PFC Jacob R. Northrup
PFC Jacob R. Northrup
Today we honor and remember PFC Jacob R. Northrup of the 101st Airborne Division.
Private First Class (PFC) Jacob Reibine Northrup of Charlie Company, 326th Airborne Engineer Battalion (AEB), 101st Airborne Division, was born in Prospect, Marion County, Ohio, to William A. and Anna (Reibine) Northrup on October 2, 1914. He had one brother, William H., and two sisters, Jennie M. and Gwendolyn E. Northrup.
His mother passed away in 1921 at age 38, and his father in 1933, at age 46, leaving their children behind. At the time of his father’s death, Jacob was almost 19 years old. It could well be that after the death of his parents, he had temporarily taken care of his younger brother and sisters.
Jacob married Beatrice Helen Lynch in Pickaway, Ohio, on October 2, 1937. According to their marriage license, both of them had previously been married and were divorced. Their marriage was blessed with a son, Jacob James Northrup, born on January 17, 1939.
Jacob enlisted into the United States Army in Fort Hayes, Columbus, Ohio, on May 5, 1942, and was assigned to the 326th Airborne Engineer Battalion. According to his enlistment record he was again divorced.
Like Jacob, his brother William also served during WWII as a Master Sergeant in the Air Force, being deployed at Guam for two years. He would later also take part in the Korean War.
PFC Northrup received basic infantry training at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana, and Camp Wolters, Texas. After volunteering for the paratroopers, he received additional training at Fort Benning, Georgia, and Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
The 326th AEB deployed to England on September 5, 1943, where PFC Northrup took part in the final preparations of his battalion before going into combat. He must have participated in the D-Day jump into Normandy and the subsequent actions of Charlie Company in France as he is mentioned on the July 12, 1944, furlough list. That 7-day furlough was granted to all troopers who had taken part in the D-Day operations in Normandy.
Apparently, he had become ill at the start of his leave period as he was taken to the 98th General Hospital in Berkshire. He returned to duty on July 27 and was then granted his well-deserved 7-day furlough.
PFC Northrup made his second combat jump on September 17, 1944, during the invasion of the Netherlands. The planes departed from an English airfield at 11.00 AM and the paratroopers landed in the Netherlands at around 1.28 PM.
The next day, he was fighting alongside paratroopers of the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment. Northrup was with a small contingent, led by LT Wierzbowski of How Company. With 18 men of Wierzbowski’s platoon and 26 engineers of Charlie Company, 326th AEB, including Northrup, Wierzbowski had to seize the bridge at the Dutch town Best. That task turned out impossible for his small group as they were fighting a much larger force of Germans on the other side of the Wilhelmina Canal.
On September 18th, Wierzbowski’s men were holding onto their positions but every time the men raised their heads, they were fired upon by the Germans on the other side of the canal. At around 11.00 AM, a devastating explosion caused the bridge to collapse. The Germans clearly wanted to prevent the American forces from getting hold of the bridge.
Despite the fact the bridge was gone, the battle raged on, as described in George Koskimaki’s book “Hell’s Highway.” The book also describes PFC Northrup’s death without mentioning exactly what had happened, “PVT Onroe Luther (How Company, 502nd PIR) and PFC Jacob Northrup were hit, both succumbing to their wounds.”
Another Screaming Eagle had soared to the ultimate height. 🦅
PFC Jacob Northrup died at the age of 29, leaving behind his young son Jacob, his brother, and two sisters. He was first buried at the temporary American Military Cemetery Son at Wolfswinkel. He rests eternally in Prospect Cemetery of his hometown, Marion County, Ohio, where he was reburied on Sunday, March 20, 1949.
Happy Birthday in Heaven, Jacob.
Lest we forget! 🇺🇸
Sources:
Family Search
Unknown newspaper articles, Find a Grave
Hell’s Highway by George Koskimaki