Tag: Georgia Georgia

Posted on

Hill, William Grady
Army Corporal

William Grady Hill, age 19, from Georgia, Stephens 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 William Grady Hill, who joined the U.S. Army from Georgia, served with I Company, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He went missing in action on December 3, 1950, near the village of Hagaru-ri, when the CCF attacked U.S. defensive lines around the town. No one saw him fall during the battle, and he was not reported to be a prisoner of war. After the war, his remains were not identified among those returned to U.S. custody. Today, Sergeant Hill is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Posted on

Brock, Wilborn Wesley
Army Private 1st class

Wilborn Wesley Brock, age 19, from Georgia, Spalding 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. Private First Class Wilborn Wesley Brock entered the U.S. Army from Georgia and served with M Company, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was killed in action at Hagaru-ri on December 3, 1950. Specific details regarding his loss are unknown, and due to battlefield conditions, he was not recovered at the time he fell. His remains have not been identified among those later returned to U.S. custody, and he remains unaccounted for. Today, Private First Class Brock is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Posted on

Wilson, James Robert
Army Private

James Robert Wilson, age 20, from Georgia, DeKalb 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. Corporal James Robert Wilson joined the U.S. Army from Georgia and was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 1, 1950, Company C was in defensive positions with the 1st Battalion near Unsan when it was hit by a severe enemy attack and forced to withdraw. Units faced continued enemy attacks during the withdrawal, and CPL Wilson went missing at some point during these actions, though specific details regarding his loss are unknown. He was never reported as a confirmed prisoner of war, and his remains were not identified among those returned to the U.S. following the war. Today, Corporal Wilson is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Posted on

Wilson, Silas Wafray
Army Sergeant 1st class

Silas Wafray Wilson, age 31, from Georgia, Muscogee county.

Spouse: Lena Wilson
Children: Phillip, 9; Marie, 4

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Thursday, November 2, 1950
Death details: On December 9, 2009, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC, now DPAA) identified the remains of Master Sergeant Silas Wafray Wilson, missing from the Korean War. Master Sergeant Wilson entered the U.S. Army from Georgia and served with Company M, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 2, 1950, members of Company M were occupying a defensive position near Unsan, North Korea, north of a bend in the Kuryong River known as the “Camel’s Head Bend.” That day, elements of the Chinese Communist Forces struck the 1st Cavalry Division’s lines, collapsing the perimeter and forcing a withdrawal. In late November 1950, a U.S. soldier who was captured during the battle of Unsan and later released reported that he witnessed MSG Wilson taken to a field where he was shot by his captors and buried nearby. He provided detailed information on the incident location and in May 2004, a joint U.S./North Korean team excavated a mass grave at this location and recovered human remains and other personal artifacts, ultimately leading to the identification of MSG Wilson.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Decatur Daily (1954)

Posted on

Thrailkill, Chester Tim
Army Sergeant

Chester Tim Thrailkill, age 19, from Georgia, Fulton 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 Chester Tim Thrailkill joined the U.S. Army from Georgia and was a member of Company E of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 2, 1950, Company E was in defensive positions with the 2nd Battalion near Unsan, when it was nearly surrounded by the CCF, came under heavy fire, and was forced to withdraw. Sergeant Thrailkill was captured during the withdrawal from the Unsan area. His group was marched, along with other 8th Cavalry prisoners of war (POW), to Camp 5 at Pyoktong on the Yalu River. Two POWs who were released by the Chinese three weeks after the battle mentioned Sergeant Thrailkill died of wounds while still in the Unsan battle area on November 12, 1950. He has not been identified among any remains returned to U.S. custody after the ceasefire. Today, Sergeant Thrailkill is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives

