John “Jack” R. Jacobsen

80 years old

Born in 1935 in Coon Rapids, Iowa

Currently living in Truman, MN.

U.S. Army Korean War Veteran

It was 1954 and the Korean War was beginning to wind down. That's the year 22-year-old Iowa resident John “Jack” Jacobsen volunteered for the U.S. Army. After training at Fort Riley, Kansas to become a 30 cal. machine gun squad leader, Jack joined about 1,500 other soldiers and 650 Navy sailors aboard the USS Randall (APA-224) headed across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe. It wasn't a fun trip, he remembered. “We were locked up in that troop carrier for three days and nights straight,” Jacobsen recalled. “The wind blew and blew, and the seas were so rough we couldn't get out onto the deck.” After finally landing in Europe, Jacobsen headed to Army bases in Germany with his 12 member gun squad.

“I was in the service 2 years, 6 months and 4 days,” he said with assurance. Following his discharge from the military, Jacobsen headed back to Iowa and got a job working for Arnold Motor Supply in Carroll, Iowa. He was later transferred to their Truman, Minnesota store. He eventually went to work for Mel Carlson Chevrolet along Highway 15 in Truman as their parts manager, where worked until his retirement at age 76. “I was there for 41 years,” he said proudly. “I sure saw a lot of changes in the automotive business during that time.”