Rodriguez, Enrique G.
Army Private 1st class

Enrique G. Rodriguez from Puerto Rico.

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 First Class Enrique Rodriguez, who joined the U.S. Army from Puerto Rico, served with Company E, 2nd Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He went missing on July 8, as his unit attempted to re-take the positions the Chinese had seized from the regiment the previous evening. No one saw him fall in battle, and conditions on the battlefield prevented a search for him. He was not reported to be a prisoner of war, and after U.S. troops withdrew from the area, it became part of the Demilitarized Zone. His remains were not identified among those returned to U.S. custody after the ceasefire. Today, Private First Class Rodriguez is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: Defense POW/ MIA Accounting Agency