Vincent Angelo Vega from Illinois, Cook county.
Service era: Korea
Date of death: Wednesday, July 5, 1950
Death details: On July 5, 1950, Task Force Smith, the first U.S. ground element to engage North Korean People’s Army (NKPA) troops, was defending a position north of Osan, South Korea. The Task Force’s goal was to delay enemy forces by blocking their movement down the road south from Suwon to Taejon, which was a major avenue of advance for the NKPA. That morning, the Task Force was engaged by a column of enemy tanks. The anti-tank weapons that the infantrymen employed were ineffective, and a large number of tanks broke through their position. Task Force Smith was forced to withdraw to the south, suffering heavy casualties in the process. Private First Class Vincent Angelo Vega, who joined the U.S. Army from Illinois, served with B Company, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. His unit was part of Task Force Smith, and he was reported missing in action on July 5. No one saw him fall in battle, and he was not reported to be a prisoner of war. Once the territory where he disappeared returned to U.S. control, numerous searches were conducted for his remains but were unsuccessful. Today, Private First Class Vega is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
