Madel, Gerald Donald
Army Sergeant

Gerald Donald Madel, age 21, from Wisconsin, Winnebago 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. Sergeant First Class Gerald Donald Madel, who joined the U.S. Army from Wisconsin, served with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on July 8, 1953, after he sustained serious wounds during the battle for Pork Chop Hill. SFC Madel was unable to be located following the battle, and his remains were never recovered. He is still unaccounted-for. Today, Sergeant First Class Madel is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency