John Patrick Meloy
John Patrick Meloy
U.S. Army
Specialist 4 [E-4]
Biography:
John Patrick Meloy was a 1966 graduate of Wahlert High School in Dubuque and attended Loras College for one year before he enlisted into the Army in November 1967. Meloy completed basic training at Fort Bliss, TX and went on to specialize in journalism at Fort Harrison, IN. After a short leave back in Dubuque Meloy started his tour in Vietnam in November 1968. Less than a month in Southeast Asia SP4 Meloy was killed in action. During a fire fight southeast of Hue City, his unit was pinned down by enemy forces along a thickly vegetated ridgeline. SP4 Meloy pulled a wounded man to safety despite receiving fatal wounds in the process. For his actions under fire the Department of Defense posthumously awarded him the Silver Star. His body was returned to Iowa and buried at the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Key West. He was 20 years old at the time of his death.
County:
Dubuque
City of Entry | Dubuque | |
Conflict/Time Period | Vietnam War | Service Location | Organization(s) | Separation Status | Killed In Action (KIA) | Specialty/Rate | Specific Jobs |