Tag: Hill 448 & 449

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McDonnell, John Michael
Army Corporal

John Michael McDonnell, age 22, from Pennsylvania, Philadelphia county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Tuesday, September 4, 1951
Death details: On September 3, 1950, the 8th Cavalry Regiment and the 2nd Engineer Battalion, both elements of the 1st Cavalry Division, were holding a defensive line between Tabu-dong and Taegu at the upper end of the Naktong Perimeter. Company F of the 8th Cavalry, defending Hill 448, was attacked by elements of North Korea’s 13th Infantry Division and forced to retreat to Hill 449, defended by Company G of the 8th Cavalry. The 8th Cavalry Regiment found itself cut off from its supply train and withdrew from the area to keep from being surrounded by the enemy. Upon reaching the village of Tabu-dong, members of Companies D and E of the 8th Cavalry became involved in hut-to-hut fighting before they could retreat. Meanwhile, elements of the 2nd Engineer Battalion, which had been ordered to take and hold Hill 755, were also forced to withdraw. United States forces did not re-take this territory until September 21, 1950. Sergeant First Class John Michael McDonnell, who joined the U.S. Army from Pennsylvania, served with D Company, 8th Engineer Combat Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division. His unit supported the 8th Cavalry Regiment during the battle for Hill 755, and he went missing during the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the area. He is believed to have been taken prisoner by North Korean soldiers and died as he was marched north into North Korean territory. His remains have not been recovered. Today, Sergeant First Class McDonnell 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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Simon, Peter William
Army Sergeant 1st class

Peter William Simon, age 34, from Pennsylvania, Fayette county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Tuesday, September 5, 1950
Death details: On January 11, 2018, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) identified the remains of Private First Class Pete William Simon, missing from the Korean War. Private First Class Simon joined the U.S. Army from Pennsylvania and was a member of G Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On September 3, 1950, he was killed in action against North Korean People’s Army forces south of Tabu-dong, South Korea. Search efforts conducted in the area once it returned to Allied control later that month failed to locate PFC Simon’s remains. In May 1951, American Graves Registration Personnel recovered a set of remains near Hill 762 in South Korea. The remains could not be identified at the time, and were buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific as unknowns. In 2017, these remains were reexamined and identified as those of PFC Simon. Private First Class Simon is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, findagrave.com

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Baker, Jack Benton
Army Sergeant

Jack Benton Baker, age 19, from Illinois, De Kalb county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Tuesday, September 5, 1950
Death details: On September 3, 1950, the 8th Cavalry Regiment and the 2nd Engineer Battalion, both elements of the 1st Cavalry Division, were holding a defensive line between Tabu-dong and Taegu at the upper end of the Naktong Perimeter. Company F of the 8th Cavalry, defending Hill 448, was attacked by elements of North Korea’s 13th Infantry Division and forced to retreat to Hill 449, defended by Company G of the 8th Cavalry. The 8th Cavalry Regiment found itself cut off from its supply train and withdrew from the area to keep from being surrounded by the enemy. Upon reaching the village of Tabu-dong, members of Companies D and E of the 8th Cavalry became involved in hut-to-hut fighting before they could retreat. Meanwhile, elements of the 2nd Engineer Battalion, which had been ordered to take and hold Hill 755, were also forced to withdraw. United States forces did not re-take this territory until September 21, 1950. Sergeant First Class Jack Benton Baker, who joined the U.S. Army from Illinois, served with E Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He disappeared during the battle at Tabu-dong and was not seen again. His body was not found when U.S. forces retook Tabu-dong, and evidence indicates he was not a prisoner of war. Today, Sergeant First Class Baker 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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Piersee, Howard Earl
Army Private 1st class

Howard Earl Piersee from Iowa, Keokuk county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Monday, September 4, 1950
Death details: On September 3, 1950, the 8th Cavalry Regiment and the 2nd Engineer Battalion, both elements of the 1st Cavalry Division, were holding a defensive line between Tabu-dong and Taegu at the upper end of the Naktong Perimeter. Company F of the 8th Cavalry, defending Hill 448, was attacked by elements of North Korea’s 13th Infantry Division and forced to retreat to Hill 449, defended by Company G of the 8th Cavalry. The 8th Cavalry Regiment found itself cut off from its supply train and withdrew from the area to keep from being surrounded by the enemy. Upon reaching the village of Tabu-dong, members of Companies D and E of the 8th Cavalry became involved in hut-to-hut fighting before they could retreat. Meanwhile, elements of the 2nd Engineer Battalion, which had been ordered to take and hold Hill 755, were also forced to withdraw. United States forces did not re-take this territory until September 21, 1950. Corporal Howard Earl Piersee, who joined the U.S. Army from Iowa, served with D Company, 2nd Engineer Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division. He was taken as a prisoner of war (POW) by North Korean soldiers during the fighting on Hill 755, and marched north into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Fellow POWs reported that Corporal Piersee died in captivity due to lack of medical care on March 20, 1951, and his remains have not been returned to U.S. control. Corporal Piersee 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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Timberlake, David
Army Private 1st class

