Jacob Eierman was born on February 2, 1913, in Baltimore, Maryland. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on December 4, 1935, and completed basic training at Fort Slocum, New York, in January 1936. His first assignment was as an infantryman with Company A, 18th Infantry Regiment at Fort Hamilton, New York, from January to February 1936, and then as an infantryman with Company F, 27th Infantry Regiment in Hawaii from March to November 1936. Sgt Eierman transferred to the Army Air Corps in November 1936, and served as an aircraft maintenance technician with the 26th Attack Squadron at Wheeler Field, Hawaii, from November 1936 to March 1939, followed by service as an aircraft maintenance technician with the 95th Bomb Squadron of the 17th Bomb Group at March Field, California, from March to December 1939. After completing additional training at Chanute Field, Illinois, Sgt Eierman served as an aircraft maintenance technician and B-25 Mitchell flight engineer with the 89th Reconnaissance Squadron at McChord Field, Washington, and then at Pendleton Field, Oregon, from June 1940 until he was selected for the Doolittle Mission in February 1942. He served as the flight engineer on the 14th B-25 to take off from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) on April 18, 1942, and after bombing targets in and around Nagoya, Japan, the crew flew to China and bailed out when their aircraft ran out of fuel. After returning to the United States, Sgt Eierman served as a B-25 engineer with the 432nd and then 378th Bomb Squadrons at Columbia, South Carolina, from May 1942 to January 1943, and then as a B-18 Bolo and B-24 Liberator engineer with the 4th Anti-Submarine Squadron at Mitchel Field, New York, from January to April 1943. His next assignment was with the 25th Anti-Submarine Wing in New York City from April to September 1943, followed by service with the 1st Bomb Command at Mitchel Field from September 1943 to February 1944. Sgt Eierman served as a B-24 engineer with the 471st Bomb Group at Westover Field, Massachusetts, from February to April 1944, and then with the 112th Army Air Forces Base unit at Westover Field from April 1944 until he entered Officer Candidate School in February 1945. He was commissioned a 2d Lt in the Army Air Forces at the San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center, Texas, in June 1945. His next assignment was with the 4122nd Army Air Forces Base Unit at Hensley Field, Texas, from June 1945 to August 1946, followed by service with 100th Station at Erlangen AB, Germany, from August 1946 to March 1947. Capt Eierman served with the 605th Army Air Forces Base Unit at Eglin AFB, Florida, from April 1947 to February 1948, and then with the 3203rd Supply Squadron and Supply Services Squadron at Elgin AFB from March 1948 to February 1953. His next assignment was with the Far East Air Logistics Forces in Japan from March 1953 to August 1955, followed by service with the 26th Air Division at Rosyln AFS, New York, from August 1955 until his retirement from the Air Force on July 1, 1957. Jacob Eierman died on January 16, 1994, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

His Distinguished Flying Cross Citation reads:

For extraordinary achievement while participating in a highly destructive raid on the Japanese mainland on April 18, 1942. Sergeant Eierman volunteered for this mission knowing full well that the chances of survival were extremely remote, and executed his part in it with great skill and daring. This achievement reflects high credit on Sergeant Eierman and the military service.