John Joseph Jr. Farnsworth, age 19, from Frackville, Pennsylvania, Schuylkill county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Friday, November 13, 1970
Death details: Hostile, killed in South Vietnam.
Source: National Archives, Pottsville Republican and Herald (1970)
John Joseph Dzienis from Schuylkill County Frackville, Pennsylvania .
Parents: Mary Rose Dzienis
Service era: Korea
Schools: Frackville High graduate
Date of death: Wednesday, January 24, 1951
Death details: By mid-November 1950, U.S. and Allied forces had advanced to within approximately sixty miles of the Yalu River, the border between North Korea and China. On November 25, approximately 300,000 Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) “volunteers” suddenly and fiercely counterattacked after crossing the Yalu. The 2nd Infantry Division, located the farthest north of units at the Chongchon River, could not halt the CCF advance and was ordered to withdraw to defensive positions at Sunchon in the South Pyongan province of North Korea. As the division pulled back from Kunu-ri toward Sunchon, it conducted an intense rearguard action while fighting to break through well-defended roadblocks set up by CCF infiltrators. The withdrawal was not complete until December 1, and the 2nd Infantry Division suffered extremely heavy casualties in the process. Corporal John Joseph Dzienis, who joined the U.S. Army from Pennsylvania, served with the Headquarters and Service Company, 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He was captured by enemy forces on December 1, 1950, during his unit’s withdrawal from Kunu-ri to Sunchon, and was marched with a large group of prisoners to the Pukchin-Tarigol Valley. He died of pneumonia at Pukchin-Tarigol on January 24, 1951, while under the care of a captured Army doctor. His remains have not been recovered. Corporal Dzienis is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Associated Press (1954), Pottsville Republican and Herald (1953)
Michael Robert Tatar, age 21, from Schuylkill County Frackville, Pennsylvania .
Parents: Louise Tatar
Service era: Korea
Date of death: Unknown
Death details: By mid-November 1950, U.S. and Allied forces had advanced to within approximately sixty miles of the Yalu River, the border between North Korea and China. On November 25, approximately 300,000 Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) “volunteers” suddenly and fiercely counterattacked after crossing the Yalu. The 2nd Infantry Division, located the farthest north of units at the Chongchon River, could not halt the CCF advance and was ordered to withdraw to defensive positions at Sunchon in the South Pyongan province of North Korea. As the division pulled back from Kunu-ri toward Sunchon, it conducted an intense rearguard action while fighting to break through well-defended roadblocks set up by CCF infiltrators. The withdrawal was not complete until December 1, and the 2nd Infantry Division suffered extremely heavy casualties in the process. Private First Class Michael Robert Tatar, who joined the U.S. Army from Pennsylvania, served with Headquarters, Headquarters and Service Company of the 2nd Engineer Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He was captured by enemy forces on November 30, 1950, as his unit was withdrawing from Kunu-ri to Sunchon. He was marched north with other prisoners of war to Camp 5, Pyoktong, North Korea. Private First Class Tatar died from pneumonia at an unspecified date a few weeks after arriving at Camp 5 and he was buried at the camp. His remains have not been recovered. Private First Class Tatar is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Record American (1953)