Stevens, Simon John
Army Major

Simon John Stevens from Jefferson County Port Arthur, Texas .

Spouse: Mildred I. Stevens

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Unknown
Death details: On February 5, 1951, Allied forces in Korea launched an offensive against North Korean and Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) north of Wonju. Republic of Korea units and the 38th Infantry Regiment and supporting artillery units, including the 15th and 503rd Field Artillery Battalions, and the 82nd Antiaircraft Artillery and Automatic Weapons Battalion, initially met light resistance on their drive to the north. On February 11, the CCF launched an aggressive counteroffensive that caused the Allies to withdraw back southward. However, the CCF had established a series of roadblocks on the road to the south, forcing the Allies to fight their way back to friendly lines. Major Simon John Stevens, who joined the U.S. Army from Texas, was the commander of Battery D, 82nd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion, 2nd Infantry. He was captured by enemy forces on February 13, 1951, during his unit’s withdrawal from Hongcheon to Hoengsong and Wonju. He was marched to the Suan Bean Camp where he died of edema and malnutrition on an unspecified date during the summer of 1951. Although he was buried near the camp his remains were not identified among those that were returned to U.S. custody after the war. Major Stevens is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. His name is also inscribed on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC, which was updated in 2022 to include the names of the fallen.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Beaumont Enterprise (1951)