District of Columbia District of Columbia

Taylor, James Robert
Army Private 1st class

James Robert Taylor, age 21, from District of Columbia.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Wednesday, October 15, 1952
Death details: On October 14, 1952, as part of Operation SHOWDOWN, members of the 2nd Battalion of the U.S. 31st Infantry Regiment launched an attack against Hill 598, part of the “Triangle Hill Complex” near Kumhwa, South Korea. As the units moved toward the hill, the men faced dug-in Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) positioned in holes and trenches, slowing their advance. As night fell, enemy mortar and artillery fire intensified, and CCF troops counterattacked in overwhelming force. The enemy’s initial assault was beaten back, but successive waves of CCF troops isolated and destroyed sections of the American defenses; in danger of being surrounded and nearly out of ammunition, the men of the 2nd Battalion were ordered to fall back. After regrouping on October 15, members of the 2nd Battalion attacked Hill 598 again and eventually secured it. During this attack, the 2nd Battalion’s Company F followed Company E to the hill’s crest before pushing out to “Pike’s Peak,” the next hill to the northwest, and then turning toward the east to seize “Sandy Ridge.” The 2nd Battalion again met a CCF counter-attack, which they beat back to secure the salient for that day. Twelve members of Company F and four members of Company E were reported killed or missing following this battle. Private First Class James Robert Taylor entered the U.S. Army from the District of Columbia and served in Company E, 2nd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was killed in action during the initial assault on Hill 598 on October 15, 1952, when enemy mortar fire struck the foxhole where he was taking cover. Private First Class Taylor’s body could not be recovered at the time of his loss. He was not identified among remains returned to U.S. custody following the war, and he is still unaccounted-for. Today, Private First Class Taylor is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives

Burgess, John D.
Army Sergeant 1st class

John D. Burgess from District of Columbia.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Wednesday, November 1, 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 John D. Burgess, who joined the U.S. Army from Washington, D.C., was a member of Company B of the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 1, 1950, Company B was in defensive positions with the 1st Battalion near Unsan when the Battalion was hit by a surprise enemy rocket and mortar attack along with infantry assaults and forced to withdraw. Sergeant First Class Burgess was reported killed in action as the battle went into the second day. His body could not be recovered following the incident as the enemy occupied the area. He was not identified among the remains that North Korean officials returned to U.S. custody after the ceasefire. Today, Sergeant First Class Burgess is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Harris, Warren Cameron
Marines

Warren Cameron Harris, age 20, from District of Columbia.

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Saturday, November 20, 1943

Source: Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Fugitt, Donald T.
Army Technician 5

Donald T. Fugitt from District of Columbia.

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Wednesday, August 12, 1942
Death details: Following the Allied surrender on the Bataan Peninsula on April 9, 1942, the Japanese began the forcible transfer of American and Filipino prisoners of war to various prison camps in central Luzon, at the northern end of the Philippines. The largest of these camps was the notorious Cabanatuan Prison Camp. At its peak, Cabanatuan held approximately 8,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war that were captured during and after the Fall of Bataan. Camp overcrowding worsened with the arrival of Allied prisoners who had surrendered from Corregidor on May 6, 1942. Conditions at the camp were poor and food and water supplied extremely limited, leading to widespread malnutrition and outbreaks of malaria and dysentery. By the time the camp was liberated in early 1945, approximately 2,800 Americans had died at Cabanatuan. Prisoners were forced to bury the dead in makeshift communal graves often completed without records or markers. As a result, identifying and recovering remains interred at Cabanatuan was difficult in the years after the war. Technician Fifth Grade Donald T. Fugitt entered the U.S. Army Air Forces from Washington, DC, and served with the 93rd Bombardment Squadron, 19th Bombardment Group, which was stationed at Clark Field on Luzon during the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. Following the Fall of Bataan, TEC5 Fugitt was taken prisoner by the Japanese and forced on the Bataan Death March before he was eventually interned in the Cabanatuan Prison Camp, where he died of dysentery on August 12, 1942. He was buried in a communal grave in the camp cemetery along with other deceased American POWs; however, his remains could not be associated with any remains recovered from Cabanatuan after the war. Today, Technician Fifth Grade Fugitt is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Sutphin, Irvin R.
Army 2nd lieutenant

Irvin R. Sutphin, age 48, from District of Columbia.

