Army Chemical Review

SUMMER 2012

Army Chemical Review presents professional information about Chemical Corps functions related to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, smoke, flame, and civil support operations.

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>WKH@ RXW¿W WR FRPSOHWH >WKH@ GULYH ´2 +H ZHQW RQ WR ¿JKW LQ KLV ¿QDO HQJDJHPHQW RI WKH ZDU DW WKH EUXWDO %DWWOH RI 9HUGXQ Sergeant First Class Jacobson returned from France with the 2d Battalion, 1st Gas Regiment, in February 1919. He was SURPRWHG D ¿QDO WLPH WR PDVWHU HQJLQHHU VHQLRU JUDGH EHIRUH being mustered out of service at Camp Kendrick, Lakehurst, New Jersey, by the end of February. As Americans put the war behind them, Mr. Jacobson re- The World War I chevrons worn by Simon Jacobson iden- WL¿HG KLP DV D VHUJHDQW ¿UVW FODVV RI HQJLQHHUV :KLOH WKH WK (QJLQHHU 5HJLPHQW EHFDPH WKH VW *DV 5HJL- PHQW PDQ\ RI WKH 6ROGLHUV UHWDLQHG WKH LQVLJQLD RI WKH &RUSV; RI (QJLQHHUV WKURXJKRXW WKHLU VHUYLFH GXULQJ :RUOG :DU , game." Consequently, since October 1917, Major E.J. Atkis- VRQ KDG EHHQ ZRUNLQJ RQ IRUPLQJ D ³JDV DQG ÀDPH´ EDWWDOLRQ of "Hell Fire Boys." As the regiment began to take shape and the 2d Battalion was activated in December 1917, Private Jacobson joined D Company. A month later, as the battalion trained for its new mission at Fort Meyer, Virginia, Jacobson was promoted to sergeant. On 31 January 1918, the regimental commander selected Sergeant Jacobson and another experienced engineer to take an academic evaluation for possible promotion to en- JLQHHU RI¿FHU 7KH UHVXOWV RI 6HUJHDQW -DFREVRQ¶V H[DPLQDWLRQ are unknown, but he was never commissioned. Instead, he was SURPRWHG WR VHUJHDQW ¿UVW FODVV RI HQJLQHHUV MXVW EHIRUH VDLOLQJ for France in February 1918—a promotion that placed him in charge of a mortar section. Not long after their arrival in France, Sergeant First Class Jacobson and the rest of the Hell Fire Boys became heavily engaged in their mission of delivering gas and high-explosive shells to enemy trenches. According to his personal and DUFKLYDO UHFRUGV -DFREVRQ VDZ DFWLRQ DW )qUH HQ 7DUGHQRLV along the Marne line, at Vesle River (a tributary of the Aisne), at the Second Battle of the Marne, at St. Mihiel, and during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive—where both sides used gas in an attempt to dislodge the other from their trenches and break the stalemate in one last push to end the war. Although Ser- geant First Class Jacobson became the victim of a gas attack in October 1918, he counted himself as one of the lucky ones. While many others suffered debilitating injuries or death as a result of gas exposure, Jacobson remarked that he "remained LQ WKH ¿HOG KRVSLWDO EXW GD\V IRU WUHDWPHQW >DQG@ UHWXUQHG WR Summer 2012 turned to Utah and resumed his work at the International Smelt- ing Company, eventually attaining the position of smelting VXSHUYLVRU +H UHPDLQHG DFWLYH LQ ORFDO YHWHUDQV¶ RUJDQL]DWLRQV throughout his life. He also kept with him a small collection of ZDU PHPHQWRV LQFOXGLQJ KLV QRQFRPPLVVLRQHG RI¿FHU VWULSHV his 1st Gas Regiment commemorative medal, and a piece of shrapnel from the gas round that landed near his position and injured him in 1918. In 1933, in recognition of his wounds from the gas attack, Jacobson received the Purple Heart award from the War Department. Simon Jacobson passed away in 1949, but he will forever be part of the history and legacy of the Dragon Soldiers who serve in our Army. 3DSHU RUGHULQJ 6HUJHDQW )LUVW &ODVV; -DFREVRQ DQG another Soldier to take an examination to demon- VWUDWH WKHLU VNLOOV LQ JHQHUDO HQJLQHHULQJ ZLWK WKH SR- WHQWLDO WR EH DSSRLQWHG DV OLHXWHQDQWV 6KRUWO\ DIWHU WKH H[DP WKH UHJLPHQW VDLOHG IRU )UDQFH 6LPRQ -DFREVRQ VHUYHG RXW WKH ZDU DV D QRQFRPPLVVLRQHG RI¿FHU 41

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