Eugene Taylor McCoy

Rural Appanoose County native Eugene Taylor McCoy was drafted by the Army and sent to South Vietnam in December 1965. PFC McCoy served with the 1st Cavalry Division as an infantryman. The 22-year-old Iowa was killed just over one month in Vietnam. His unit was participating Operation Masher when he was killed in action. The majority of his time in Vietnam his unit was engaged in combat with the enemy. His death on January 31, 1966 was initially reported as a friendly fire incident, yet later clarified as a result of enemy fire. His body was returned to Iowa and buried at the Sunset View Cemetery in Appanoose County.