight training
15 Aug 44 – 20 Aug 44 Waco, TX: TDY for reassignment.
23 Aug 44 – 10 Sep 44 Lincoln, NE: B-24 Maintenance training
15 Sep 44 – 30 Nov 44 211 AAF Base Unit CCTS RTU, Casper, WY: Combat Crew Training,
Co-pilot B-24, 103 hours, Capt. John P. Jasper (VS JPJ 1092 Co-Pilot
B-24). Combat crew assembled.
1 Dec 44 – 18 Dec 44 Staging, Topeka, KS: Awaiting overseas orders.
18 Dec 44 – 10 Jan 45 Enroute to Italy
11 Jan 45 – 11 Jun 45 777th Bomber Squadron (H), 464 Bomber Group, Pantenella, Italy:
1092 Co-Pilot B-24 (20 sorties – 134:45 combat hours – 162:00 flight
hours). Lt. Col. William G. Moore, Jr. Squadron Commander.
Campaigns – North Apennines 1944, Po Valley 1944, Rhineland
1944-5, Central Europe 1945. Decorations/Citations: Air Medal (with
one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster), European Theatre of Operations with
four bronze stars. Note: Last sortie for any 8th Air Force was 25 Apr
45.
11 Jun 45 – 30 Jun 45 Enroute to Ft. Leavenworth, KS, US: Depart Italy 13 Jun 45, Arrive
US 29 Jun 45. Assigned to 38 AD Group, Hunter Field, GA, TDY for
RRN.
1 Jul 45 – 8 Aug 45 Ft. Leavenworth, KS: TDY for RRN
9 Aug 45 – 10 Sep 45 3AFCAP Drew Field, Tampa, FL: B-17 Replacement Crew Training
for Pacific/Far East deployment. Japanese surrender 2 Sep 45.
24 Sep 45 – Ft. Leavenworth, KS: Physical Examination
26 Sep 45 – Appointed 1 st Lt., Officers’ Reserve Corps, US Army by Army Service
Forces, Seventh Service Command, War Department Personnel
Center. Serial# O-2059058.
12 Oct 45 – Separation Center, Ft. Leavenworth, KS: Separated from active duty as
1 st Lt. “Relieved from Active Duty RR 1 -5(demobilization) & 3AF
Reg 35-41 dts 24 Aug 45”. Decorations: World War II Victory Medal
with 4 stars, Lapel button. ASR Score (12 May 45) 60.
Fall 1947 – 18 May 48 Davis-Monthan AFB, Tucson, AZ: Accepted back into the new US Air
Force. What was this training for?? B-29?? F-80? P-51?Awarded
Certificate of Attendance, Specialized Language School, HQ 43 rd
Bombardment Wing (VH) in “Indoctrination in Spoken Russian”
(dated 17 Jun 48?). Awarded Air Medal with cluster 18 Mar 48.
18 May 48 – ? Jun 48 Enroute Guam via USS C. G. General Morton. Crosses equator 30
May 48.
? Jun 48 – ? Dec 49 20th Air Force, Guam: B-29? Transfer to Clark Field indicates 21 st
Troop Carrier Squadron (H).
? Dec 49 – 30 Nov 50 Clark Field, Angeles City, Philippines: 18th Fighter Wing (P-51)? or
44th Fighter Squadron? or 80th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (F-80)? In
August, the wing briefly reverted to the F-51 Mustang, returning to the
F-80 in December 1950. Somewhere during this time flights were
made out of Itazuke, Japan. Probably around November.
30 Nov 50 – 23 Jan 51 8th Air Force, 8th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 49th Fighter-Bomber Group,
80th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, C Flight, Kimpo, South Korea: Last
picture is with P-51. MIA 23 Jan 51 Chuncho’n area of Korea. After
action confirms flying F-80. Decorations: Republic of Korea
Presidential Unit Citation, Purple Heart, Air Medal with Oak Leaf
Cluster, United Nations Korea Service Medal, Korean Service Medal,
American Campaign Medal with three bronze stars. One other medal
looks like Air Force Longevity Service Award except lighter blue
background and 4 stars.
18 Jan 52 – Declared KIA by DoD..