Tag: Chinese surprise attack 1950

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Bryan, Richard Alvin
Army Private 1st class

Richard Alvin Bryan, age 18, from Norfolk, Virginia, Norfolk county.

Parents: George S. Bryan (preceded in death) and Gatewood T. Bryan

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Saturday, June 30, 1951
Death details: During the last week of October 1950, Republic of Korea (ROK) Army forces under the control of the U.S. Eighth Army were advancing deep in North Korean territory, approaching the Yalu River on the Chinese-Korean border. Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) struck back in a surprise attack, engaging the ROK 1st and 6th Divisions near Unsan, some sixty miles north of Pyongyang. The U.S. 1st Cavalry Division, with the 8th Cavalry Regiment in the lead, was rushed forward to reinforce the ROK units in the Unsan area. On November 1, the regiment’s 1st Battalion took up positions north of Unsan, while the 2nd Battalion moved to guard the Nammyon River valley west of town, and the 3rd Battalion was placed in reserve at the valley’s southern end. Corporal Richard A. Bryan, who joined the U.S. Army from Virginia, was a member of Company G of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 1, 1950, Company G was located west of Unsan with the 2nd Battalion when it came under intense rocket and mortar attack along with assaults from Chinese infantry. It was during these attacks that CPL Bryan went missing in combat. It was found out later from Prisoner of War (POW) repatriates returned after the ceasefire that he was taken prisoner and died in POW Camp 5 at Pyoktong. He was not identified among remains that North Korean officials returned to U.S. custody after the ceasefire. Today, Corporal Bryan is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. His mother received the following letter from the Army: Information has been received from a recently repatriated soldier, who knew your son in a prison camp in North Korea, that your son died early in 1951, in Camp No. 5, Pyoktong, Korea, of the effects of malnutrition and disease. As the date of his death is not definitely known, it is determined to be June 30, 1951, because that is the latest date on which he can have been alive.”

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Norfolk Virginian Pilot (1953)

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Kapaun, Emil Joseph
Army Captain

Emil Joseph Kapaun, 35 from Pilsen Kansas, Marion county.

Parents: Enos Kapaun

Service era: Korea

Date of death: May 23, 1951
Death details: The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced that Kapaun, of Pilsen, Kansas, who died as a prisoner of war during the Korean War, was accounted for March 2, 2021.

After serving in World War II, Kapaun returned to active duty in the U.S. Army and served in the Korean War with the 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 2, 1950, his unit was near Unsan when they came under heavy fire from Chinese forces and received orders to withdraw. Approximately a quarter of the unit’s soldiers made their way back to friendly lines. The others, including many wounded soldiers, became trapped. Kapaun volunteered to stay with the wounded, and was soon captured and taken to a Chinese-run prison camp on the Yalu River’s south bank known as Camp 5.
Even after he became gravely ill, Kapaun continued to serve as a spiritual leader for his fellow prisoners, encouraging them to faithfully await their release and regularly defying his captors to bolster the collective morale of the POWs. Due to prolonged malnutrition, he died on May 23, 1951, after which the other POWs buried him in one of the camp’s cemeteries.
As part of the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement, Kapaun’s remains were among the 1,868 who were returned to U.S. custody, but they were not able to be identified. At a White House ceremony on April 11, 2013, President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Kapaun the Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism and selflessness.
In 1993, Pope John Paul II declared Kapaun a Servant of God, the first stage toward possible canonization, which is the culmination of the Roman Catholic Church’s recognition of a deceased person as a saint.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Wichita Eagle (1955)

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Harkness, Harry Edward
Army Sergeant

Harry Edward Harkness from Rhode Island, Washington county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: April 30, 1951
Death details: On September 5, 2017, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) identified the remains of Sergeant First Class Harry Edward Harkness, missing from the Korean War. Sergeant First Class Harkness entered the U.S. Army from Rhode Island and served with Company L, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 2, 1950, he was taken as a prisoner of war (POW) during combat between the 8th Cavalry Regiment and Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) near Unsan, North Korea. Following his capture, he was eventually interned at POW Camp 5 at Pyoktong, where he died of dysentery and malnutrition on or before April 30, 1951. In 1993, the North Korean government repatriated human remains from the POW Camp 5 site, and U.S. analysts eventually identified SFC Harkness among these remains.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

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Cox, Clarence Vernon
Army Sergeant

Clarence Vernon Cox, age 21, from Elwood, Indiana, Madison county.

