Jendraszek, Gerald John
Army Private 1st Class

Gerald John Jendraszek, age 21, from New York, Erie 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 Gerald John Jendraszek entered the U.S. Army from New York and was a member of Company C of the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He went missing on July 9, 1950, during the initial combat at Pork Chop Hill, though the exact circumstances surrounding his loss are unknown. He was not reported as a prisoner of war, nor were his remains ever returned to the U.S. after the ceasefire. He is unaccounted for. Today, Corporal Jendraszek is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency