Haile Hamilton "Jake" Jaekel, AMM1/C USN, 1941-47, was at Pearl Harbor December 7th, 1941, served aboard the USS SALT LAKE CITY, CASU 31, VP-4 and VPB-120.

In battles at the Marshall, Wake and Marcus Islands, launched the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo, Guadalcanal -Tulagi landings, Battle of Cape Esperance, Komandorski Battle, Attu landings in Alaska and flew Anti Submarine Patrols in the Atlantic.

CAPTAIN USAF, 1953-1957, served in the 497TH FIGHTER SQUADRON, 503RD AIR MATERIAL GROUP, instructor AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE OFFICERS and MAINTENANCE ENGINEERING ANALYSIS SCHOOLS.

LIEUTENANT COLONEL CALIFORNIA STATE MILITARY FORCES, 1974-1985.

After the war I married Merle Whitworth in 1946. We have two daughters Pamela and Kristine. I was discharged from the Navy and enrolled at the University of Washington graduating in 1952.

When Sputnik was launched I was immediately drafted into Aerospace engineering and in 18 months we designed, built and launched the Thor Missile, used to launch Global Positioning and other Satellites.

I served as Test Conductor on the development testing of other programs such as Apollo, Polaris, Titan and the Nuclear Rocket Engine. I was Missile Launch Director on Kwajalein Atoll for two years developing a Anti Missile System, intercepting warheads launched from Vandenberg AFB in California and Navy units at sea.

Our last eleven launches were successful incoming warhead kills. I was also a member of the launch crew at Kennedy Space Center for several Apollo launches.

WE ARE REMINDED THAT EVERY GENERATION OF AMERICANS INHERITS THE COMPLEXITY OF MAINTAINING THE WORLD'S GREATEST DEMOCRACY EVER SEEN! . We volunteered to defend our nation; World War II casualties were high. Worldwide more than 50 million men, women and children (military and civilian) were killed. Over 78,000 Americans are still listed as MIA's, three times more than all the other wars our country fought in the 20th Century.

Rejoice in the accomplishments of all Veterans, they were participants in most significant events of our nation's history. The record of the USS SALT LAKE CITY displays the SYMBOLS of VALUES AMERICANS HOLD DEAR... HONOR, DUTY, COURAGE, and COUNTRY.

Ralph Horton & I (Jake) went through "Boot Camp" in San Diego, CA. We were in "Company 116" and were among 25 members of that Company that were taken out two weeks before graduation on Oct. 18th, 1941 and sent aboard the USS Salt Lake City.

Other Members of that Company known at this time were
Douglas Harkreader, E. Allen Underwood, PM3c, and Clyde R. Staiger, GM3c.

It sure would be nice to know how many of the 25 that went aboard the SLC are still around.

"Jake" Jaekel, Aug. 12th, 2000