Alexander, Lucius
Army Private 1st class

Lucius Alexander, age 22, from Mississippi, Lawrence county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Wednesday, July 8, 1953
Death details: On July 6, 1953, a large Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) unit attacked and overran the U.S. Army outposts on Pork Chop Hill in an attempt to seize whatever territory possible before the impending armistice agreement. After fighting for the position for four days, on July 10, the 7th Infantry Division Commander determined that the CCF disregard for casualties and desire to hold the outpost outweighed the position’s tactical value, and ordered a withdrawal that was eventually completed on July 11. The U.S. never again controlled Pork Chop Hill, preventing thorough recovery efforts for those who were killed or went missing during the fighting. Corporal Lucius Alexander, who joined the U.S. Army from Mississippi, served with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. On July 8, 1953, CPL Alexander was a part of a three-company counterattack launched in order to break the Chinese attack on Pork Chop Hill. The mission was unsuccessful after roughly three hours of intense fighting, during which CPL Alexander went missing in action. He was never reported to be a prisoner of war, and his remains were not recovered or identified following the war. Today, Corporal Alexander is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency