Wierzbicki, Chester William
Army Private

Chester William Wierzbicki from Queens County Ozone Park, New York .

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Tuesday, February 13, 1951
Death details: On February 5, 1951, Allied forces in Korea launched an offensive against North Korean and Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) north of Wonju. Republic of Korea units and the 38th Infantry Regiment and supporting artillery units, including the 15th and 503rd Field Artillery Battalions, and the 82nd Antiaircraft Artillery and Automatic Weapons Battalion, initially met light resistance on their drive to the north. On February 11, the CCF launched an aggressive counteroffensive that caused the Allies to withdraw back southward. However, the CCF had established a series of roadblocks on the road to the south, forcing the Allies to fight their way back to friendly lines. Private First Class Chester William Wierzbicki, who entered the U.S. Army from New York, was a member of L Company, 3rd Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on February 13, 1951, and was last seen manning a roadblock near Saemal, South Korea, during his unit’s withdrawal. Specific details regarding his loss are not known, and he remains unaccounted-for. Today, Private First Class Wierzbicki is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. His name is also inscribed on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC, which was updated in 2022 to include the names of the fallen.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency