EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE: The Great ‘Jake’ Generation

LELAND, NC (WWAY) — The Greatest Generation, also known as the G.I. Generation, is extraordinary altogether. Our Extraordinary Person of the Week is one of those remarkable people who fought for our lives. He resides in Leland now, but back in 1945, Jake Shepherd’s home was in the skies above.

“They figured if you could fly one 4 engine you could fly another,” Jake Shepherd told Daniel Seamans.

This is the story of the Greatest Generation. The Great ‘Jake’ Generation.

“I wanted to be in the Air Force, but at that time, believe it or not Daniel,” Shepherd said, “I had never been up in an airplane.”

Jake Shepherd would get that chance to go up in an airplane as an Air Force pilot during World World II.
He thought, as a B-24 bomber pilot.
He trained, as a B-24 bomber pilot.
By the time he was across the pond, a surprise was waiting.

“I said, Hey Sarge, you brought us to the wrong base, these are B-17, we’re a B-24 crew, he said, not anymore (laughing),” Shepherd joked.

You’ll find that Jake Shepherd has a lot of personality. So did his B-17. The Brunswick County man flew the signature Flying Fortress(B-17). His was named “Bottle Baby”.

“It so happens I flew my first mission over enemy territory, January 1st, 1945,” Shepherd said.

Jake Shepherd flew some two dozen high altitude bombing runs inside enemy territory.
He had a few near death run-ins with enemy aircraft.
He made it home alive.
He graduated from NC State.
He’s father to seven children.
And he’s an author of two books.

“It has been my practice that after we do the sodoku at the table,” Shephard said of his creative moments, “if I’m gonna write a poem, what I do is turn over the sodoku page and that’s where I write my poetry.”

Shepherd’s life as a poet was born after a request to write something for his church. They asked him to write poem that was loved so much it became a copyrighted hymn for the church..
It also created a new passion for ‘him’.

“From that point on,” Shephard said, “I started putting my thoughts on paper, I found that putting it in poetic terms came pretty natural.”

Very Natural. “The major book here is written for one poem for every day of the year,” he said of the book ‘Let a Shepherd be your Guide’, there are 365 poems in this book.”

Speaking of years, this World War II veteran turns 93 in August. Shepherd credits his successful time overseas to that Flying Fortress he called “Bottle Baby.”

“The B-17 was a beauty,” he said, “it handled well, flew nicely, and I’ve always had the feeling that God willing, I lived through it because of the B-17”

Jake Shepherd, you are the Great “Jake” Generation, and that makes you….Extraordinary.

Shepherd’s two books are called “Let a Shepherd be your Guide” and “Good Morning Dear Jesus”.

We salute you, Jake Shepherd!
-Daniel