“What does the event mean to me? It helps us say thank- you to our Men and Women in uniform who have given so much of themselves to keep all of us free.”- Harry Jacobs.
Harry Jacobs, Chair of Shootout for Soldiers Long Island, only needs to travel down the hall of his home to thank a U.S. service member.
His son, David Jacobs, is a Virginia Military Institute graduate who served as captain of the school’s varsity lacrosse team in both 2007 and 2008. When he graduated, David commissioned in the Army as an Armor Officer as a 1st Lt. He has been on multiple tours of Afghanistan currently serves as a Captain and Ranger with the 3/61 CAV, 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division out of Fort Carson, Colorado. Since his last college game in the MAAC Championship of 2008, he has not had much of a chance to play the game he has loved for so many years.
Having missed his favorite sport, David was happy to hear that his father was teaming up with Shootout for Soldiers Founder Tyler Steinhardt to bring the event to Long Island. Unfortunately David was unable to attend the event as he was deployed at the time at Forward Operating Base Pasab in Southern Afghanistan. Yet while stationed in one of the last Forward Operating Bases in Khandahar, Captin Jacobs and his fellow comrades were able to catch the livestream of Shootout for Soldiers Baltimore. While only being able to get a few glances of the game, it was more than enough for the men and women under his command to see what the event stood for.
In reaction to the Shootout for Soldiers, Captain Jacobs remarked, “I just want to thank you all for your efforts and the support you have shown to all of the soldiers with the Shootout and in your daily lives. It is people like you that makes it worth getting up every day to assist the Afghan people”.
On September 11th , 2014, Cpt. Jacobs and the 3/61 CAV returned home from Afghanistan. Harry and his wife met their son at the airport, where he was reunited with the most important reason for his involvement in the Shootout for Soldiers. Only one week later David Jacobs was suiting up on a field outside of Denver to run midfield in the game he had missed so much.
Thank you Cpt. David Jacobs, for your service!
