Larocca, Salvatore Thomas
Army 1st lieutenant

Salvatore Thomas Larocca, age 24, from New York.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Wednesday, July 8, 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. First Lieutenant Salvatore Thomas Larocca entered the U.S. Army from New York and was a member of Company F of the 2nd Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was mortally wounded on July 8, 1950, during action at Pork Chop Hill. A soldier who survived the incident stated that he observed 1LT Larocca laying in a trench, unmoving, where he fell. His remains could not be recovered at the time of his loss due to battle conditions, and further attempts to locate them were unsuccessful. Today, First Lieutenant Larocca is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, findagrave.com