Pvt. Jewett “Jake” Baxter Lee, US Army Scout
1944, England
This is the true story of Pvt. Jewett “Jake” Baxter Lee, also known as Jake Lee, a young man from Alabama who risked his life fighting the Nazis during World War II and who, during his short stay in Europe, contributed to the Allied victory.
Jewett, or Jake as he was known, was born in Montgomery, Alabama on December 1, 1920. His early life was not easy, being raised by a single mother and relied upon to be the “man of the house” from a young age. He worked for a time with the Civilian Conservation Corps in California, sending his earnings home to his mom and younger brother, before ultimately returning to Alabama.
In about June 1941, Jake met a young woman. They didn’t marry, but Jake fathered a son. In 1942, just a month after his son was born, Jake was enlisted into the Army at Fort McClellan, Alabama. It isn’t known whether Jake ever met his son, but during his deployment, his son’s mother and her family moved across country, never to have contact again.
In the Army, Jake was assigned to the 28th Infantry Division, 110th Regiment, Company C as a paratrooper scout. He trained in Georgia and England before deployment to mainland Europe. In Europe, Jake made three drops behind enemy lines as a scout. The first was at Omaha Beach, in support of the D-Day invasion when the 28th Regiment landed in July 1944. The second was as the 28th Division moved toward Paris. On General Eisenhower’s order, the 28th Division were the first Allied soldiers to march down the Champs Elysee following the liberation of Paris.
Jake’s third, and final drop, was behind enemy lines prior to the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, in Germany. It was during this drop that Jake was shot from the ground as he parachuted down. Luckily, no arteries were hit, or he would have been dead before he touched the ground. He was able to tend to the wound, but it left him unable to walk. Over the next three days, Jake hid during the day and at night crawled his way back toward Allied forces. Once he was rescued by Allied forces, he was hospitalized for several months in Europe and was then transferred to a U.S. Army hospital in the States, where he was discharged.
Jake wasn’t the most colorful of WWII heroes. He didn’t take down a German position all on his own, guns blazing away. He was never shot down over an exotic island in the South Pacific. But through his bravery and efforts, Jake made a meaningful contribution to the Allied victory in Europe and lived his life with a disability that resulted from being shot. He was married and lived out his life in Alabama.
Unfortunately, Jake never had the chance to meet any of his grandchildren. He had passed away before they were able to track him down. Like many other veterans of battle, Jake never wanted to talk about the war after he returned home. What we know of his life is based on letters, family lore passed down from his mother, and from a review of U.S. Army records. During his brief service, he was awarded three Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart.
Jewett “Jake” Baxter Lee was just an Alabama boy — one of many American heroes who contributed to the defeat of Nazi Germany.
The True Story of Jewett "Jake" Baxter Lee, US Army Scout 