Vetowich, Donald Hentry
Army Private

Donald Hentry Vetowich, age 20, from Michigan, Wayne county.

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. Private First Class Donald Henry Vetowich, who joined the U.S. Army from Michigan, served with Company G, 2nd Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He went missing in action on July 8 as his unit fought Chinese troops for control of Pork Chop Hill. No one saw him fall in battle, tactical conditions precluded a search for him, and he was never reported to be a prisoner of war. The area of his loss became part of the Demilitarized Zone after the ceasefire, and his remains were not identified among those later returned to U.S. custody. Today, Private First Class Vetowich is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency