John F Cordell
HHD 1Bat 40art
SP4 Vietnam
John was born December 7, 1946 at home where his parents farmed south of Bedford, Iowa. He was the youngest of five children. His parents bought a farm in Lenox, Iowa in 1947. Their mailing address was Sharpsburg, Iowa. John attended country school through 8th grade before attending Lenox High School which he graduated from in 1965. John attended a Mechanics school in Omaha and helped his father farm until he enlisted in the United States Army in June of 1966. He completed Basic Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri prior to being transferred to Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
He earned the rank of SP4 and was assigned to Headquarters 1st Battalion 40th Artillery, Fort Sill, Oklahoma. John was stationed at Con Thien & Dong Ha while in Vietnam. He served as a supply manager often making night runs down the river to pick up supplies. He served in Vietnam from July 1967 until June 1968. He didn’t talk about his Vietnam experience very much.
While serving in Vietnam, KSIB radio station from Creston, Iowa turned the tables on John and organized a birthday mailing campaign to him on his 21st birthday December 7, 1967 which also commemorates the observance of Pearl Harbor Day. This was a result of John and his mother Nettie Cordell who visited KSIB yearly bringing the radio station personnel a birthday cake as December 7, 1946 was also the date KSIB began broadcasting.
Sadly, John was killed in a car accident north of Lenox on January 12, 1969.
