Jacob Hamilton Allcott

PFC Jacob Hamilton Allcott died in the line of duty, while serving in the War in Iraq on April 22, 2006. He was killed along with three other soldiers by an Improvised Explosive Device along the road near Baghdad, Iraq. He was serving with the lst Squadron, 67th Armored Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, assigned from Fort Hood, Texas. Jacob was born on July 26, 1984 in Idaho Falls, Idaho to Bruce H. and Maureen Olsen Allcott. He was the youngest of six children and was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He lived in Iona, Idaho for the first 5 years of his life and then moved with his family to Caldwell, Idaho. He attended schools in Caldwell, graduating from Caldwell High School in 2002. While in high school he played on the tennis team and was a member of the Political Science Club. He loved music and sang in the Kiwanis Boys Choir in his younger years. He played various instruments including guitar, cello and piano. His favorite instrument was the guitar and he could play along with any music by ear. He spent many hours playing the guitar with his friends. He was very intelligent and always interested in computers, mathematics and the law. He enjoyed the outdoors, participating in camping, hiking and skiing as frequently as possible and was active in the Boy Scouts, achieving the rank of Life Scout. He had a great sense of humor and a pleasant personality. Following high school, Jacob attended Utah State University and Boise State University for a year prior to joining the Army. He joined the Army on May 11, 2004. He received his basic training at Ft. Benning, Ga., graduating on Aug. 27, 2004. Following completion of his basic training he was assigned to Ft. Hood, Texas where he trained in the skills necessary for his assignment. He received The Army Commendation Medal for exemplary service during his training in July of 2005. His unit was deployed to Iraq at the end of November 2005 and while there, Jacob reported that they were providing great service to the people of Iraq and that many of the people they encountered had similar values to ours such as strong families and wanting freedom. At the time of his death he was serving as a gunner on a M1114 HMMWV. His casket was escorted home from Dover, England by Marine CPL Jerry Sharp a family friend. He is survived by his parents, Bruce and Maureen Allcott of Burley, Idaho., three brothers; Jason (Pam) Allcott of Hyde Park, Utah., Aaron (Ieshea) Allcott of Caldwell, Idaho., and Kyle Allcott of Burley, Idaho. He is also survived by two sisters; Maaike (Travis) Myers of Nampa, Idaho and Heidi (Sky) Ipsen of Washington, D.C. He is also survived by grandparents, Beth Olsen of Iona, Idaho., Jack and Joanne Buettgenbach of Ucon, Idaho. and Gordon Allcott of Salt Lake City, Utah., nine nieces and nephews and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. Funeral services will be held Friday, May 5, 2006 at the Caldwell LDS Stake Center, 3015 S. Kimball Ave., Caldwell, ID., at 1:30 p.m., with Bishop Daniel E. Norman officiating. The family will receive friends Thursday from 6:30 - 9 p.m. at the church and from 12 -1 p.m. at the church prior to the services. Interment will be at the Iona Cemetery on Saturday, May 6 at 11 a.m. with Bishop Guy Redder officiating and with full military honors provided by the U.S. Army. Funeral services are being coordinated through the Dakan Funeral Chapel in Caldwell. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either the LDS Church Humanitarian Fund or the Jacob Allcott Memorial at any Zions Bank to be used to support those soldiers injured in the war and their families.