Parents: Lydia E. Cox

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Friday, November 10, 1950
Death details: During the last week of October 1950, Republic of Korea (ROK) Army forces under the control of the U.S. Eighth Army were advancing deep in North Korean territory, approaching the Yalu River on the Chinese-Korean border. Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) struck back in a surprise attack, engaging the ROK 1st and 6th Divisions near Unsan, some sixty miles north of Pyongyang. The U.S. 1st Cavalry Division, with the 8th Cavalry Regiment in the lead, was rushed forward to reinforce the ROK units in the Unsan area. On November 1, the regiment’s 1st Battalion took up positions north of Unsan, while the 2nd Battalion moved to guard the Nammyon River valley west of town, and the 3rd Battalion was placed in reserve at the valley’s southern end. Sergeant First Class Clarence Vernon Cox Jr., who joined the U.S. Army from Indiana, was a member of Company G of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 1, 1950, Company G was occupying defensive positions with the 2nd Battalion near Unsan when the Battalion came under intense rocket and mortar fire accompanied by infantry assaults and was forced to withdraw. Sergeant First Class Cox went missing during the withdrawal, though specific details regarding his loss are unknown. He was never reported as a prisoner of war, and his remains were not identified among those returned to the U.S. following the war. Today, Sergeant First Class Cox is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Indianapolis News (1950)

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DeCosta, Salvatore
Army Sergeant 1st class

Salvatore DeCosta, age 17, from Newark, New Jersey, Essex county.

Parents: Mildred Decosta

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Wednesday, November 8, 1950
Death details: During the last week of October 1950, Republic of Korea (ROK) Army forces under the control of the U.S. Eighth Army were advancing deep in North Korean territory, approaching the Yalu River on the Chinese-Korean border. Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) struck back in a surprise attack, engaging the ROK 1st and 6th Divisions near Unsan, some sixty miles north of Pyongyang. The U.S. 1st Cavalry Division, with the 8th Cavalry Regiment in the lead, was rushed forward to reinforce the ROK units in the Unsan area. On November 1, the regiment’s 1st Battalion took up positions north of Unsan, while the 2nd Battalion moved to guard the Nammyon River valley west of town, and the 3rd Battalion was placed in reserve at the valley’s southern end. Master Sergeant Salvatore DeCosta, who joined the U.S. Army from New Jersey, was a member of Company I of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 2, 1950, members of Company I were occupying defensive positions with the 3rd Battalion near Unsan when they received orders to withdraw. The units faced enemy fire as they withdrew, and MSG DeCosta was wounded during the action and eventually captured. After the war, surviving prisoners reported that they witnessed MSG DeCosta’s death a few days after his capture while on a march to Prison Camp 5 near Pyoktong; however, other returnees reported that they heard that MSG DeCosta had died at Unsan. Master Sergeant DeCosta’s remains were not recovered and he was not identified among remains returned to U.S. custody after the ceasefire. Today, Master Sergeant DeCosta is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Passaic Herald News (1953)

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Abele, Francis Howard
Army Sergeant

Francis Howard Abele, age 27, from New Haven, Connecticut, New Haven county.

Parents: Harry Abele

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Sunday, November 5, 1950
Death details: During the last week of October 1950, Republic of Korea (ROK) Army forces under the control of the U.S. Eighth Army were advancing deep in North Korean territory, approaching the Yalu River on the Chinese-Korean border. Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) struck back in a surprise attack, engaging the ROK 1st and 6th Divisions near Unsan, some sixty miles north of Pyongyang. The U.S. 1st Cavalry Division, with the 8th Cavalry Regiment in the lead, was rushed forward to reinforce the ROK units in the Unsan area. On November 1, the regiment’s 1st Battalion took up positions north of Unsan, while the 2nd Battalion moved to guard the Nammyon River valley west of town, and the 3rd Battalion was placed in reserve at the valley’s southern end. Sergeant First Class Francis Howard Abele entered the U.S. Army from Connecticut and served in Company E, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was killed in action southeast of Unsan, North Korea, on November 5, 1950, as his unit fought off encroaching CCF. His remains have not been recovered or identified, and he remains unaccounted-for. Today, Sergeant First Class Abele is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Meriden Journal (1950)

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Torres, Elias Eli
Army Corporal

Elias Eli Torres, age 19, from Guadalupita, New Mexico, Mora county.

Parents: Luisita Torres

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Sunday, November 5, 1950
Death details: During the last week of October 1950, Republic of Korea (ROK) Army forces under the control of the U.S. Eighth Army were advancing deep in North Korean territory, approaching the Yalu River on the Chinese-Korean border. Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) struck back in a surprise attack, engaging the ROK 1st and 6th Divisions near Unsan, some sixty miles north of Pyongyang. The U.S. 1st Cavalry Division, with the 8th Cavalry Regiment in the lead, was rushed forward to reinforce the ROK units in the Unsan area. On November 1, the regiment’s 1st Battalion took up positions north of Unsan, while the 2nd Battalion moved to guard the Nammyon River valley west of town, and the 3rd Battalion was placed in reserve at the valley’s southern end. Corporal Elias Eli Torres entered the U.S. Army from New Mexico and was a member of E Company of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 5, 1950, E Company was in defensive positions with the 2nd Battalion near Unsan when it was nearly surrounded by the CCF, came under heavy attack, and was forced to withdraw. Withdrawing to the south, the battalions took heavy casualties as they fought through Chinese roadblocks in Unsan and on the Unsan-Ipsok road. It was during this withdrawal combat when CPL Torres received a massive chest wound. His life could not be saved, and the chaotic nature if the fighting prevented the recovery of his remains. After the close of the war, survivors of this incident affirmed witnessing CPL Torres’ death. He has not been identified among any remains returned to U.S. custody after the ceasefire. Today, Corporal Torres is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, National Archives, Albuquerque Tribune (1950)

