Chinese surprise attack 1950

Arendt, Stanley Paul
Army Private 1st Class

Stanley Paul Arendt, age 22, from Palatine, Illinois, Tazewell county.

Parents: Stanley Arendt
Spouse: Nelda
Children: Lamar, 3

Service era: Korea
Schools: Palatine High graduate

Date of death: Thursday, November 2, 1950
Death details: On February 5, 2010, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC, now DPAA) identified the remains of Corporal Stanley Paul Arendt, missing from the Korean War. Corporal Stanley Paul Arendt entered the U.S. Army from Illinois and served in Company L, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was captured in early November 1950 during the Battle of Unsan. Repatriated American POWs reported that CPL Arendt was in a group of soldiers that were executed by their captors near the battlefield. In 2004, a joint U.S. and North Korean team excavated a mass grave near the battlefield at Unsan and recovered the remains of the executed American service members. Analysts used modern forensic tools to identify CPL Arendt from among these remains.

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

Arnold, Beverly Idell
Army Captain

Beverly Idell Arnold, age 39, from Ventura, California, Monterey county.

Spouse: Panchita G. Arnold

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. Captain Beverly Idell Arnold, who joined the U.S. Army from California, was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. By midnight on November 1, 1950, CPT Arnold’s unit was forced to withdraw from the Unsan Area. The 3rd Battalion was the last to withdraw, and was subsequently surrounded and cut off from Allied forces. They formed a defensive perimeter and withstood attacks for the next few days before survivors either broke out to avoid capture or surrendered. Following the offensive, Captain Arnold suffered a severe leg wound while attempting to evade capture on November 4 or 5 when he was south of Unsan. He was not seen or heard from again by the other evaders, and attempts to locate him or identify his remains following the war were unsuccessful. Today, Captain Arnold is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, San Bernardino County Sun (1954)

Arwood, Recil Paul
Army Private 1st class

Recil Paul Arwood, age 20, from Duffield, Virginia, Scott county.

Parents: E.D. Arwood

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. Corporal Recil Paul Arwood, who joined the U.S. Army from Virginia, was a member of Battery C of the 99th Field Artillery Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 1, CPL Arwood was with Battery C positioned just south of Unsan in support of the 8th Cavalry units operating in the area. By midnight, the 8th Cavalry was ordered to retreat to Ipsok, North Korea, and the 99th Field Artillery was ordered to provide cover before withdrawing itself. However, as they withdrew along the road south from Unsan, CPL Arwood’s unit met several enemy roadblocks and were subsequently cut off from Allied forces. The unit formed a defense that withstood enemy attack for four days before being overrun. Corporal Arwood went missing on November 2 during this defensive, though specific details regarding his loss are unknown. He was never seen alive in enemy custody, and his remains were not recovered or identified following the war. Today, Corporal Arwood is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Kingsport Times (1953)

Bakie, Donald Linwood
Army Private 1st class

Donald Linwood Bakie, age 17, from Baltimore, Maryland, Baltimore county.

Parents: Evelyn M. Spicer

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. Corporal Donald L. Bakie, who joined the U.S. Army from Maryland, was a member of Company L, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. Throughout the day and into the late evening on November 1, Chinese forces conducted continued mortar, rocket, and heavy artillery attacks against the 8th Cavalry Regiment, in order to infiltrate lines and move into Unsan. In the early morning hours of November 2, the attack extended into the 3rd Battalion’s sector just south of Unsan and Corporal Bakie was reportedly captured during the course of this fighting. Prisoners from this battle were marched north to prison camps on the North Korean side of the Yalu River. Prisoners of war who survived captivity reported that CPL Bakie died at or near Pyoktong, the site of one of the main camps, due to malnutrition. Attempts to recover his remains since the close of war have been unsuccessful. Today, Corporal Bakie is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Baltimore Evening Sun (1950)

Balalong, Jose
Army Corporal

Jose Balalong, age 23, from Lihue, Hawaii.

Parents: Peter E. Arioli

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. Sergeant Jose Balalong, who joined the U.S. Army from Hawaii, was a member of Company C of the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, positioned to the northwest of Unsan. On November 1, 1950, Company C was part of a group of American units tasked with conducting combat operations against encroaching CCF in the Unsan area. The 8th Cavalry Regiment was ordered to withdraw after receiving intense rocket and mortar attacks and heavy infantry assaults. Company C was the last unit in the 1st Battalion to withdraw and was forced to fight its way through Unsan, which was by then thoroughly infiltrated with Chinese forces who unleashed intense small arms fire from rooftops and behind roadblocks. Sergeant Balalong went missing on November 2 during the course of this withdrawal from Unsan. His remains have not been recovered, and he could not be associated with any of the remains that North Korean officials returned to U.S. custody after the armistice. Today, Sergeant Balalong is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

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

Balanon Jr., Pastor
Army Private 1st class

Pastor Balanon Jr., age 22, from California, San Francisco county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Thursday, November 2, 1950
Death details: On November 16, 2006, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC, now DPAA) identified the remains of Corporal Pastor Balanon Jr., missing from the Korean War. Corporal Balanon entered the U.S. Army from California and served in Company L, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 1, 1950, the 8th Cavalry Regiment was rushed forward to reinforce allied Republic of Korea Forces at Unsan that had been attacked by Chinese Communist Forces. CPL Balanon was reported killed in action on November 2, during the Battle of Unsan and was buried nearby the town. In 2001, a joint U.S. and North Korean team excavated a burial site south of Unsan and recovered human remains. Forensic analysts were able to identify CPL Balanon from among these remains.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Barnett, Ivey Gene
Army Private

Ivey Gene Barnett from Arkansas, Ashley 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. Private First Class Ivey Gene Barnett, who joined the U.S. Army from Arkansas, was a member of Company E of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 1, 1950, the 8th Cavalry Regiment, initially tasked with conducting combat operations against encroaching CCF in the Unsan area, was ordered to withdraw after receiving intense rocket and mortar attacks and heavy infantry assaults. Company E of the 8th was forced to fight its way through Unsan, by then thoroughly infiltrated with Chinese forces, who attacked the U.S. forces with small arms fire from rooftops and behind roadblocks. Private First Class Barnett was taken prisoner during the Regiment’s withdrawal from the Unsan area. Prisoners from this battle were marched northwest to Sambakkol, then to Camp 5 located at Pyoktong on the Yalu River. Repatriated prisoners reported in 1953 that PFC Barnett died in February or March 1951 of malnutrition at Pyoktong. His name does not appear on POW reports, most likely because he was first reported to be a POW by injured POWs returning from captivity in April 1953. His remains have not been recovered, and he could not be associated with any of the remains that North Korean officials returned to U.S. custody after the armistice. Today, Private First Class Barnett is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Barry, Edward Merle
Army Corporal

Edward Merle Barry from Santa Monica, California, Los Angeles 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. Sergeant Edward Merle Barry, who joined the U.S. Army from California, was a member of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 99th Field Artillery Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 1, 1950, various 1st Cavalry Division units were engaged in defending offensive positions against encroaching CCF in the Unsan area when they were ordered to withdraw after receiving intense rocket and mortar attacks. Withdrawing troops fought their way through Unsan, which by then thoroughly was infiltrated with Chinese forces who engaged intense small arms fire from rooftops and behind roadblocks. On November 2, Sergeant Barry went missing while members of his unit were attempting to make it to Ipsok on foot. One of the POW returnees from this battle reported he had seen SGT Barry with a severe head wound on November 5, an hour before both were captured south of Unsan. Another former POW said SGT Barry was blinded and died soon after capture, so he may have been a POW for a short time. Sergeant Barry’s remains have not been recovered, and he could not be associated with any of the remains that North Korean officials returned to U.S. custody after the armistice. Today, Sergeant Barry is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Los Angeles Times (1950)

Bart, Davey Harvey
Army Private 1st class

Davey Harvey Bart from Houston, Texas, Harris county.

Parents: Standley L. Bart

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Thursday, November 2, 1950
Death details: On February 24, 2016, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) identified the remains of Corporal Davey Harvey Bart, missing from the Korean War. Corporal Bart joined the U.S. Army from Texas and was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On the night of November 1-2, 1951, Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) attacked U.S. and Republic of Korea forces near Unsan, North Korea, forcing a withdrawal to the south. CPL Bart was captured by enemy forces during the fighting withdrawal, and he died in captivity in March 1951. His remains were not immediately returned following the end of hostilities. In December 1993, the North Korean government repatriated a set of unidentified remains they had reportedly recovered from a prison camp in Pyoktong. In 2016, forensic analysis enabled CPL Bart to be identified from among these returned remains.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Fort Worth Star Telegram (1953)

Baylor, Stanley Earl
Army Corporal

Stanley Earl Baylor, age 21, from Perry, New York, Monroe county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Thursday, November 2, 1950
Death details: On December 17, 2008, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC, now DPAA) identified the remains of Sergeant Stanley Earl Baylor, missing from the Korean War. Sergeant Baylor entered the U.S. Army from New York and was a member of Company L, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 1, 1950, his company was occupying a defensive position near Unsan, North Korea, in an area known as the “Camel’s Head,” when Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) attacked. He was killed during the resulting action and his body was not recovered at the time. Between 1991 and 1994, the North Korea government repatriated remains of U.S. service members that were exhumed near Chonsung-Ri in Unsan County, correlating to the area of his loss; U.S. analysts used modern forensic techniques to eventually identify SGT Baylor among the remains recovered.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (1950)

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