Honoring a North Country Hero
One of the most important jobs of Members of Congress is representing the veterans in our districts — and I’m proud to represent the district with the most veterans of any in New York State. In addition to advocating for smart policies that best serve our heroes, it is also my role as a Member of Congress to advocate for our veterans when working with federal agencies.
I am proud that my office has worked to recover over $750,000 in veterans benefits for North Country constituents and has helped obtain numerous medals that were earned but never received, including: a Purple Heart for Sgt. Jason Mauldin, a Bronze Star for Pfc. Donald Gilchrist, and two Congressional Gold Medals: one for Col. Johnnie Pantanelli of the Civil Air Patrol and one for Warren Schermerhorn, a member of the elite First Special Service Force in World War II.
In November of 2015, Steven Jebo, the son of Tupper Lake native First Lieutenant Elmer Jebo, reached out to my office in the hopes that we could work to track down an award — the Silver Star — that his late father never received while he was alive. He wanted to share this accolade with his brothers, children, and grandchildren and honor his father’s legacy. My constituent casework staff began gathering all of the necessary documentation and information from Steven Jebo so that I could submit an official inquiry to the Department of the Army.
First Lieutenant Elmer Hiram Jebo was born in 1914 in St. Regis Falls, New York — deep in the heart of the North Country. A star football and basketball player at Tupper Lake High School, Jebo continued to excel at Syracuse University on the football field and in the classroom. Jebo was drafted into the United States Army in 1940 and accepted into Officer Candidate School following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He was then deployed to Europe in the summer of 1942 where he bravely fought in campaigns across Sicily, Naples-Foggia, and Rome-Arno with the 180th Infantry Regiment.
After receiving the Bronze Star for “exemplary conduct in action against the enemy,” First Lieutenant Jebo and his unit participated in the Anzio Invasion in the beginning of 1944. On the afternoon of February 21st, holding a position just north of the town of Padiglione, Company L — commanded by First Lieutenant Jebo — was attack by small arms fire and six German tanks. First Lieutenant Jebo immediately moved forward and began directing his company’s fire to defend their position.
First Lieutenant Jebo quickly realized that one of his platoons would be overrun and ordered them to withdraw to a more secure position while remaining at the forward operating post.
Drawing point blank small arms fire while tank and artillery shells rained on his position, First Lieutenant Jebo courageously ordered artillery fire on the German tanks that came as close as 100 yards of his position — ultimately driving off the enemy attack. For these actions, First Lieutenant Jebo was awarded one of our nation’s highest military honors: the Silver Star.
However, while still fighting with the 180th, First Lieutenant Jebo was severely wounded when he stepped on a land mine and lost part of his right leg. He was sent back to the United States where he spent the next many months in recovery and rehabilitation at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C.
After returning to the United States, Elmer Jebo led a long and fulfilling life with his wife of 40 years, Phyliss (of Saratoga Springs, New York), working for the Department of Labor, advocating for veterans’ issues with the Disabled American Veterans and multiple Presidential committees on veterans rights, volunteering with his community church, and raising three sons Donald, Jerry, and Steven. Sadly, First Lieutenant Jebo passed away in 2001, never receiving the Silver Star he earned so valiantly.
Since Steven’s first email back in November of 2015, my office was in direct contact with the Jebo family and the Department of the Army working to track down Elmer’s overdue honor. Following our initial outreach to the Army, a representative reached out to our office requesting additional information about First Lieutenant Jebo to locate his records. With the help of Steven Jebo, our office provided this information, including a newspaper report of First Lieutenant Jebo’s actions in Italy as further evidence of his bravery and proof of the incident for which he was awarded the Silver Star. In January, the Department of the Army confirmed location of First Lieutenant Jebo’s records and sent the Silver Star certificate. By February 23, 2016, my office was officially able to confirm to Steven Jebo that we were in possession of his father’s Silver Star.
This past week, I had the honor of welcoming the family of First Lieutenant Elmer Jebo to Washington, D.C., to present them with this distinguished award for the man who was their father, grandfather and great grandfather. After speaking on the floor of the House of Representatives in honor of First Lieutenant Jebo, I held a ceremony with House Veterans Affairs’ Committee Chairman Jeff Miller to officially present the Jebos with the Silver Star as well as a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol in his honor. I was truly humbled to play a small part in preserving Elmer Jebo’s legacy for generations of Jebos to come.
Steven Jebo put into perspective the importance of this medal for everyone gathered:
“If they were looking for someone to be on a poster that represents the Greatest Generation, they wouldn’t have to look any farther than my father…This medal isn’t what is important — it’s for the people, for the grand kids that didn’t get to know him and his character, that will help them develop into the type of person that a Jebo is…”
Our nation truly owes a debt of gratitude to all who have served and sacrificed on behalf of this great country. We must continue to ensure that the legacy of the Greatest Generation is preserved and protected so that all Americans can work to embody the ideals and values of those that came before them. I am honored that my office was able to recover this Silver Star for the Jebo family and I am proud of the work that my office does on behalf of North Country veterans and veterans all across the country.
If you know of a veteran who isn’t receiving the benefits they rightfully deserve, or has had issues with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs — or any other federal agency — please reach out to one of my district offices that is closest to your home:
