Jacob Samuel Fletcher Biography

To Dorine Kenney

Jacob Samuel Fletcher was born Nov 25, 1974 in Mineola, NY.

He grew up in Babylon NY with his mother Dorine, stepfather Ray and step brother and sister Scott and Tara.

He was always making combat sounds of machine guns to bombs as he played with his GI Joe’s. You always knew when Jacob was playing outdoors because you would find string in the bushes where he’d swing his GI Joe’s from. He reached out to the military at the age of 8 by sending in an application from a magazine ad. His mother received a few calls for Pvt. Jacob Fletcher but sent the enlistment officers away.

You would always find Jacob drawing and sketching, his natural talents. He played Lacross in school and in his senior year at Babylon High School where he graduated from, was on the varsity wrestling team. He loved to play the drums and write poetry.

Jacob always has a soft spot for animals and children. Both gravitated to him. He was loyal to his friends, of which he had many. He had a good ear and a kind heart.

Jacob joined the army at 23 and the day before getting sworn in hurt his knee which needed physical therapy and kept him out of the army. A year later he tried again but his knee still wasn't strong enough.

Being profoundly effected by September 11th , at the age of 27 joined the army, and fulfilled his lifelong calling to serve his country.

He went to basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia where he graduated basic and continued training to earn his wings as a paratrooper, which he wore with pride.

Jacob received his orders and was stationed in Vicenza Italy. He was with the 173rd Airborne Brigade and was one of the 1,000 paratroopers to make the historic jump into Iraq on March 26th 2003. He jumped into Northern Iraq and was met by the Kurds who joined with the 173rd as they went to Kirkuk. They patrolled, trained Iraqi police officers and went on many dangerous missions.