Chosin Reservoir attack 1950

Jones, Melber Jack
Army Corporal

Melber Jack Jones, age 29, from Arkansas, Little River county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Sunday, December 3, 1950
Death details: On the evening of November 27, 1950, Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) launched a massive attack against the U.S. and United Nations (UN) troops stationed in the Chosin Reservoir area in north-east North Korea. The resulting seventeen-day conflict became known as the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. At the time of the initial CCF attack, members of the U.S. Army’s 31st and 32nd Infantry Regiments were defending the area north of Sinhung-ni, on the east side of the reservoir. The defenders were overwhelmed by the numerically superior CCF, and on December 1 were forced to withdraw to friendly lines at Hagaru-ri. Many men were lost or captured during the withdraw, with survivors reaching friendly lines in Hagaru-ri on December 2 and 3. Once at Hagaru-ri, the survivors of the withdrawal manned a section of the perimeter near East Hill, a strong defensive position overlooking the town. On the night of December 3, the Chinese attacked the Hagaru-ri perimeter and overwhelmed the defenders there. Many Americans were killed or went missing during these actions. Sergeant Melber Jack Jones, who joined the U.S. Army from Arizona, was a member of I Company, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He survived the fighting withdrawal from the East side of the Chosin Reservoir but was reported missing in action while manning a section of the Hagaru-ri perimeter near the base of East Hill on December 3. He was never reported as a prisoner of war, and he was not identified among remains returned to U.S. custody following the end of hostilities. Today, Sergeant Jones is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Morris, Tom Jefferson
Army Corporal

Tom Jefferson Morris, age 19, from Colorado, Delta county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Saturday, December 2, 1950
Death details: On the evening of November 27, 1950, Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) launched a massive attack against the U.S. and United Nations (UN) troops stationed in the Chosin Reservoir area in north-east North Korea. The resulting seventeen-day conflict became known as the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. At the time of the initial CCF attack, members of the U.S. Army’s 31st and 32nd Infantry Regiments were defending the area north of Sinhung-ni, on the east side of the reservoir. The defenders were overwhelmed by the numerically superior CCF, and on December 1 were forced to withdraw to friendly lines at Hagaru-ri. Many men were lost or captured during the withdraw, with survivors reaching friendly lines in Hagaru-ri on December 2 and 3. Once at Hagaru-ri, the survivors of the withdrawal manned a section of the perimeter near East Hill, a strong defensive position overlooking the town. On the night of December 3, the Chinese attacked the Hagaru-ri perimeter and overwhelmed the defenders there. Many Americans were killed or went missing during these actions. Sergeant Tom Jefferson Morris, who joined the U.S. Army from Colorado, was a member of I Company, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. On December 2, 1950, he was captured by the CCF during the fighting withdrawal to Hagaru-ri. A surviving prisoner reported that SGT Morris died soon after his capture in the Chosin Reservoir area. He was not identified among remains returned to U.S. custody following the end of hostilities. Today, Sergeant Morris is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Knight, Harold Kenneth
Army Private 1st Class

Harold Kenneth Knight, age 20, from Erie, Pennsylvania, Erie county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Saturday, December 2, 1950
Death details: On August 27, 2019, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) identified the remains of Private First Class Harold Kenneth Knight, missing from the Korean War. Private First Class Knight entered the U.S. Army from Pennsylvania and served in Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 31st Infantry Regiment, which was part of the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT-31) during the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. PFC Knight went missing on December 2, 1950, during RCT-31’s withdrawal down the east side of the reservoir toward the town of Haguru-ri. PFC Knight died at some time following his disappearance, but the details of his loss are unknown. In 2018, the North Korean government repatriated 55 boxes containing the remains of American service members lost during the Korean War. One box contained remains recovered from the east side of the Chosin Reservoir, which made an association with PFC Knight feasible. DPAA analysts were able to use laboratory analysis and circumstantial evidence to identify PFC Knight from among the repatriated remains.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Colasanti, James Albert
Army Private 1st Class

James Albert Colasanti, age 19, from New York, Onondaga county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Friday, December 1, 1950
Death details: On the evening of November 27, 1950, Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) launched a massive attack against the U.S. and United Nations (UN) troops stationed in the Chosin Reservoir area in north-east North Korea. The resulting seventeen-day conflict became known as the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. At the time of the initial CCF attack, members of the U.S. Army’s 31st and 32nd Infantry Regiments were defending the area north of Sinhung-ni, on the east side of the reservoir. The defenders were overwhelmed by the numerically superior CCF, and on December 1 were forced to withdraw to friendly lines at Hagaru-ri. Many men were lost or captured during the withdraw, with survivors reaching friendly lines in Hagaru-ri on December 2 and 3. Once at Hagaru-ri, the survivors of the withdrawal manned a section of the perimeter near East Hill, a strong defensive position overlooking the town. On the night of December 3, the Chinese attacked the Hagaru-ri perimeter and overwhelmed the defenders there. Many Americans were killed or went missing during these actions. Corporal James Albert Colasanti, who joined the U.S. Army from New York, was a member of I Company, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. After some initial confusion regarding his status and date of loss, the Army declared him killed in action on December 1, 1950, during the moving battle from Sinhung-ni to Hagaru-ri. Specific details surrounding his loss are unknown, and he remains unaccounted for. Today, Corporal Colasanti is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Dill, Paul Nesbit
Army 1st lieutenant

Paul Nesbit Dill, age 34, from Delaware, New Castle county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Monday, February 13, 1950
Death details: On the evening of November 27, 1950, Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) launched a massive attack against the U.S. and United Nations (UN) troops stationed in the Chosin Reservoir area in north-east North Korea. The resulting seventeen-day conflict became known as the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. At the time of the initial CCF attack, members of the U.S. Army’s 31st and 32nd Infantry Regiments were defending the area north of Sinhung-ni, on the east side of the reservoir. The defenders were overwhelmed by the numerically superior CCF, and on December 1 were forced to withdraw to friendly lines at Hagaru-ri. Many men were lost or captured during the withdraw, with survivors reaching friendly lines in Hagaru-ri on December 2 and 3. Once at Hagaru-ri, the survivors of the withdrawal manned a section of the perimeter near East Hill, a strong defensive position overlooking the town. On the night of December 3, the Chinese attacked the Hagaru-ri perimeter and overwhelmed the defenders there. Many Americans were killed or went missing during these actions. Captain Paul Nesbit Dill, who joined the U.S. Army from Delaware, was a member of M Company, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was wounded by enemy machine gun fire on November 29, as his unit defended the eastern side of the Chosin Reservoir. As the 31st Infantry Regiment began its fighting withdrawal to Hagaru-ri, CPT Dill, along with other wounded men, was loaded on to a truck. Enemy roadblocks prevented many vehicles from reaching Hagaru-ri, and CPT Dill went missing at some point during the fighting withdrawal. He was never reported as a prisoner of war, and he remains unaccounted for. Today, Captain Dill 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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