On Jan. 4, 1945, Jachman was with Company B in Flamierge, Belgium, when they were suddenly pinned down by heavy fire, including artillery, mortar and a barrage of fire from two enemy tanks that quickly inflicted casualties on his unit.
Jachman saw his comrades were in desperate need of something that would help them. Instead of staying where he had taken cover, he jumped up and ran across open ground, despite the gunfire. He grabbed a bazooka from a fallen soldier and moved toward the tanks, which had begun concentrating their fire on him.
Jachman managed to fire the bazooka, damaging one of the armored vehicles before both tanks turned away from the fight. His bold move disrupted the enemy’s attack, which saved Company B from complete decimation.
Unfortunately, Jachman was fatally wounded during the attack. He was 22 years old.
Posthumous Honors
According to the Texas Jewish Post, Jachman was initially awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, which was later upgraded to the Medal of Honor. In June 1950, it was presented to his parents by Army Lt. Gen. Leonard Gerow, the commander of the 2nd Army, during a ceremony at Fort Meade, Maryland.
Jachman was buried at Adath Israel Anshe SFard Cemetery outside of Baltimore.
Currently, the 326th Army Maintenance Battalion’s armory in Owings Mills, Md., carries on his name. His Medal of Honor is being cared for at the National Museum of American Jewish Military History in Washington, D.C.
Jachman’s heroic story lives on in the small town of Flamierge, too. After the war, villagers put up a statue that depicted an unknown American soldier who bravely stood and fought for their village. Army records later established that the immortalized soldier was Jachman. His name was eventually added to the statue.