Dr. James “Jimmie” G. Zoll (Sept. 25, 1947 – May 7, 2023) is one of more than 650 Vietnam veterans, including 61 from California, who will be inducted into the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s (VVMF) In Memory Program on June 15, 2024. VVMF believes all those who served in the Vietnam War should be honored and remembered for their service. The In Memory program enables the families and friends of those who came home and later died the opportunity to have them be forever memorialized.
Dr. Zoll was a retired Army officer, a Vietnam veteran, and a lifelong educator who began his civilian career as a teacher of Deaf and Hard of Hearing students at Rochester School for the Deaf, Rochester, NY, after his return from Vietnam. While serving in Vietnam, he volunteered at an orphanage during his down time and became passionate about deaf education. Thus, from his military service in Vietnam, began his dedication to education.
Dr. Zoll was a decorated combat veteran (Bronze Star, Army Commendation, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry W/ Crossed Palms) of the United States Army. He graduated from the USASA Electronic Warfare and Cryptology Intelligence School, Ft. Devens, MA; US Army Intelligence School Career Course, Ft Huachuca, AZ; Special Operations Command Counterinsurgency Intelligence School, Fort Bragg, NC; DOD Foreign Language School, Vietnamese, Ft. Bliss, TX; USMC Command and General Staff College, and Department of Defense Race Relations Institute. He spent 22 years in the Army, 4 years active duty and 18 years in the active reserves. His assignments included Commanding Officer of the 22nd Radio Relay Advisory Research Team, Department of Defense Special Representative Bureau, RVN; Commanding Officer of the 1st PSYOP Operations Company, Admiral Baker Field; and Executive Officer of the 306 PSYOP Battalion, Alameda Air Station. He participated multiple times in the annual joint Team Spirit exercise in South Korea which included reception, staging, employment, and redeployment of USA augmentation forces in South Korea.
While serving in the USA Reserves, he held several positions as a public/private educational leader. A graduate of the University of New England, Smith College, and University of San Diego, he was a principal in Coronado, San Diego, Imperial, Valley Center, and St Helena, CA as well as Superintendent of Julian Union High School District. He received numerous awards including Superintendent of the Year and Outstanding Administrator of the Year. He was married to Sally Ann Draper Zoll and is survived by two children and their spouses and four grandchildren.
On June 15, 2024, VVMF will host the 2024 In Memory ceremony on the East Knoll of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, where each 2024 honoree’s name will be read aloud. This year, 656 veterans will be honored during the ceremony.
“For many Vietnam veterans, coming home from Vietnam was just the beginning of a whole new fight. Many never fully recovered, either physically or emotionally, from their experiences. As these veterans pass, it is our duty and solemn promise to welcome them home to the place that our nation has set aside to remember our Vietnam veterans,” said Jim Knotts, president and CEO of VVMF.
The plaque that honors these veterans was dedicated as a part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial site in 2004. It reads: In Memory of the men and women who served in the Vietnam War and later died as a result of their service. We honor and remember their sacrifice.
