Private First Class Jacobson was a member of the 49th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division. He was seriously injured in South Korea on 18 February 1951 and returned to duty on 12 May 1951. He was seriously wounded by medic within South Korea on 2 June 1951 and died of those wounds later that day.

Jacobson was awarded the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.