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McDaniel, Charles Hobart
Army Sergeant 1st class

Charles Hobart McDaniel from Indiana, Jennings county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Thursday, November 2, 1950
Death details: On September 12, 2018, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) identified the remains of Master Sergeant Charles Hobert McDaniel, missing from the Korean War.

Master Sergeant McDaniel, who entered the U.S. Army from Indiana, was a member of the Medical Company, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Battalion. In 1950, his unit was positioned near Unsan, North Korea, when they came under attack from Chinese Communist Forces (CCF). MSG McDaniel was initially reported missing following this action but was never seen alive in enemy hands. On July 27, 2018, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea returned fifty-five boxes reportedly containing the remains of U.S. service members killed during the Korean War. These remains were accessioned into the DPAA laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, and MSG McDaniel was individually identified from among them.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

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Smith, Clarence D.
Army Sergeant 1st class

Clarence D. Smith from New Jersey, Bergen county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Thursday, November 2, 1950
Death details: 

During the last week of October 1950, Republic of Korea (ROK) Army forces under the control of the U.S. Eighth Army were advancing deep in North Korean territory, approaching the Yalu River on the Chinese-Korean border. Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) struck back in a surprise attack, engaging the ROK 1st and 6th Divisions near Unsan, some sixty miles north of Pyongyang. The U.S. 1st Cavalry Division, with the 8th Cavalry Regiment in the lead, was rushed forward to reinforce the ROK units in the Unsan area. On November 1, the regiment’s 1st Battalion took up positions north of Unsan, while the 2nd Battalion moved to guard the Nammyon River valley west of town, and the 3rd Battalion was placed in reserve at the valley’s southern end.

Master Sergeant Clarence Denis Smith, who joined the U.S. Army from New Jersey, was a member of Battery C, 99th Field Artillery Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 1, 1950, Battery C was positioned just south of Unsan to provide support to the 8th Cavalry units positioned in the area. By midnight, the 8th Cavalry was ordered to retreat to Ipsok, North Korea, to avoid encirclement. The 99th Field Artillery was ordered to provide cover before withdrawing itself. Several members of Battery C and the 3rd Battalion were caught behind enemy roadblocks on the road south from Unsan. They formed a defensive that withstood enemy attack for several days before being overrun. A returning prisoner of war reported that MSG Smith Was killed in action by a mortar shell during the moving battle on November 2. His remains have not been recovered or identified among those returned to U.S. custody after the war. Today, Master Sergeant Smith is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

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Ackley, Philip Warren
Army Private

Philip Warren Ackley, age 35, from Hillsboro, New Hampshire, Hillsborough county.

Parents: Lela Ackley and the late Fred R. Ackley

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Thursday, November 2, 1950
Death details: During the last week of October 1950, Republic of Korea (ROK) Army forces under the control of the U.S. Eighth Army were advancing deep in North Korean territory, approaching the Yalu River on the Chinese-Korean border. Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) struck back in a surprise attack, engaging the ROK 1st and 6th Divisions near Unsan, some sixty miles north of Pyongyang. The U.S. 1st Cavalry Division, with the 8th Cavalry Regiment in the lead, was rushed forward to reinforce the ROK units in the Unsan area. On November 1, the regiment’s 1st Battalion took up positions north of Unsan, while the 2nd Battalion moved to guard the Nammyon River valley west of town, and the 3rd Battalion was placed in reserve at the valley’s southern end. Private First Class Philip W. Ackley, who entered the U.S. Army from New Hampshire, was a member of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 2, 1950, members of the 3rd Battalion, including Company I, were positioned overlooking the Nammyon River valley, south of Unsan. That day, the CCF used intense rocket fire to infiltrate ROK lines and move into Unsan. Because of the quickly developing danger, members of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battalions were ordered to withdraw. The 3rd Battalion was the last unit to attempt its escape, and became surrounded by the enemy. The isolated units built a defense perimeter, and attempted to hold out against the CCF. The battalion withstood several attacks for a few more days before its members broke out or surrendered. It appears that PFC Ackley was killed in action during this fighting; however, no witness accounts of his loss were available. No recovered remains have been attributed to PFC Ackley, other than a set of dog tags bearing his name. Today, Private First Class Ackley is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Nashua Telegraph (1950)