About
About Fire Swept Trail
Fire Swept Trail is a place for Vietnam veterans and their families to share their stories, read others, and find help. 146 veterans are remembered here so far, by the people who loved them.
It started with my father, HM3 Russell "Doc Jake" Jacobson, a Navy corpsman wounded on Hill 861 near Khe Sanh in March 1967. When I shared his story, other families began sharing theirs.
Every story here comes from a family member, a friend or the veteran. I read each one before anything goes on the site, and nothing is published automatically.
My name is Dave Jacobson. I run Fire Swept Trail from Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Where the name comes from
From Edward F. Murphy's book The Hill Fights, which describes my dad racing "up and down the fire-swept trail" on Hill 861 to pull casualties to safety. Read his story.
Organizations that helped my family
These four organizations helped my family in a big way. If you need them, I recommend reaching out. They may apply to your situation too.
The Stubbornly Positive ProjectFounded by Marine veteran Craig Grossi and his wife, Nora. Storytelling and writing retreats for veterans and trauma survivors, plus the Stubbornly Positive podcast. Has partnered with TAPS, USA Warriors Hockey and American Special Hockey.
His book, Craig & Fred: how a Marine and a stray dog rescued each other.thestubbornlypositiveproject.com · Donate- Town of PlymouthVeteran's Gift Account, 26 Court St, Plymouth, MA 02360.
Get in touch
Questions, corrections or a story to share: dave@fireswepttrail.org.