Private 1st Class John Marshall Mizelle was born on June 19, 1946 in Suffolk, Virginia, and was originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee. He served his country in the Vietnam War in the United States Army, with 628th Maintenance Spt. Company, 861st GS Battalion, 45th GS Group, Army Spt. Command Qui Nhon, 1st Log. Command, where he served as a multichannel communications equipment repairman. His tour in Vietnam began on September 16, 1966. On January 7, 1967, PFC Mizelle was killed under hostile conditions in Pleiku, South Vietnam; he was 20 years old at the time of his death. PFC Mizelle is buried at Chattanooga National Cemetery in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and is memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Panel 13E, Line 123. The following are tributes for PFC Mizelle:
Greg Fussell
childhood friend
Gainesville fl 32608
Johnny would visit Lakeland each summer. I believe his grandfather was a gunsmith and loved model trains. In the backyard of his grandparents home on Antilla St. was a mound that had old bullets and we would dig them out. There was an old shed, the insides had the wonderful smells of wood, oil, grease and we loved going into it and cutting wood into different shapes. I’ve lost track over the years, but he was probably about 10 – 12 the last time I saw him. He helped make my summers more enjoyable and I will forever remember him. Richard Bach once wrote: ‘Don’t be dismayed by good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.’ Johnny enriched my life and I will forever remember him with great fondness. My condolences to the family and sorry it has taken me soooo long to find and write this. Best Wishes, Greg Fussell
July 7, 2009
John and I served together in Pleiku, until a Vietcong mortar round took his life on January 7th, 1967. I remember him as a kind unassuming man with close family ties. He always shared “care package” goodies sent to him by his family with the rest of us. –Alex Mendelsohn, who served with him, May 26, 2014.
Was on foward observation with him when he got hit. -Donnie Brown, oluverblack1945@outkook.com
John was assigned to my squad at Camp Holloway, Pleiku Vietnam in October 1966. Our mission as a small detachment was to support the 4th Infantry Division with radio repair. We were part of the 628th maintenance support company that had headquarters at Camp Enari located on Dragon Mountain on the other side of town. We were temporarily placed at Holloway while maintenance facilities were built out at Enari. Though my time with John was short I never had the privilege of serving with a soldier with finer qualities as a team member nor one that I respected more. Respectfully Dr. M. H. Peters
- Rank: Private First Class
- Date of birth: 19 June 1946
- Date of death: 7 January 1967
- County: Hamilton
- Hometown: Chattanooga
- Service Branch: Army
- Conflict: Vietnam
- Burial/Memorial Location: Chattanooga National Cemetery, Chattanooga, TN
- Location In Memorial: Pillar XXIII, Top Panel
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