Pylate, James Herman
Army Corporal

James Herman Pylate from Mississippi, Jones county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Thursday, November 30, 1950
Death details: On November 27, 1950, the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT), tasked with replacing the 5th Marine Regiment on the east side of the Chosin Reservoir, arrived at the P’ungnyuri Inlet. That night, Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) launched a surprise attack against the 31st RCT. Although the Chinese were numerically superior, the 31st RCT managed to repel the initial attack. The CCF attacked again on the night of November 28, and late on the morning of November 29 the men occupying the northernmost perimeter conducted a fighting withdrawal to consolidate with the rest of the RCT in the perimeter south of the P’ungnyuri Inlet. The CCF continued their attacks on the consolidated perimeter, and on the night of November 30, the Chinese launched a massive attack. On December 1, the 31st RCT began to withdraw from the P’ungnyuri Inlet to Hagaru-ri. Heavy fighting occurred during the withdrawal and many more men were lost. Remnants of the 31st RCT began arriving at Hagaru-ri on December 2. The CCF then attacked the village, and the 31st began to withdraw to Hamhung on December 6, 1950. Sergeant James Herman Pylate, who joined the U.S. Army from Mississippi, served with Headquarters Company, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He went missing in action on November 30, 1950, as Chinese Communist Forces attempted to overrun the 31st RCT’s defensive lines at the P’ungnyuri Inlet (one uncorroborated report from a veteran of this battle indicated Sergeant Pylate was killed on either November 28 or 29, 1950). He was never reported to be a prisoner of war, and his remains were not identified among those returned to U.S. custody after the war. Today, Sergeant Pylate is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency