World War II Honoree

Jacob Robert Hehn

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Dickinson, North Dakota

Honored By

Marla Hehn

Relationship

Daughter

JOINED NORTH DAKOTA NATIONAL GUARD (BAND) ON MARCH 22, 1941 WHILE STILL IN HIS SENIOR YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL. THIS NATIONAL GUARD UNIT WAS CALLED INTO FEDERAL SERVICE ON APRIL 1, 1941. BEGAN SERVICE AT THE COMMUNITY BUILDING IN BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA ON APRIL 1, 1941 AND LEFT FOR FRANCIS E. WARREN IN CHEYENNE, WYOMING ON APRIL 12, 1941. SERVED IN THE 88TH FIELD ARTILLERY BAND AT FORT FRANCIS E. WARREN UNTIL OCTOBER 20, 1941 WHEN DISCHARGED FOR REASON OF MINORITY. INDUCTED INTO THE U.S. ARMY AT PORTLAND, OREGON ON APRIL 8, 1943 THROUGH NORMAL MILITARY DRAFT. BEGAN ACTUAL MILITARY SERVICE ON APRIL 15, 1943. TIME AT FORT LEWIS, WASHINGTON BEFORE TRAVEL TO CAMP ROBERTS, CALIFORNIA FOR BASIC TRAINING, APRIL 26-JULY 24, 1943. PROCEEDED TO STANFORD UNIVERSITY TO STUDY UNDER ITS ARMY SPECIALIZED TRAINING PROGRAM. WAS TO STUDY GERMAN. AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE UNIVERSITY COULD NOT HANDLE ALL THE MEN SENT THERE TO STUDY GERMAN. HE WAS GIVEN THE OPTION OF STUDYING ENGINEERING, WHICH OPTION WAS ACCEPTED. TRAVELED FROM CAMP ROBERTS TO STANFORD UNIVERSITY, JULY 25-JULY 28, 1943. TRAVELED TO UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA FOR TWO ACADEMIC QUARTERS (FOR CREDIT) IN ARMY SPECIALIZED TRAINING PROGRAM, SEPTEMBER 13, 1943-MARCH 4, 1944. TRAINED WITH 11TH ARMORED DIVISION AT CAMP COOK, CALIFORNIA, MARCH 8-SEPTEMBER 22, 1944. TRAVELED TO FORT DIX, NEW JERSEY FOR TRANSPORT TO ENGLAND. SERVED IN COMBAT IN BELGIUM, LUXEMBOURG, GERMANY, AND AUSTRIA. ON DECEMBER 16, 1944 THE DIVISION WAS HEADED TOWARD THE GERMAN SUBMARINE BASES ON THE WEST COAST OF FRANCE, WHEN THE GERMANS BROKE INTO THE ARDENNES IN BELGIUM (BATTLE OF THE BULGE) ON DECEMBER 16, 1944 AT WHICH TIME THE DIVISION WAS TURNED EAST TO HEAD FOR BASTOGNE IN BELGIUM, DECEMBER 16, 1944-MAY 8, 1945. COMBAT ENDED ON MAY 8, 1945 WHEN THE 11TH ARMORED DIVISION MET THE RUSSIAN ARMY IN AMSTETTEN, AUSTRIA ON MAY 8, 1945. TRAINED IN AUSTRIA BY NEW OFFICERS FROM THE USA FOR THE ANTICIPATED INVASION OF JAPAN, TRAVEL TO AND FROM LONDON, ENGLAND FOR A TWO WEEK FURLOUGH, AND TRAVEL BACK TO ENGLAND FOR UNIVERSITY ATTENDANCE. ATTENDED SHRIVENHAM UNIVERSITY IN ENGLAND, SEPTEMBER 15-DECEMBER 12, 1945. AT THE CLOSE OF HIS ACADEMIC QUARTER AT SHRIVENHAM UNIVERSITY, TRAVELED WITH THE UNIVERSITY SYMPHONY AND CHORUS (88 MAN ORCHESTRA AND 88 MAN CHORUS-ALL MILITARY) TO PERFORM AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL IN LONDON, OXFORD UNIVERSITY, MANCHESTER, LIVERPOOL, AND CARDIFF. AT THE CLOSE OF THIS TOUR, WAS NOT DIRECTED BACK TO AUSTRIA BUT RATHER TO SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND FOR RETURN TO THE USA. TRAVELED FROM SOUTHAMPTON TO NEW YORK ON THE BATTLESHIP WASHINGTON. TRAVELED BY RAILROAD FROM FORT DIX, NEW JERSEY TO FORT LEWIS, WASHINGTON, PLUS TIME IN DISCHARGE CENTER AT FORT LEWIS. TOTAL SERVICE 3 YEARS, 3 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 3 DAYS.