Photo By Sgt. Raven Jones | U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Matthew McFarlane, commanding general for America's First Corps,...... read more read more
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. — Towering above a lone pull-up bar stands the newly memorialized Jacoby Hall, formerly called the First Corps Headquarters. It was named July 2 in honor of the former I Corps Commander, retired Gen. Charles “Chuck” Jacoby, Jr., who commanded from June 16, 2007, to June 8, 2010.
“Today is more than a renaming and memorialization of a building,” said the Commander of Joint Base Lewis-McChord and I Corps, Lt. Gen. Matthew McFarlane. “This is the day that brick and mortar reflect the memory of Gen. Charles ‘Chuck’ Jacoby, Jr., a hero who left an indelible mark upon our formation to this day. His legacy lives on everyday when soldiers speak the very word ‘Courage.’”
The Army has a deliberate process to memorialize buildings in honor of those deemed worthy of such recognition.
“Memorialization comes about because someone in the unit cares to capture the history of the unit and the impact an individual has made on the people of the unit after they are gone,” said Director of JBLM’s Directorate of Human Resources Heather Albright. “The ceremonies connect the administrative process to the people and remind us all of the impact of those who served through extraordinary circumstances.”
Thanks to the support of the Joint Base Garrison team, the process to memorialize Jacoby Hall took only two months to complete. Many teammates, including the Memorial Affairs coordinator and employees from the Directorate of Public Works, museums, protocol, and public affairs collaborated under the guidance of the Joint Base Garrison Commander Col. Joseph Handke to secure the memorialization’s approval.
Maj. Michael Krant, executive officer for I Corps Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, was instrumental in the design of the plaque that now hangs on the exterior of Jacoby Hall.
In addition to honoring a former I Corps commander, one who gave “America’s First Corps” its identity, the ceremony recognized the selfless service of an entire family. Inspired by the book “Undaunted Courage,” which is based on the writings of Lewis and Clark, Jacoby was responsible for giving I Corps the “Courage” moniker the Corps carries to this day. However, his legacy is defined by more than a name; it’s also defined by how he treated others.
“I remember hearing ‘Courage’ just prior to the Corps’ deployment and thinking that was brilliant,” said Jan Swartz, Jacoby’s former executive assistant. “With his staff, with everyone, he was always respectful of others’ dignity. I never once heard him raise his voice at anyone; he led so well without drama or intimidation. He always tried to keep his weekends free to spend time with Grace and the boys (CJ, Victor and Mike Jacoby).”
Jen Brown, who was Jacoby’s secretary of the general staff, recalled how the name “Courage” was born at a staff off-site event.
“The staff wrote ideas for new names on slips of paper,” Brown said. “When ‘Courage’ was read, everyone just knew that should be the name. I asked him later if he was the one who wrote ‘Courage,’ and he simply smiled back. Of course he did.”
Brown also noted that the off-site provided good physical training and teambuilding through dodgeball and other activities. However, she made sure to point out that “no event was complete without a pull-up bar.” From the off-site that generated the name, to every field problem, Brown said they always made sure to have a pull-up bar nearby, recalling Jacoby’s ability to knock out a seemingly infinite number of pull-ups.
Jacoby’s former Aide de Camp, retired Lt. Col. Chad Sundem, credits Jacoby’s focus on fitness and warfighting readiness for revitalizing the gyms on post.
"He was a machine out there leading the way” Sundem said.“He would be the first to open the gym and outwork everyone, every morning, without fail."
Jacoby also wanted to ensure service members at then-Fort Lewis had the best equipment.
Sundem recalled him saying, “If you’re going to make warfighters, you have to give them not just what they need, but what they deserve.”
Jacoby gave service members more than just gym equipment — he also gave them his full investment.
“Everybody in the gym, across the post, or overseas would get his attention, and he made those interactions personal, often telling me, ‘You gotta transmit more energy than you receive when interacting with Soldiers,’” Sundem recalled. “The general had a way to make you feel like the most special person in the world, no matter your rank or position; every relationship was independent and genuine. He's the greatest leader I have ever seen."
That warm presence extended into his home. The Jacoby family often hosted guests at Quarters 1 for dinner. Jacoby, along with his wife Grace, entertained many service members, civilians and foreign leaders. Grace, having been an accomplished soldier herself, retired as a lieutenant colonel so the family could focus on what they loved most: their children.
“Every dinner without fail, (Jacoby) would always call down the boys,” Sundem said. He and Grace would remind the group that they all have a lot of responsibilities — ‘We’re building a Corps to go to war — but the most important and proudest work I do every single day is here.’And that sent an unmistakable message that under their leadership, I Corpsfamilies will always be a priority.”
Jacoby led “America’s First Corps” on its first combat deployment in nearly 56 years, relieving the XVIII Airborne Corps on April 4, 2009. For the first time since the Korean War, I Corps deployed to combat, serving as the operational command and control element for the Multinational Corps – Iraq from April 2009 until March 2010. Then-Lt. Gen. Jacoby led four division-sized headquarters, totaling more than 130,000 troops.
Dr. David Matusda, a human terrain systems anthropologist, accepted Jacoby’s invitation to deploy and serve as the cultural advisor. Matusda wrote in the Corps’ deployment “yearbook” that Jacoby “mastered partnering by patiently building the trust-based relationships so valued by Iraqis.”
Jacoby later earned his fourth star on August 3, 2011, and immediately served as the commander of U.S. Northern Command/North American Aerospace Defense Command at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., until December 5, 2014. According to NORAD’s history, Jacoby was the first, and so far, only U.S. Army general officer to hold the command.
Jacoby retired on February 1, 2015, and he passed away unexpectedly at his home in North Carolina on April 1, 2025. A proud 1978 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., Jacoby is buried at the West Point Cemetery, America’s oldest military post cemetery.
The Jacoby family expressed gratitude to the dozens of supporters present at the ceremony. Almost as if on cue, the sun cut through the clouds as McFarlane read a statement on behalf of the family, bringing warmth, light, and energy to what began as a gloomy Pacific Northwest morning.
“Our family is deeply honored that the I Corps Headquarters is being dedicated to our father, General Charles H. Jacoby, Jr.,” they said. “Fort Lewis was home during some of the most consequential years of our lives and of our nation’s military history. We witnessed the sacrifices of soldiers and families throughout a time of war, and we watched our own father deploy to Iraq as commander of I Corps.
Dad cherished his time leading I Corps and would be profoundly humbled by this recognition. He believed that leadership was always a team effort, and he would credit the extraordinary soldiers, leaders, families, and civilians who served with him for any accomplishments achieved during those years. Courage!”
After the ceremony, McFarlane led the Jacoby family past the lone pull-up bar and into the vibrant hallways of “Jacoby Hall,” where they viewed the new display created in Jacoby’s honor, as well as the Corps’ Medal of Honor “Hall of Heroes” and division displays that tell the story of I Corps.
“You always have a home here at Joint Base Lewis-McChord,” McFarlane said. “General Jacoby’s impact on this Corps is real, and this memorialization is a testament to your husband and father, who led our Corps with courage. Today, these halls represent the spirit and energy of General Jacoby and of all the warfighters who have gone before us.”
| Date Taken: | 07.02.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 07.02.2026 18:42 |
| Story ID: | 569330 |
| Location: | WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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