Jack Llewellyn James

Jack Llewellyn James was born in Mason City and lived there his whole life. He graduated from Mason City High School in the class of 1963. Although his parents moved to Des Moines that August, James continued to live in Mason City working for the Iowa Highway Commission until he was drafted in July 1965. He completed training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO before being deployed to Bong Son, South Vietnam in December 1965. PFC James served as a rifleman with the Army’s 1st Cavalry Division. He was killed on February 19, 1966 from multiple gunshot wounds, including one to the chest, received during a search and destroy operation. Thirty-nine other Americans were killed in the engagement. PFC James was 21 years old and had served less than a year in the Army at the time of his death. A service was held at the Saint John’s Episcopal Church and his body was buried at the Elmwood Cemetery, both in Mason City.