Wallen, James Alex
Army Private 1st class

James Alex Wallen from Kentucky, Floyd county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Tuesday, July 25, 1950
Death details: By July 1950, the North Korean People’s Army (NKPA) had taken control of Taejon, and the U.S. Eighth Army’s 25th Infantry Division and 1st Cavalry Division were sent into action. The 1st Cavalry Division deployed at Pohang between July 18-21 and immediately advanced west on the Taegu-Taejon road to establish blocking positions at Yongdong and defend the city. The ensuing three-day Battle of Yongdong was intense, and the 1st Cavalry Division was ultimately forced to withdraw on July 25 after the 5th Cavalry Regiment alone had lost 275 men. The battle inflicted heavy casualties on the NKPA and delayed its advance enough to allow United Nations (UN) forces to establish the Pusan Perimeter, but the NKPA still managed to capture many American prisoners of war (POWs). Prisoners were marched north to Seoul before being transferred to camps in Pyongyang. Many POWs were eventually rescued, though many others died from exhaustion and mistreatment. Poor record keeping by the NKPA and strained diplomatic tensions following the war have complicated the identification and recovery of those who went missing during the Battle of Yongdong, and many are still unaccounted for.

Corporal James Alex Wallen entered the U.S. Army from Kentucky and served in Company D of the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On July 24-25, 1950, Company D was supporting the withdrawal of American troops from positions that had been overwhelmed by NKPA forces. Corporal Wallen was captured during these efforts and was among the POWs who were marched north to Seoul and then eventually to Pyongyang. Survivor reports indicate that CPL Wallen died at some point during the journey from Seoul to Pyongyang, and his remains were not recovered. He is still unaccounted-for. Today, Corporal Wallen is Memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency