The Sailors of the USS Jacob Jones (DD-130) Deserve a Place of Remembrance
Help us establish a permanent memorial to honor the 138 sailors lost off Cape May, New Jersey in World War II.
On February 28, 1942, the destroyer USS Jacob Jones (DD-130) was struck and sunk by torpedoes fired by a German submarine. 138 American sailors lost their lives. It was the first U.S. warship sunk by Nazi Germany after the United States entered World War II. War had reached America’s shores.
A large percentage of the USS Jacob Jones’ crew were in their late teens and early 20’s. Their youth is illustrated by this newspaper photo of shipmates who survived the sinking.
Charles William Ballew and James Robert “Bob” Ballew, were from Asheville, NC and one of three sets of brothers who lost their lives when USS Jacob Jones went down. Bob was close friends with David Nelon, who also was lost in the sinking. The Ballew brothers and Nelon were the first Asheville residents to be killed in World War II.
The sailors of the USS Jacob Jones were sons, husbands, fathers and brothers.
Each had their own story. And more than eighty years later, they still rest in the hallowed, watery grave beneath the Atlantic.
The sinking of the USS Jacob Jones' remains one of the most significant—and least publicly commemorated—chapters of World War II along the American coastline.
Their final watch was at sea. On shore, we will honor their memory.
If you are related to a USS Jacob Jones sailor, please contact us.
Our Mission
Our mission is to establish a permanent place of remembrance honoring the 138 sailors lost aboard the USS Jacob Jones and preserving the legacy of all U.S. Navy service members lost in the Battle of the Atlantic.