Dennis Peter Jacobs IV

Preferred Name: Jake
Date of Birth: February 6, 1945
Highest Military Grade: Select

People in Rogersville, TN know Jake Jacobs as the proprietor of the Amis Mill Eatery near Rogersville, owner and caretaker of the Amis historic site and an extremely knowledgeable historian.

What may be less known is that 50 years ago Capt. Jacobs was an Air Force fighter pilot who served in Vietnam and earned not one, but two Distinguished Flying Crosses.

Jacobs was an F-100 Super Sabre pilot for five years. He spent one year in Vietnam (1970) when he was stationed at Phan Rang Air Force Base.

His job was primarily close air support for ground troops.

They would call us in on air strikes to help them out when they’d get in binds,” Jacobs said.

Both of his DFCs were for his actions flying close air support missions to protect South Vietnamese soldiers threatened by a large force.

One citation states that on April 13, 1970, “Despite low ceiling, poor visibility and intense ground fire, Lt. Jacobs flew multiple bomb and strafe passes and completely suppressed enemy fire, allowing the safe evacuation of friendly troops.”(1)

Source (1): Times News, Vietnam War fighter pilot to speak during Rogersville Veterans Day program
by JEFF BOBO,  Nov 6, 2018 Updated May 20, 2021