John was the son of Edward Donald Schon and Margaret Evelyn Schon of Portland. He enlisted in the US Navy on November 16 1964 in Portland OR and in Vietnam was serving as a Hospital Corpsman assigned to H&S Company and attached to Company L,3d Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st MARDIV (Rein) FMF.
On May 26, Company I, L, M of the Battalion and the command group with attachments began to participate in Operation UNION II in the border area of Quang Nam and Quang Tin Provinces. Heli-lifted to from Tam Ky Company L landed at LZ (Landing Zone) Eagle near the hamlet of Cam La (1) and were immediately taking enemy sniper and mortar fire. Company M followed, with Company I the last to land. The Marines had landed in an area well prepared by the enemy for battle which lasted throughout the day and into the night. During the days battle the Marines suffered thirty-six men killed, and many more wounded, and one man died a month later from his wounds. HM2 Schon was one of the casualties, he was killed in action by hostile rifle fire.
* HM2 John Edward Schon was presented with the SILVER STAR Medal posthumously "For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action ....on 26 May 1967...."
H&S Company Casualties
James Westley Ayers
Michael William Carey
Thomas Arthur Conklin
Edward Daniel Drohosky
Thomas Charles Guden Died of Wounds
William Gregory Landon
John Edward Schon
Laddie Stierwalt
Donald Richard Troxell
Jerry Gordon Waller
Company I – Killed in Action – 3
Company L – Killed in Action – 16
Company M – Killed in Action - 8
On May 26, Company I, L, M of the Battalion and the command group with attachments began to participate in Operation UNION II in the border area of Quang Nam and Quang Tin Provinces. Heli-lifted to from Tam Ky Company L landed at LZ (Landing Zone) Eagle near the hamlet of Cam La (1) and were immediately taking enemy sniper and mortar fire. Company M followed, with Company I the last to land. The Marines had landed in an area well prepared by the enemy for battle which lasted throughout the day and into the night. During the days battle the Marines suffered thirty-six men killed, and many more wounded, and one man died a month later from his wounds. HM2 Schon was one of the casualties, he was killed in action by hostile rifle fire.
* HM2 John Edward Schon was presented with the SILVER STAR Medal posthumously "For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action ....on 26 May 1967...."
H&S Company Casualties
James Westley Ayers
Michael William Carey
Thomas Arthur Conklin
Edward Daniel Drohosky
Thomas Charles Guden Died of Wounds
William Gregory Landon
John Edward Schon
Laddie Stierwalt
Donald Richard Troxell
Jerry Gordon Waller
Company I – Killed in Action – 3
Company L – Killed in Action – 16
Company M – Killed in Action - 8
John was the son of Edward Donald Schon and Margaret Evelyn Schon of Portland. He enlisted in the US Navy on November 16 1964 in Portland OR and in Vietnam was serving as a Hospital Corpsman assigned to H&S Company and attached to Company L,3d Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st MARDIV (Rein) FMF.
On May 26, Company I, L, M of the Battalion and the command group with attachments began to participate in Operation UNION II in the border area of Quang Nam and Quang Tin Provinces. Heli-lifted to from Tam Ky Company L landed at LZ (Landing Zone) Eagle near the hamlet of Cam La (1) and were immediately taking enemy sniper and mortar fire. Company M followed, with Company I the last to land. The Marines had landed in an area well prepared by the enemy for battle which lasted throughout the day and into the night. During the days battle the Marines suffered thirty-six men killed, and many more wounded, and one man died a month later from his wounds. HM2 Schon was one of the casualties, he was killed in action by hostile rifle fire.
* HM2 John Edward Schon was presented with the SILVER STAR Medal posthumously "For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action ....on 26 May 1967...."
H&S Company Casualties
James Westley Ayers
Michael William Carey
Thomas Arthur Conklin
Edward Daniel Drohosky
Thomas Charles Guden Died of Wounds
William Gregory Landon
John Edward Schon
Laddie Stierwalt
Donald Richard Troxell
Jerry Gordon Waller
Company I – Killed in Action – 3
Company L – Killed in Action – 16
Company M – Killed in Action - 8
On May 26, Company I, L, M of the Battalion and the command group with attachments began to participate in Operation UNION II in the border area of Quang Nam and Quang Tin Provinces. Heli-lifted to from Tam Ky Company L landed at LZ (Landing Zone) Eagle near the hamlet of Cam La (1) and were immediately taking enemy sniper and mortar fire. Company M followed, with Company I the last to land. The Marines had landed in an area well prepared by the enemy for battle which lasted throughout the day and into the night. During the days battle the Marines suffered thirty-six men killed, and many more wounded, and one man died a month later from his wounds. HM2 Schon was one of the casualties, he was killed in action by hostile rifle fire.
* HM2 John Edward Schon was presented with the SILVER STAR Medal posthumously "For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action ....on 26 May 1967...."
H&S Company Casualties
James Westley Ayers
Michael William Carey
Thomas Arthur Conklin
Edward Daniel Drohosky
Thomas Charles Guden Died of Wounds
William Gregory Landon
John Edward Schon
Laddie Stierwalt
Donald Richard Troxell
Jerry Gordon Waller
Company I – Killed in Action – 3
Company L – Killed in Action – 16
Company M – Killed in Action - 8
Gravesite Details
Jack will always be remembered by his classmates at Washington High School 1964
