FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SR# 0104-01
Jan. 04, 2006

By Pfc. Ben Fox
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division


BAQUBAH, Iraq (Dec. 31, 2006) – Prepared to receive an award for an event that occurred earlier in the year, two Soldiers stood at the position of attention at Forward Operating Base Warhorse, Baqubah, Iraq, Dec. 30, honored that they were about to receive the Purple Heart.
Pfc. Brian Jacobson, a native of Sacramento, Calif., and Pvt. James Meeh, native to Oklahoma City, both from 72nd Engineer Company, attached to 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, received Purple Hearts from Brig. Gen. Francis J. Wiercinski, the 25th Infantry Division and Multi-National Division-North’s deputy commanding general, for wounds they received on Nov. 1.

“I appreciated everything that they did,” said Jacobson.

The Soldiers earned their Purple Heart while conducting operations in Diyala.

Jacobson’s platoon was hit by an improvised explosive device and one of their vehicles was disabled, he said.

His platoon had to stop and hook up one of the vehicles so it could be towed out of the zone, he said.

Meeh’s platoon came later for support, and they were engaged by rocket propelled grenades, small arms fire and mortars, said Meeh.

“I was up there returning fire and the Russian 50 Cal. opened up on my vehicle and splattered some shrapnel and hit me on my hand,” he said.

Despite his wounds and nervousness, Meeh kept fighting.

“I was just thinking ‘Keep shooting, keep shooting until we can make it back,’” he said.
Jacobson was wounded in the same firefight.

“My ammunition can was hit and it blew up on my arm,” said Jacobson.

When the can exploded, Jacobson took shrapnel from the blast, yet he, too, continued to fight on after the fact.

Jacobson said his mind seemed to go blank and the only thing he could think to do was continue to fight on. Both Jacobson and Meeh were gunners on the convoy, manning .50 Cal. Machine Guns.

The next day, Jacobson and Meeh did not quit their duties due to their wounds.

“We went out the next day and have been out every day since,” said Meeh.