Jacob Alexander Meinert – Lance Corporal, United States Marine Corps

by

U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 019-10

DOD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lance Corporal Jacob A. Meinert, 20, of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, died January 10, 2010, while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the Marine Corps Base Hawaii public affairs office at 808-257-8838.

A Wisconsin Marine who was killed in Afghanistan was remembered in Racine Wisconsin, the town he grew up in, as a “quiet boy, but a good kid,” who always aspired to be a Marine.

Lance Corporal Jacob A. Meinert was killed when he stepped on a landmine while serving with the U.S. Marines in Afghanistan, a family member said.

jameinert-usmc-photo-001

Military officials notified Meinert’s family of his death on Sunday, the family member said. Family would be traveling to Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, to receive Meinert’s body.

Lance Corporal Meinert or “Slim,” as he was known to his company mates, died while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, according to Major Alan Crouch, public affairs officer for the Hawaii Marine base where Meinert was stationed. For such a young man, Meinert was a combat veteran, Crouch said. His deployment to Afghanistan in November was his second with his unit, which had returned just eight months earlier from an eight-month deployment to Iraq, he said.

Meinert was a radio telephone operator, one of the “more technically advanced” roles in his Marine unit, Crouch said. He was awarded the Purple Heart, National Defense Service medal, Global War on Terrorism Service medal and the Afghanistan and Iraq Campaign medals, he said.

Meinert, 20, was born and raised in Racine. He lived there until he was about 15, when he moved with his parents to Fort Atkinson. He graduated from Fort Atkinson High School in 2007. Meinert started the enlistment process when he was 17, while he was still in high school. He joined the Marines when he turned 18, the family member said.

Jeff Zaspel, principal at Fort Atkinson, says Meinert was a pleasant person involved in many activities, especially playing jazz music.

He graduated from recruit training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California, and the School of Infantry at Camp Pendleton, Calif., before being assigned to Marine Corps Base Hawaii, in Oahu.

Lance Corporal Jacob Alexander Meinert USMC was killed in action January 10, 2010, in Bastion, Afghanistan.

He was born on June 24, 1989, in Racine, Wisconsin. He attended Red Apple Elementary School and Jerstad Agerholm Middle School in Racine before moving to Fort Atkinson.

Jacob graduated from Fort Atkinson High School in 2007.

He entered the Marine Corps Recruitment Depot in San Diego, California, graduating with platoon 2167. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force based at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Jacob completed one tour of duty in Iraq and was currently serving a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

His hobbies included fishing, sailing and a variety of musical outlets. He enjoyed the time spent with his friends.

Survivors include his mother, Krista (Michael) Edquist of Fort Atkinson. He leaves at home a sister, Randi Meinert; stepbrother, Mitchell Edquist; brother, Larson Edquist; the family dog, Bosco; father, Brian Warzala; maternal grandparents, Richard (Donna) Meinert; a paternal grandfather, Robert Warzala; paternal grandmother, Darlene Warzala; three aunts, Michele (David) Breheim, Sheryl (Bob) Petersen and Pam (Nathan Schulz) Warzala; and uncle, Ben Warzala, all of Racine.

He also is survived by many other relatives and friends.

Funeral services will be at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, January 20, 2010, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1660 Endl Blvd., Fort Atkinson, with full military honors. Family and friends may pay their respects at the church on Wednesday, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Jacob Meinert Jazz Band Memorial, c/o Edward Jones Investments, 101 S. Main St., Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin 53538.

Lance Corporal Meinert was laid to rest with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery on 27 April 2010.

MEINERT, JACOB ALEXANDER
LCPL   US MARINE CORPS
DATE OF BIRTH: 06/24/1989
DATE OF DEATH: 01/10/2010
BURIED AT: SECTION 60  SITE 9155
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

Arlington National Cemetery Gravesite Photos;

jameinert-gravesite-photo-by-eileen-horan-may-2010-002

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