Wolfe, Edward
Army Private 1st Class

Edward Wolfe, age 17, from Illinois, Cook county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Sunday, July 30, 1950
Death details: On July 30, 1950, the 24th Infantry Division’s undermanned and ill-equipped 19th Infantry Regiment, which had been rushed to Korea from garrison duty in Japan, established defensive lines around the South Korean city of Chinju. The soldiers of the 19th Infantry faced the North Korean People’s Army (NKPA), which was moving inexorably south down the Korean peninsula. The unit lacked heavy artillery and anti-tank weaponry, and the Americans were ultimately unable to stop the NKPA and were forced to withdraw further south to prevent being surrounded. Corporal Edward Wolfe, who joined the U.S. Army from Illinois, served with G Company, 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was reported missing during this action on July 30, south of Chinju. No one saw him fall in battle and he was not reported to be a prisoner of war. After the area where he disappeared returned to the control of friendly forces, extensive searches were conducted for his remains, but all searches were unsuccessful. Today, Corporal Wolfe is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency