Ivars Lama
Second Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps

Ivars Lama was born on 31 October 1937 in Daugavpils, Latvia, the son of Ansis and Vera Lama. He and his family were refugees who escaped from Latvia with family members and migrated to the United States when the communists took over. Ivars arrived in the U.S. on 12 December 1950.

He enlisted in the Regular U.S. Army after graduation from Carlisle Military School and attended the Ranger School at Fort Benning, GA. He served on the Honor Guard at Arlington National Cemetery and was later discharged. He then attended Monmouth College in New Jersey before transferring to University North Carolina - Chapel Hill where he received his B.A. and Masters Degree in Political Science.

Ivars entered the U.S. Marine Corps and completed the 38th Officer Candidate Course with 2nd Platoon of Bravo Company and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the USMC Reserve. He was with 3rd Platoon Delta Company in Class 3-66 at Basic School. Assigned to the infantry, Ivars took 30-days leave after Basic School and then reported for shipment to Vietnam. His tour in Vietnam began on 7 July 1966.

On 11 September 1966, Second Lieutenant Ivars Lama was serving as platoon commander with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division, III Marine Amphibious Force in Quang Nam Province, South Vietnam.

On that day, 2ndLt Lama was riding in a Mighty Mite Jeep with his driver, radio operator, and a Marine providing security, when the vehicle hit a hostile explosive device approximately 3 kilometers northeast of Hoi An on Route 638 (BT 176583) in Quang Nam Province. Ivars suffered fragmentation wounds to his entire body. All four Marines in the Mighty Mite were killed. His body was recovered.

At the time of his death, Ivars was 28 and married to Evie Schwarting Lama. They had no children.

Medals and Awards

Purple Heart
Combat Action Ribbon
Navy/Marine Presidential Unit Citation
Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal
Army Good Conduct Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
Vietnam Civil Actions Medal
Vietnam Campaign Medal

Honors

The name Ivars Lama is located on Panel 10E Line 87 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

[Thanks to Captain Dave Mellon, USMCR, a classmate of Ivars Lama in Basic Class 3-66, for the valuable information he provided for this bio. Capt Mellon also served as a platoon commander in Vietnam and was wounded.]