Drake, Delbert Raymond
Army Private 1st class

Delbert Raymond Drake, age 21, from Washington, Island county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Friday, July 10, 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 Delbert Raymond Drake, who joined the U.S. Army from Washington, served with Company I, 3rd Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was killed on July 10 when Chinese troops overran his unit’s position during the fight for control of Pork Chop Hill. Conditions on the battlefield prevented the immediate recovery of his body, and the area where he fell soon became part of the Demilitarized Zone. Today, Corporal Drake is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency