11 August 1950 patrol

Lawson, Alvis D.
Army Corporal

Alvis D. Lawson from Kentucky, Bell county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Friday, August 11, 1950
Death details:  On August 11, 1950, twenty members of Company B, 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, 24th Infantry Division, performed a reconnaissance patrol across the Naktong River to investigate North Korean forces near Chang-dong, South Korea. The patrol crossed to the west bank of the Naktong River, performed their reconnaissance, and were engaged by an enemy force of unknown strength. The patrol was still taking on heavy fire as they crossed the Naktong again to return from the mission, and only five members of the patrol ultimately made it back to friendly positions. 

Sergeant Alvis Donald Lawson joined the U.S. Army from Kentucky and was a member of Company B, 3rd Engineer Combat Battalion, 24th Infantry Division. He was a member of the August 11 patrol near Chang-dong, and was reported missing in action following the incident. He was never reported to be a prisoner of war, and he remains unaccounted-for. Today, Sergeant Lawson is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Archuleta, Jose A.
Army Private 1st class

Jose A. Archuleta from Mora County New Mexico.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Friday, August 11, 1950
Death details: On August 11, 1950, twenty members of Company B, 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, 24th Infantry Division, performed a reconnaissance patrol across the Naktong River to investigate North Korean forces near Chang-dong, South Korea. The patrol crossed to the west bank of the Naktong River, performed their reconnaissance, and were engaged by an enemy force of unknown strength. The patrol was still taking on heavy fire as they crossed the Naktong again to return from the mission, and only five members of the patrol ultimately made it back to friendly positions. Private Jose Leandro Archuleta joined the U.S. Army from Colorado and was a member of B Company, 3rd Engineer Combat Battalion, 24th Infantry Division. He was on this August 11 patrol near Chang-dong, and went missing after crossing the Naktong River. He was last seen providing cover fire for his wounded patrol leader. Private Archuleta was never reported to be a prisoner of war, and he remains unaccounted-for. Today, Private Archuleta 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

Bolster, John L.
Army Private

John L. Bolster, age 25, from Fillmore County Chatfield, Minnesota .

Parents: Hugo Bolster

Service era: Korea
Schools: Graduated from the high school at Cook

Date of death: Friday, August 11, 1950
Death details: On August 11, 1950, twenty members of Company B, 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, 24th Infantry Division, performed a reconnaissance patrol across the Naktong River to investigate North Korean forces near Chang-dong, South Korea. The patrol crossed to the west bank of the Naktong River, performed their reconnaissance, and were engaged by an enemy force of unknown strength. The patrol was still taking on heavy fire as they crossed the Naktong again to return from the mission, and only five members of the patrol ultimately made it back to friendly positions. Private First Class John Leonard Bolster entered the U.S. Army from Minnesota and was a member of Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Engineer Combat Battalion, 24th Infantry Division. He was a member of the August 11 patrol, and was last seen among those returning from enemy territory attempting to swim across the Naktong River. He was never reported to be a prisoner of war, and he was not identified among remains returned to U.S. custody after the ceasefire. Today, Private First Class Bolster 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, Post Bulletin (1954)

Church, Harold C.
Army Private

Harold C. Church, age 18, from Franklin County Columbus, Ohio .

Parents: Drew Church

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Friday, August 11, 1950
Death details: On August 11, 1950, twenty members of Company B, 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, 24th Infantry Division, performed a reconnaissance patrol across the Naktong River to investigate North Korean forces near Chang-dong, South Korea. The patrol crossed to the west bank of the Naktong River, performed their reconnaissance, and were engaged by an enemy force of unknown strength. The patrol was still taking on heavy fire as they crossed the Naktong again to return from the mission, and only five members of the patrol ultimately made it back to friendly positions. Private First Class Harold Curtis Church joined the U.S. Army from Ohio and was a member of B Company, 3rd Engineer Combat Battalion, 24th Infantry Division. He went missing while on this patrol near Chang-dong on August 11, 1950. PFC Church was never reported to be a prisoner of war, and he remains unaccounted-for the ceasefire. Today, Private First Class Church 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, UP (1950)

Dillion, Lahue Buford
Army Private 1st class

Lahue Buford Dillion, age 19, from San Francisco County San Francisco, California .

Parents: Mary Dillion

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Friday, August 11, 1950
Death details: On August 11, 1950, twenty members of Company B, 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, 24th Infantry Division, performed a reconnaissance patrol across the Naktong River to investigate North Korean forces near Chang-dong, South Korea. The patrol crossed to the west bank of the Naktong River, performed their reconnaissance, and were engaged by an enemy force of unknown strength. The patrol was still taking on heavy fire as they crossed the Naktong again to return from the mission, and only five members of the patrol ultimately made it back to friendly positions. Corporal Lahue Buford Dillion joined the U.S. Army from California and was a member of B Company, 3rd Engineer Combat Battalion, 24th Infantry Division. He was a member of this patrol near Chang-dong who went missing in action on August 11, 1950. He was never reported to be a prisoner of war, and he has not been identified among remains returned to U.S. custody after the ceasefire. Today, Corporal Dillion 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, San Francisco Examiner (1950)

Gresens, Rosslyn Edward
Army Corporal

Rosslyn Edward Gresens, age 32, from Aitkin County Hill City, Minnesota .

Parents: Edward Gresens

Service era: Korea
Military history: Silver Star

Date of death: Friday, August 11, 1950
Death details: The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency identified the remains of U.S. Army Sgt. Rosslyn Edward Gresens, missing from the Korean War on Feb. 28, 2025. Gresens entered the Army from Minnesota and served in B Company, 3rd Engineer Combat Battalion, 24th Infantry Division. On Aug. 11, 1950, twenty members of B Company conducted a reconnaissance patrol across the Naktong River to investigate North Korean activity near Chang-dong. After crossing to the west bank and completing their reconnaissance, the patrol came under heavy enemy fire and withdrew toward the river, sustaining severe losses. Only five men ultimately returned to friendly lines. Gresens was last seen in a rice paddy providing covering fire during the withdrawal. With no evidence of his continued survival, and no reports of imprisonment from repatriated prisoners of war, the U.S. Army issued a presumptive finding of death on Dec. 31, 1950. In December 1951, a team from the 565th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company recovered several sets of remains on the west side of the Naktong River, near the villages of Yon-dong and P’odu-ri. One set believed to be American was transferred to the United Nations Military Cemetery at Tanggok before being sent to the Central Identification Unit in Kokura, Japan, for analysis. The remains could not be identified and, in February 1956, were interred as an Unknown at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu. On July 7, 2021, as part of DPAA’s Korean War Disinterment Project, these remains were disinterred from the cemetery and accessioned into a DPAA Laboratory for analysis. There, scientists used modern forensic techniques to identify Gresens. He 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, D.C., which was updated in 2022 to include the names of the fallen.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Minneapolis Star (1950)

Heath, Edward Francis Jr.
Army Private 1st class

Edward Francis Jr. Heath, age 19, from Baltimore County Baltimore, Maryland .

Parents: Edward F. Heath Sr.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Friday, August 11, 1950
Death details: On August 11, 1950, twenty members of Company B, 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, 24th Infantry Division, performed a reconnaissance patrol across the Naktong River to investigate North Korean forces near Chang-dong, South Korea. The patrol crossed to the west bank of the Naktong River, performed their reconnaissance, and were engaged by an enemy force of unknown strength. The patrol was still taking on heavy fire as they crossed the Naktong again to return from the mission, and only five members of the patrol ultimately made it back to friendly positions. Corporal Edward Francis Heath Jr. joined the U.S. Army from Maryland and was a member of B Company, 3rd Engineer Combat Battalion, 24th Infantry Division. He was a member of the August 11 patrol near Chang-dong and he went missing after crossing the Naktong River. He was never reported to be a prisoner of war, and he remains unaccounted-for. Today, Corporal Heath 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, Evening Sun (1954)

Heaton, Robert Russell
Army Corporal

Robert Russell Heaton, age 24, from Loudon County Tennessee.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Friday, August 11, 1950
Death details: On August 11, 1950, twenty members of Company B, 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, 24th Infantry Division, performed a reconnaissance patrol across the Naktong River to investigate North Korean forces near Chang-dong, South Korea. The patrol crossed to the west bank of the Naktong River, performed their reconnaissance, and were engaged by an enemy force of unknown strength. The patrol was still taking on heavy fire as they crossed the Naktong again to return from the mission, and only five members of the patrol ultimately made it back to friendly positions. Sergeant Robert Russell Heaton joined the U.S. Army from Tennessee and was a member of Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Engineer Combat Battalion, 24th Infantry Division. He was a member of this patrol near Chang-dong on August 11, 1950. SGT Heaton was last seen operating a radio while at an observation post at Hill 332, when he was hit by enemy rifle fire and then fell into the Naktong River. His body could not be recovered at the time because the river’s current quickly pulled it out of view. He remains unaccounted-for. Today, Sergeant Heaton 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, Associated Press (1954)

Hill, George Thomas
Army Private 1st class

George Thomas Hill, age 18, from Los Angeles County California.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Friday, August 11, 1950
Death details: On July 9, 2025, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency identified the remains of U.S. Army Cpl. George Thomas Hill, missing from the Korean War. Hill entered the Army from California and was a member of B Company, 3rd Engineer Combat Battalion, 24th Infantry Division. On Aug. 11, 1950, he took part in a B Company reconnaissance patrol across the Naktong River to investigate North Korean forces near Chang-dong, South Korea. The patrol crossed to the west bank of the Naktong River, performed their reconnaissance, and were engaged by an enemy force of unknown strength. The patrol was still taking on heavy fire as they crossed the Naktong again to return from the mission, with only five members of the 20-person patrol ultimately made it back to friendly positions. Hill was among those who did not return. He was never reported to be a prisoner of war, and subsequent searches of the battlefield failed to recover his remains. With no evidence of his continued survival, the Army issued a presumptive finding of death as of Dec. 31, 1953. In July 2018, the DPAA proposed a plan to disinter 652 Korean War Unknowns, sets of remains recovered after the Korean War but unidentified at the time, from the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu. As part of Phase Three of this plan, in July 2021 DPAA personnel disinterred two Unknowns which had been recovered from the Naktong Bulge area of the Pusan Perimeter in 1951 and sent the sets of remains to a DPAA laboratory for analysis. There it was found that portions of each set belonged to one individual who, based on the forensic analysis and total circumstantial evidence, was identified as Hill. He 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, D.C., which was updated in 2022 to include the names of the fallen.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Stokum, Richard W.
Army Private 1st class

Richard W. Stokum, age 24, from Eddy County Carlsbad, New Mexico .

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Friday, August 11, 1950
Death details: On August 11, 1950, twenty members of Company B, 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, 24th Infantry Division, performed a reconnaissance patrol across the Naktong River to investigate North Korean forces near Chang-dong, South Korea. The patrol crossed to the west bank of the Naktong River, performed their reconnaissance, and were engaged by an enemy force of unknown strength. The patrol was still taking on heavy fire as they crossed the Naktong again to return from the mission, and only five members of the patrol ultimately made it back to friendly positions. Corporal Richard William Stokum joined the U.S. Army from New Mexico and was a member of B Company, 3rd Engineer Combat Battalion, 24th Infantry Division. He went missing in action during the patrol near Chang-dong on August 11. Corporal Stokum was never reported to be a prisoner of war, and he was not identified among remains returned to U.S. custody after the ceasefire. Today, Corporal Stokum 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, Albuquerque Journal (1950)

Back To Top