Jacob A Gassen
Date of Death: 11/29/2010
Age: 21
Incident Location: Nangarhar province, Afghanistan
Hometown: Beaver Dam
Branch of Service: Army
Unit: 1st Squadron, 61st Calvary Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne (Air Assault)
Unit Base: Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Army Pfc. Jacob A. Gassen, 21, of Beaver Dam, Wis.; assigned to 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Nov. 29 in Pachir Wa Agam district, Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an insurgent attacked his unit with small-arms fire.
Jacob was born on Nov. 19, 1989, in La Crosse, Wis., the son of Gregory and Barbara (Luck) Gassen. He attended elementary school at St. Jerome's Catholic School in Columbus. He then attended Beaver Dam Middle School and Beaver Dam High School, graduating in 2008. While in high school, Jake was active in the BDHS Orchestra, the golf team, and Academic Decathlon; he was also involved in youth soccer, YMCA swim team and was a life guard at the Columbus Aquatic Center and the YMCA of Dodge County. After high school, he attended the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh for a year. In September 2009, Jake joined the U.S. Army; his basic training was at Fort Benning, Ga., and his AIT/Medic Training was at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. After training, Jake was assigned to HHT, 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division at Ft. Campbell, Ky.
Jacob was born on Nov. 19, 1989, in La Crosse, Wis., the son of Gregory and Barbara (Luck) Gassen. He attended elementary school at St. Jerome's Catholic School in Columbus. He then attended Beaver Dam Middle School and Beaver Dam High School, graduating in 2008. While in high school, Jake was active in the BDHS Orchestra, the golf team, and Academic Decathlon; he was also involved in youth soccer, YMCA swim team and was a life guard at the Columbus Aquatic Center and the YMCA of Dodge County. After high school, he attended the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh for a year. In September 2009, Jake joined the U.S. Army; his basic training was at Fort Benning, Ga., and his AIT/Medic Training was at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. After training, Jake was assigned to HHT, 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division at Ft. Campbell, Ky.