Hovey, Howard Cleasby
Army Master Sergeant

Howard Cleasby Hovey, age 42, from New York, Jefferson county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Monday, July 6, 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. Master Sergeant Howard Cleasby Hovey entered the U.S. Army from New York was a member of Company A of the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was wounded by a grenade during the fighting at Pork Chop Hill on July 6, 1953, and died attempting to hold back the CCF so his unit could retreat safely. His remains could not be recovered following the battle, and he is still unaccounted for. Today, Master Sergeant Hovey is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency