If Not Now, When? : Duty and Sacrifice in America's Time of Need

"Born a second generation American in Brooklyn and raised in Queens, Jack Jacobs was the quint-essential common man - until he left college and found himself thrust into the chaos of combat in Vietnam. There, Jacob's true nature would reveal itself in a crucible of battle and bloodshed." "Acting as an advisor to a South Vietnamese infantry battalion, Jacobs was with his men when they were caught in a devastating ambush, and the commander was wounded. Though severely injured, First Lieutenant Jacobs took command and withdrew the unit to safety. He then returned again and again under intense fire, saving the lives of a U.S. advisor and thirteen allied soldiers. For his "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty," Colonel Jacobs received the nation's highest military award, the Medal of Honor." "Here Colonel Jack Jacobs tell his story of honor and the personal code by which he has lived his life. He also expounds with blunt honesty and keen insight his views on our contemporary world - including the "War on Terror" and the dreadful mismanagement of the war in Iraq." "And, most important, the nature and necessity of sacrifice is explored. For even though America's fighting men and women risk everything on a daily basis, the idea of serving one's country has seemingly become obsolete." "If Not Now, When? is an account of a unique life at both war and peace, and the all-too-often unexamined role of the citizenry in the service and defense of the Republic."--BOOK JACKET.

Jack Jacobs holds the McDermott Chair of Humanities and Public Affairs at the U.S. Military Academy.