19-year-old from Pella's dream was to be an Army Ranger, family said

Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Des Moines Register
Updated ·4 min read
Private First Class Jacob T. Atchison from Pella poses in uniform.
Private First Class Jacob T. Atchison from Pella poses in uniform.

The Atchison family was just an hour away from starting their road trip to Georgia for Jacob's turning green ceremony when a knock came at the front door. Standing on their step was a casualty officer and chaplain.

Jacob, known as JT by family and friends, suffered from a medical emergency during training at the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Moore on July 12. According to the Army, EMS and drill sergeants administered lifesaving procedures, but he died shortly after arriving at the Martin Army Community Hospital.

His death is still under investigation.

JT began Infantry One Unit training on May 12 and was named "Top Shot" for Delta Company, 3rd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, for qualifying as an expert marksman with his weapon the M4, according to the Army.

JT was extremely active and was determined to be in his best physical shape for basic training. He joined a local CrossFit group, was a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and played football in high school. He loved Legos. Shelves at the family home are full of them. He even created a name for when he built too long and his legs got numb: Lego legs, according to his mother Stacy.

A young JT Atchison winks at the camera.
A young JT Atchison winks at the camera.

JT was a water baby, according to his dad Todd, "When he was 8 or 9, he practiced all week at the pool so when we all went to the pool on the weekend, he could do a front flip for me. He was never afraid to put in the work to get the result, even at that young age."

"For as long as we can remember, his dream was to be in the military. We have pictures and school projects that say, 'I want to be an Army Ranger,' 'I want to be in the Army.' It was never a question," said the family in a statement. "He fought hard to get an Option 40 contract when he enlisted, which would put him on the path to go through Ranger Selection. He wouldn’t accept anything less."

JT poses with his sister Harley, mother Stacy and father Todd at his high school graduation.
JT poses with his sister Harley, mother Stacy and father Todd at his high school graduation.

Kathy Van Norden didn't recognize the photo at first when a colleague sent her the announcement of JT's passing. His mop of curls were gone, replaced with the military buzz cut of someone in basic training. You could tell he had matured some more after graduation, she said.

Van Norden was JT's college foods teacher for a few years at Pella High School.

"He would sit right in front of my desk, about as close to me as he could be. He would come in every day and just talk to me," Van Norden said. "He was very, very friendly, everybody's friend."

Jay McKinstrey was JT's football coach for all four years of high school, and described him as hard-working, kind, respectful teen who had a great smile. Though he wasn't a starter, "He was such a great encourager, someone you would want on your team."

More: 19-year-old Iowa soldier dies in Georgia after medical emergency during US Army training

Van Norden remembers JT saying he wanted to go to college after he had served his country and graduate debt free; Van Norden remembered him as more mature than others his age.

"I can't put words into the loss. Mom and dad and sister should be extremely proud," she said. "I thank him for his service, because he did serve his country even though it was short."

Jacob's sister, Harley, recalls taking JT to get his first tattoo as part of his birthday gift a few weeks before he left for training. The shop she said was an hour away. "We listened to his favorite podcast, talked, and just had a good bonding outing, just the two of us. I couldn't let him leave without getting a tattoo," she said.

JT shows off his tattoo that he acquired with his sister, Harley.
JT shows off his tattoo that he acquired with his sister, Harley.

She also went with him to see his favorite comedian, Noel Miller.

"We were seated close to the stage, and Noel joked around with him as part of the crowd work," she said. "Noel called him a poodle because at the time, his hair was super long and curly. He talked about it the entire hour ride home. He was over the moon."

Stacy said that whenever she ran errands with JT and there was a good song on the radio, JT would beg her to keep driving until the song ended, even if they were close to home. "It was one of the things he missed most while training."

According to JT's obituary, visitation was held on Sunday from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Federated Church, 309 Roosevelt Road, Pella.

A funeral service will be held on Monday at 1 p.m. at the same location.

Noelle Alviz-Gransee is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Follow her on Twitter @NoelleHannika or email her at NAlvizGransee@registermedia.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Family and teachers remember 19-year-old Pella soldier