Ratay, Joseph John
Army Private

Joseph John Ratay, age 22, from Pennsylvania, Allegheny 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. Private Joseph John Ratay entered the U.S. Army from Pennsylvania and was a member of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He went missing in action on July 8, 1950, during the fighting at Pork Chop Hill, though exact circumstances surrounding his loss are unknown. He was never reported to be a prisoner of war, and his remains were not among those returned to the U.S. following the ceasefire. Today, Private Ratay is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency