Manch, Jacob Earl “Shorty”.

Manch, Jacob Earl “Shorty” born 26-12-1918 in Staunton, Virginia, United States. Shorty lived there with his parents, Martin and Lucie, born Manch, and sister, Rosemary until he left for college. His father, amusic teacher, founded Manch College of Music in Staunton, which unfortunately failed in the Great Depression. Music was clearly a large partof Manch’s upbringing; music ran in his family andmany of the family were quite talented. This could have explained his enthusiasm for his record player and records during the bombing mission to Japan.

He had an idyllic childhood and his sister later reported that he was very mischievous and somethingof a prankster. Every Halloween he would unscrewthe gates from a neighbor’s fence and hang them ontelephone poles, but would always put them backthe next day. His wanderlust and sense of adventuredeveloped very early in life. He would collect busmoney from his mother to take trips but then hitchhike and use the bus money to have fun on his trips. After his father’s school closed, he attended Augusta Military Academy, where he grew to 6 feet 7 inches and was nicknamed “Shorty”. As he matured, his gleeful nature remained intact. At his final dressparade at Augusta in 1938, he wore no shoes but painted his feet black.

After graduation, Shorty attended Hampden-Sydney College, Washington and Lee University, and Southern Methodist University in Texas. But in 1940, the winds of war were already blowing across Europe.Many in the U.S. believed it was just a matter of time before the country became involved. And Shorty Manch urgently wanted to become a pilot in the Army Air Corps. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve on 10-05-1940 and attended officer training at Camp Washington near DC and Fort Bliss, Texas. One hurdle that Manch faced in becoming an Army pilot was his height. His 6 foot 7 inches was wellover the Army maximum height of 6 foot 4 inches. Never one to stand on ceremony, Manch decided togo straight to the top and finagle an interview with General Henry Harley “Hap” Arnold, then Chief of the Army Air Corps. For days, he and and his partner Rosemary traveled to Washington to wait in the reception area of Arnold’s office, hoping that Arnold would notice and invite them in. Arnold would politely nod as he walked throughbut no meeting was forthcoming. This went on forsome days until finally the General said “You’re here again. You must really want to see me.” So Manch got the opportunity to tell Arnold about his dream of becoming a pilot. Aft er hearing his story, Arnold told Manch to stand and stoop a little. He gleefully declared that Manch was now the required height, commenting “We need boys like you!” Arnold could not have known the series of events he put in motion that day.

In January, 1941, Manch departed from Staunton’s Chesapeake and Ohio train station en route to hisaviation training. In marked contrast to his homecoming two years later, the only people at the railroad station were his parents and sister. On 10-02-1941, Jacob Manch enlisted as a Flying Cadet andgraduated from Cal-Aero Flight School in Ontario, California, before tackling advanced training at the Advanced Flying School in Stockton, California. Fledgling pilot Manch was then assigned to the 17th Bomb Group under command of Lieutenant Colonel Walter Raymond . Peck, at Pendleton Field, Oregon, and wasthere when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 07-12-1941.

Jacob was a member of General Jimmy Doolittle’s raiders who bombed Tokyo on April 18, while serving in World War II in the newly formed United States Army Air Corps. The USS Hornet was used in the mission and it was the first time the Air Force and Navy combined efforts to carry out a mission. They were also, one of the first group of airplanes to fly off a carrier. Jacob was the Air Force liaison officer of Korea, when the Chinese invaded. He fought at the Chosin Reservoir conflict during the Korean War. In 1958 Shorty, age 39, was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base teaching young officers how to fly jets, when his T-33 flamed out over Las Vegas. He had his student parachute to safety, while he stayed with his airplane, so that he could clear the settled areas of Las Vegas. Many considered him a Hero by saving many lives. He attended and graduated from the Augusta Military Acadmey.Veteran of World War II in the United States Army Air Corps and Korean War as a Air Force Liaison Officer.

Death and burial ground of Manch, Jacob Earl “Shorty”.

“Shorty” Jacob Earl Manch passed away 24-03-1958, age 39, Las Vegas, Nevada in a plane crash. and is buried at Arlington, Virginia – Arlington National Cemetery. Section 30, grave 59

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