THE WALL OF FACES

If I should die, and leave you here awhile, be not like others, sore undone, who keep, long vigils by the silent dust, and weep...for MY sake, turn again to life, and smile...Nerving thy heart, and trembling hand to do something to comfort other hearts than thine...Complete these dear, unfinished tasks of mine...and I, perchance, may therein comfort you.

David is buried at Oak Lawn Cemetery, Dwight, Livingston County, IL. AM-37GS PH

CAPTAIN

DAVID KEITH JACOBSGAARD


was a graduate of the

UNIVERSITY of ILLINOIS

in the Class of 1966


who then served in the

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

as a

HELICOPTER PILOT

with

MARINE OBSERVATION SQUADRON 6

1st MARINE AIR WING

based at Quang Tri, South Vietnam


He was a recipient of the following

military decorations and service medals


PURPLE HEART

NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL

VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL

REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM CAMPAIGN SERVICE MEDAL


He was promoted posthumously

to the rank of captain





YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN

NOR SHALL YOU EVER BE

Although we never met personally, I want to thank you David Keith Jacobsgaard, for your courageous and valiant service, your years of faithfully contributing, and your most holy sacrifice given to this great country of ours!

Your Spirit is alive--and strong, therefore Sir, you shall never be forgotten, nor has your death been in vain!

Again, thank you Captain David Keith Jacobsgaard, for a job well done!

REST IN ETERNAL PEACE MY MARINE FRIEND

Dave Jacobsgaard was a handsome, serious minded Marine officer who didn't say a lot, but when he did say something it was well worth listening to. He joined our huey gunship squadron, VMO-6 at Quang Tri in the summer of 1968. All pilots had a collateral duty. Mine was Civic Action Officer, and I got to go across the river with a few Marines and an interpreter and try to win hearts and minds. Dave was one of the few officers who enjoyed going across with me. When I left to go on a FAC tour with the infantry Dave requested and was granted my job. He promptly began plans to build a school. Over the next six months he got it built, and was known by the villagers as Di Wi (Captain) Jake. As I recall, either Navy Times or Stars and Stripes wrote an article about it. Keep in mind that this was done during his spare time from combat, and these villages, only ten miles or so south of the DMZ were not the safest places for an American officer with a small escort to visit. I came back up from my new squadron in DaNang to fly with VMO-6 in operation Dewey Canyon. This was an operation to clean out the A Shau Valley. The 3rd Marine
Division cleaned out the north half. The Army (Hamburger Hill) cleaned out the southern half. The eastern part of the Ho Chi Minh trail ran through this valley, and was a crushed rock road, wide enough to drive two trucks abreast. It was heavily defended. During this operation Dave's huey gunship was shot down by an antiaircraft position, and all four crewmen were lost. There was no doubt in Dave's mind as to who we were fighting for and why. He was loved by the South Vietnamese he helped and his comrades. The school was supposedly named for him by the villagers after his death. Quang Tri province was the scene of heavy fighting in 1973 and the school may have been destroyed. I hope that we can restore it some day. He would consider that his finest legacy for his country. He had all the qualities one would wish for in a Knight. Courage, chivalry, compassion. A Christian warrior. We could have used many more like him. Semper Fi. M.J. Remme Arlington, Tx