John Ellsworth Quam

John Ellsworth Quam
U.S. Army
Private First Class (PFC) [E-3]
Biography:
John Ellsworth Quam graduated from Mason City High School in 1965 and attended Trinity Lutheran Church. Quam was one of ten children. He was employed by the North Iowa Wholesale Co. before joining the service. He entered the Army in April 1966. PFC Quam completed trainings at Fort Leonard Wood, MO and Fort Polk, LA. He was shipped to Vietnam in October 1966 and was an infantryman with the 4th Infantry Division in Pleiku. On February 16, 1967, while on a combat patrol west of Pleiku, PFC Quam’s company received fire from enemy forces and became pinned down. For more than five hours his platoon held off an entire battalion of North Vietnamese soldiers. PFC Quam was killed by small arms fire during the skirmish along with 22 others from his platoon. Out of the three survivors only one was without wounds. His body was laid to rest at the Memorial Park Cemetery in Mason City.
County:
Cerro Gordo
City of EntryMason City
Conflict/Time PeriodVietnam War
Service Location
Organization(s)
Separation StatusKilled In Action (KIA)
Specialty/Rate
Specific Jobs