Posted on

Rivers, John Ezekiel
Army Private 1st class

John Ezekiel Rivers from Georgia, Chatham 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. Corporal John Ezekiel Rivers, who joined the U.S. Army from Georgia, was a member of Company B, 2nd Chemical Mortar Battalion. His unit was supporting other U.S. forces in the vicinity of Unsan. After midnight on November 1, 1950, U.S. units in the area were ordered to withdraw to avoid encirclement by the enemy. CCF roadblocks and constant small arms fire led to heavy casualties among the withdrawing men. Corporal Rivers was captured by enemy forces during the battle, and was taken to Camp 5, a prisoner of war camp in Pyoktong, North Korea, where he died on February 24, 1951. His remains have not been recovered or identified among those returned to U.S. custody after the war. Today, Corporal Rivers is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Columbus Ledger (1953)

Posted on

Ennis, William Cook
Army Sergeant 1st class

William Cook Ennis, age 32, from Georgia, Muscogee 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 William C. Ennis, who joined the U.S. Army from Georgia, was a member of Company A of the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 2, 1950, Company A was occupying defensive positions with 1st Battalion near Unsan, when it came under intense rocket and mortar attack along with infantry assaults and was forced to withdraw. Master Sergeant Ennis was reported 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, Master Sergeant Ennis is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Posted on

Coleman, Charles Lafayette
Army Private 1st class

Charles Lafayette Coleman, age 21, from Georgia, Towns 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. Corporal Charles Lafayette Coleman, who joined the U.S. Army from Georgia, was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. By midnight on November 1, the 8th Cavalry Regiment was forced to withdraw from Unsan to Ipsok to avoid encirclement by the enemy. The CCF had set up several road blocks on the road leaving Unsan, which the withdrawing men had to fight through to reach the assembly area in Ipsok. As the CCF tightened their grip on the road, many soldiers took to the surrounding hills to escape. Corporal Coleman went missing in action during the moving battle. He was never reported as a prisoner of war, and he remains unaccounted for. Today, Corporal Coleman is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Based on all information available, DPAA assessed the individual’s case to be in the analytical category of Deferred.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Posted on

Akins, William Thomas
Army Sergeant

William Thomas Akins, age 22, from Georgia, DeKalb county.

Parents: Mary Elizabeth Akins
Children: Marianne

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Thursday, November 2, 1950
Death details: On May 7, 2008, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC, now DPAA) identified the remains of Sergeant First Class W. T. Akins, missing from the Korean War. Sergeant First Class W. T. Akins entered the U.S. Army from Georgia and served in the Medical Company, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 1, 1950, the 1st Cavalry Division was rushed forward to reinforce allied Republic of Korea Forces at Unsan that had been attacked by Chinese Communist Forces. SFC Akins was reported missing on November 2, 1950, following the Battle of Unsan, though the exact details surrounding his loss are unknown. In 2006, the North Korean government turned over to U.S. custody several boxes that contained the remains of American service members, and SFC Akins was eventually identified from among them.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Atlanta Counstitution (2008)

Posted on

Warren, Everett
Army Private 1st class

Everett Warren from Georgia, Terrell county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Sunday, July 16, 1950
Death details: On the evening of July 15, 1950, the U.S. Army’s 19th Infantry Regiment held defensive positions along the south bank of the Kum River. As dusk approached, North Korean People’s Army (NKPA) tanks appeared on the opposite shore and began firing on the U.S. positions. Although U.S. troops repulsed the attacks that evening, the next morning the NKPA crossed the river and launched a major attack against the 19th Regiment. As the regiment began withdrawing south to Taejon, the North Koreans pushed deep into their defensive lines and set up a roadblock en route to Taejon. When retreating American convoys could not break through the roadblock, soldiers were forced to leave the road and attempt to make their way in small groups across the countryside. Of the 900 soldiers in the 19th Infantry when the Battle of Kum River started, only 434 made it to friendly lines. Corporal Everett Warren entered the U.S. Army from Georgia and served with Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was captured on the morning of July 16, 1950, during the Battle of Kum River. Reportedly, CPL Warren was among the prisoners forced to take part in the infamous “Tiger March” from Manpo to the so-called Apex Camps. However, on October 31, CPL Warren died of exhaustion and illness at a temporary camp known as the “Cornfield Site” along the march route just outside Manpo. Circumstances surrounding his burial are unknown, and he has not been identified among the remains returned to U.S. custody after the war. Today, Corporal Warren is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency