James L. Mazurek
U.S. Army
2015
Growing up in Stamford Jim Mazurek was passionate about sports, playing in Little League
regional playoffs and Babe Ruth League World Series. While at Stamford High, Jim attained
All-State Football honors as a junior and senior. The 1960 graduate attended Syracuse
University on a football scholarship, was co-captain his senior year and selected to the senior
men’s honorary fraternity, Phi Kappa Alpha, in recognition of his leadership at the university.
While at Syracuse, Jim joined the Army ROTC program and was commissioned a 2nd
Lieutenant. Although selected in the NFL draft he did not play and entered the Army in 1965.
After receiving his Transportation Officers Basic Training at Ft. Eustis, Virginia, Jim deployed to
the Republic of Korea, assigned to the 21st Transportation Company serving the United Nations Command and the 8th U.S. Army Command. And no surprise, he also played on the ESCOM football team making All Korea Honors. On learning of the United States’ involvement in Vietnam, Jim forwent current orders and volunteered for transfer to Vietnam, where he served with the 58th Transportation Company and then the 597th as a platoon leader. He later served as Commanding Officer for a provisional company testing all-terrain vehicles in a combat zone, working with Caterpillar Tractor to develop the official Table of Organization and Equipment for the first official Goer unit. Jim’s last assignment was Company Commander to the 61st Transportation Company, which delivered fuel to military sites in the Central Highlands.
After coming home to Stamford, Jim returned to Korea to marry, Jae Sun, a fashion model whom he had met while serving there. He worked at Clairol in Stamford for 35 years in Manufacturing and then another three years for Plaza Realty. Jim and Jae Sun have two children, James Jr. and Alicia..