Jack Charles Plähn was born January 26, 1947, in Harlan, IA. He was the second of five children born to Thorle and Arlene (Sorensen) Plahn. He was named after his great uncle, J. C. Plahn (Johannes Carsten). He had an older brother, Rickie Plahn, and younger brothers, Thomas Plahn, and Jeffrey Plahn, and sister, Jolene (Plahn) Nolan.

As a child, Jack’s family lived in several rural communities in the western Iowa area. He attended elementary school in Irwin, IA, through the 6th grade. He moved with his family to Fremont, NE in January of 1960. He graduated from Fremont High School in 1965 and attended Midland College in Fremont.

Jack was Assistant Store Manager trainee at Woolworth Five and Dime before being drafted into the Army in July 1967. He took basic training at Fort Benning, GA, and Advanced Infantry Training at Ft. Polk, LA. At Ft. Benning, he received an expert marksman (sharpshooter) award.

Jack was home on leave during Christmas, 1967, before he said goodbye to his family on New Year’s Day, January 1, 1968, and headed for duty in Vietnam. He arrived in Vietnam on January 9, 1968, and turned 21 there just 17 days later. He was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division, 27th Infantry Battalion, Company B. The nickname of the 25th Infantry Division is “Tropic Lightning,” and the motto is “Ready to Strike, Anywhere, Anytime.” The 27th Infantry unit’s nickname is the “Wolfhounds,” and the motto of the unit is “No Fear on Earth.”

Jack was reported as Missing in Action on February 14, 1968. Notification was received by his parents on March 4, 1968, that “Private First-Class Jack C. Plahn, Company B, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry at Hoc Mon in Gia Dinh Province, South Vietnam, was killed on February 9, 1968. He was participating in Battalion reconnaissance in force operation when he received a hostile penetrating wound to the abdomen.”

As a member of this command, Jack was well liked by all his superiors and contemporaries alike. He was an excellent soldier, performing all tasks assigned to him in a cheerful and efficient manner. His death came as a great shock to all who knew him.

Jack’s funeral was held at the First United Methodist Church in Fremont, NE, on March 18, 1968, and he was laid to rest with full military honors at Memorial Cemetery, Fremont, NE.