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Sunday, August 9, 1942
Death details: Following the Allied surrender on the Bataan Peninsula on April 9, 1942, the Japanese began the forcible transfer of American and Filipino prisoners of war to various prison camps in central Luzon, at the northern end of the Philippines. The largest of these camps was the notorious Cabanatuan Prison Camp. At its peak, Cabanatuan held approximately 8,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war that were captured during and after the Fall of Bataan. Camp overcrowding worsened with the arrival of Allied prisoners who had surrendered from Corregidor on May 6, 1942. Conditions at the camp were poor, with food and water extremely limited, leading to widespread malnutrition and outbreaks of malaria and dysentery. By the time the camp was liberated in early 1945, approximately 2,800 Americans had died at Cabanatuan. Prisoners were forced to bury the dead in makeshift communal graves, often completed without records or markers. As a result, identifying and recovering remains interred at Cabanatuan was difficult in the years after the war. Second Lieutenant Irvin R. Sutphin joined the U.S. Army from the District of Columbia and was a member of Company B, 31st Infantry Regiment in the Philippines during World War II. He was captured in Bataan following the American surrender on April 9, 1942, and died of malaria on August 9, 1942, at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp in Nueva Ecija Province. He was buried in a communal grave in the camp cemetery along with other deceased American POWs; however, his remains could not be associated with any remains recovered from Cabanatuan after the war. Today, Second Lieutenant Sutphin is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Beaver, Ernest A.
Army Private

Ernest A. Beaver from District of Columbia.

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Tuesday, July 14, 1942
Death details: Following the Allied surrender on the Bataan Peninsula on April 9, 1942, the Japanese began the forcible transfer of American and Filipino prisoners of war to various prison camps in central Luzon, at the northern end of the Philippines. The largest of these camps was the notorious Cabanatuan Prison Camp. At its peak, Cabanatuan held approximately 8,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war that were captured during and after the Fall of Bataan. Camp overcrowding worsened with the arrival of Allied prisoners who had surrendered from Corregidor on May 6, 1942. Conditions at the camp were poor and food and water supplied extremely limited, leading to widespread malnutrition and outbreaks of malaria and dysentery. By the time the camp was liberated in early 1945, approximately 2,800 Americans had died at Cabanatuan. Prisoners were forced to bury the dead in makeshift communal graves often completed without records or markers. As a result, identifying and recovering remains interred at Cabanatuan was difficult in the years after the war. Private Ernest A. Beaver joined the U.S. Army Air Forces from Canada and served in the 7th Material Squadron, 19th Bombardment Group in the Philippines during World War II. He was captured in Bataan following the American surrender and died of malaria on July 14, 1942, at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp in Nueva Ecija Province. He was buried in a communal grave in the camp cemetery along with other deceased American POWs; however, his remains could not be associated with any remains recovered from Cabanatuan after the war. Today, Private Beaver is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
Cemetery: Tablets of the Missing at Manila American

Source: National Archives, American Battle Monuments Commission, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Stover, Donald A.
Army Sergeant

Donald A. Stover from District of Columbia.

