Name: 101-year-old Iwo Jima hero shares century of memories
Uploaded: 2025-12-03T21:09:15.514Z
Duration: 2 min 36 s
Description: Almost every week, Bill Rheingans signs his buddy Bob Jacobs out of his senior center in Waukesha. Every time, they find a restaurant to sit down at and share their stories from their service.

Almost every week, Bill Rheingans signs his buddy Bob Jacobs out of his senior center in Waukesha. Every time, they find a restaurant to sit down at and share their stories from their service.

Waukesha

Bob Jacobs, a 101-year-old Army veteran from Waukesha, Wisconsin, is being recognized for his service and the wealth of stories he carries from his time in World War II, including his experience at the Battle of Iwo Jima. Friends like Bill regularly accompany Bob on outings, sharing his memories with the community and emphasizing the importance of honoring veterans.

Jacobs, who was drafted in 1943 and served as an anti-aircraft weapons soldier, recalls the hardships and losses of war, particularly at Iwo Jima, described as the bloodiest battle in U.S. history. Community efforts, such as daily National Anthem gatherings at local restaurants, aim to ensure that the stories and sacrifices of veterans like Bob are remembered and appreciated by future generations.

101-year-old Iwo Jima hero shares century of memories

And why did you want to bring Bob's story to us? Bob's a hero. Bob is, every time, like I say, we get together, there's always some stories, and he's had a lot of hardships, and I just want to make sure that he's being recognized and definitely deserving of that recognition. So that was Bill, who you just heard from, who went to TMJ4's Let's Talk West Dallas event a few months ago. We talked with our Merrill Hubbard about the many ways we can honor United States veterans in our community. And one of them was highlighting an Army veteran named Bob Jacobs, who has more than a century's worth of stories to share. Yeah, I sign them out. Almost every week, Bill signs out his buddy Bob from his nursing home in Waukesha. And every time, they hop in the car and stroll into a restaurant where they are welcomed with open arms. Bob is 101 years old, a beloved hero for his humor and memory. And there's not a lot of us World War II veterans left anymore. Bob grew up in Beaverdam and was drafted into the Army in 1943. All the fellows that I knew, including myself, was anxious to get in the service and get this thing over with. After training camp in Texas and one year stationed in Hawaii, Bob sailed to Iwo Jima as an anti-aircraft weapons soldier. The government says that was the bloodiest battle that the United States had ever been in. I lost a lot of friends over there. Iwo Jima was secured by the U.S., and the war ended just months later. And that's exactly what happened. Nowadays, this is what Bob and Bill do, sit for hours sharing their stories, sitting until they're asked to stand. Mission Barbecue invites patrons to sing the National Anthem at 12 p.m. every day, a moment for veterans to remember what their service was for. And the home of the brave I just want to make sure that those stories get out to the public and to anybody who's willing to listen to them before those stories disappear. Bill and Bob hope to see more curious minds and appreciation for the country they fought for. In Brookfield, Meryl Hubbard, TMJ4 News.

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