Jacob H. Wingard was born on August 8, 1922 in Beccaria, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Jacob H. Wingard and Emily D. Wingard. Jacob joined the US Army on Dec 14 1942 from Centre County, PA. He served in HQ Company, 3rd Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division as a Sergeant during World War II. He was killed by a German sniper while manning a windmill in Netherlands as a look out directing morter fire. Sgt Wingard is now buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands. He was one of the brave American paratroopers of the 501st Inf who liberated the village of Eerde, The Netherlands from German forces in September 1944.