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Tuesday, July 14, 1942
Death details: Following the Allied surrender on the Bataan Peninsula on April 9, 1942, the Japanese began the forcible transfer of American and Filipino prisoners of war to various prison camps in central Luzon, at the northern end of the Philippines. The largest of these camps was the notorious Cabanatuan Prison Camp. At its peak, Cabanatuan held approximately 8,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war that were captured during and after the Fall of Bataan. Camp overcrowding worsened with the arrival of Allied prisoners who had surrendered from Corregidor on May 6, 1942. Conditions at the camp were poor, with food and water extremely limited, leading to widespread malnutrition and outbreaks of malaria and dysentery. By the time the camp was liberated in early 1945, approximately 2,800 Americans had died at Cabanatuan. Prisoners were forced to bury the dead in makeshift communal graves, often completed without records or markers. As a result, identifying and recovering remains interred at Cabanatuan was difficult in the years after the war. Sergeant Donald A. Stover joined the U.S. Army Air Forces from the District of Columbia and served with the 27th Material Squadron, 20th Airbase Group in the Philippines during World War II. He was captured following the Allied surrender and forced on the Bataan Death March. He was ultimately interned at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp in Nueva Ecija Province, where he died of dysentery and malaria on July 14, 1942. He was buried in a communal grave in the camp cemetery along with other deceased American POWs; however, his remains could not be associated with any remains recovered from Cabanatuan after the war. Today, Sergeant Stover is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Glass, Harry B.
Army 1st lieutenant

Harry B. Glass from District of Columbia.

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Sunday, July 12, 1942
Death details: Following the Allied surrender on the Bataan Peninsula on April 9, 1942, the Japanese began the forcible transfer of American and Filipino prisoners of war to various prison camps in central Luzon, at the northern end of the Philippines. The largest of these camps was the notorious Cabanatuan Prison Camp. At its peak, Cabanatuan held approximately 8,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war that were captured during and after the Fall of Bataan. Camp overcrowding worsened with the arrival of Allied prisoners who had surrendered from Corregidor on May 6, 1942. Conditions at the camp were poor, with food and water extremely limited, leading to widespread malnutrition and outbreaks of malaria and dysentery. By the time the camp was liberated in early 1945, approximately 2,800 Americans had died at Cabanatuan. Prisoners were forced to bury the dead in makeshift communal graves, often completed without records or markers. As a result, identifying and recovering remains interred at Cabanatuan was difficult in the years after the war. Second Lieutenant Harry B. Glass entered the U.S. Army from the District of Columbia and served with the Field Artillery in the Philippines during World War II. He was captured in Bataan following the American surrender on April 9, 1942, and died of cerebral malaria on July 12, 1942, at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp in Nueva Ecija Province. He was buried in a communal grave in the camp cemetery along with other deceased American POWs; however, his remains could not be associated with any remains recovered from Cabanatuan after the war. Today, Second Lieutenant Glass is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Barkley, Charles R.
Army Captain

Charles R. Barkley from District of Columbia.

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Thursday, June 11, 1942
Death details: Following the Allied surrender on the Bataan Peninsula on April 9, 1942, the Japanese began the forcible transfer of American and Filipino prisoners of war to various prison camps in central Luzon, at the northern end of the Philippines. The largest of these camps was the notorious Cabanatuan Prison Camp. At its peak, Cabanatuan held approximately 8,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war that were captured during and after the Fall of Bataan. Camp overcrowding worsened with the arrival of Allied prisoners who had surrendered from Corregidor on May 6, 1942. Conditions at the camp were poor and food and water supplied extremely limited, leading to widespread malnutrition and outbreaks of malaria and dysentery. By the time the camp was liberated in early 1945, approximately 2,800 Americans had died at Cabanatuan. Prisoners were forced to bury the dead in makeshift communal graves often completed without records or markers. As a result, identifying and recovering remains interred at Cabanatuan was difficult in the years after the war. Captain Charles R. Barkley entered the U.S. Army from the District of Columbia and was attached to Philippine Army’s 92nd Infantry Regiment, 91st Infantry Division during World War II. He was captured in Bataan following the American surrender and died of malaria on June 11, 1942, at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp in Nueva Ecija Province. He was buried in a communal grave in the camp cemetery along with other deceased American POWs; however, his remains could not be associated with any remains recovered from Cabanatuan after the war. Today, Captain Barkley is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

Source: National Archives, American Battle Monuments Commission, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Booth, Robert S.
Navy Ensign

Robert S. Booth, age 26, from District of Columbia.

Parents: Rober Sincliare Booth

Service era: World War II
Schools: Central High (1932), University of Maryland

Date of death: Sunday, December 7, 1941
Death details: Killed aboard the USS Arizona. Remains not recovered.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Evening Star (1941)

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