David Timberlake, age 28, from California, Los Angeles county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Monday, September 4, 1950
Death details: On September 3, 1950, the 8th Cavalry Regiment and the 2nd Engineer Battalion, both elements of the 1st Cavalry Division, were holding a defensive line between Tabu-dong and Taegu at the upper end of the Naktong Perimeter. Company F of the 8th Cavalry, defending Hill 448, was attacked by elements of North Korea’s 13th Infantry Division and forced to retreat to Hill 449, defended by Company G of the 8th Cavalry. The 8th Cavalry Regiment found itself cut off from its supply train and withdrew from the area to keep from being surrounded by the enemy. Upon reaching the village of Tabu-dong, members of Companies D and E of the 8th Cavalry became involved in hut-to-hut fighting before they could retreat. Meanwhile, elements of the 2nd Engineer Battalion, which had been ordered to take and hold Hill 755, were also forced to withdraw. United States forces did not re-take this territory until September 21, 1950. Corporal David Timberlake, who joined the U.S. Army from California, served with D Company, 8th Engineering Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division. His unit was supporting the 2nd Engineer Battalion, which was charged with taking and holding Hill 775. The troops fought their way through enemy machine gun and sniper fire to reach the hill and attempted to dig in, suffering many casualties before being called back. At some point in the midst of this battle CPL Timberlake went missing. His fellow soldiers did not witness his death, and he was not listed as a prisoner of war. When U.S. forces finally gained control of the area on September 21, they searched for CPL Timberlake, but were unable to locate his remains. Today, Corporal Timberlake 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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Brickell, Lewis Grant
Army Sergeant

Lewis Grant Brickell, age 19, from Tennessee, Hamilton county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Monday, September 4, 1950
Death details: On September 29, 2009, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC, now DPAA) identified the remains of Sergeant First Class Lewis Grant Brickell, missing from the Korean War. Sergeant First Class Brickell joined the U.S. Army from Tennessee and was a member of Company D, 8th Engineer Combat Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division. On September 4, 1950, SFC Brickell was captured by North Korean forces during an engagement at the fortified summit of Kasan, west of Taegu, South Korea. He died at some point while in enemy custody, though the exact circumstances surrounding his loss are unknown. In 1954, as part of Operation Glory, the North Korean government returned to U.S. custody a set of remains recovered from the Chosin Reservoir area of North Korea. The remains could not be associated with any known losses that occurred in the Chosin Reservoir area, and they were buried as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Advances in forensic technology eventually prompted the reexamination of these remains, and they were identified as those of SFC Brickell.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

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Douglas, Tony William
Army Corporal

Tony William Douglas, age 18, from Michigan, Alcona county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Monday, September 4, 1950
Death details: On September 3, 1950, the 8th Cavalry Regiment and the 2nd Engineer Battalion, both elements of the 1st Cavalry Division, were holding a defensive line between Tabu-dong and Taegu at the upper end of the Naktong Perimeter. Company F of the 8th Cavalry, defending Hill 448, was attacked by elements of North Korea’s 13th Infantry Division and forced to retreat to Hill 449, defended by Company G of the 8th Cavalry. The 8th Cavalry Regiment found itself cut off from its supply train and withdrew from the area to keep from being surrounded by the enemy. Upon reaching the village of Tabu-dong, members of Companies D and E of the 8th Cavalry became involved in hut-to-hut fighting before they could retreat. Meanwhile, elements of the 2nd Engineer Battalion, which had been ordered to take and hold Hill 755, were also forced to withdraw. United States forces did not re-take this territory until September 21, 1950. Sergeant Tony William Douglas, who joined the U.S. Army from Minnesota, served with D Company, 2nd Engineer Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division. He was reported missing in action on September 4 near Kasan after his unit had tried and failed to capture Hill 755. None of the survivors of the engagement saw him fall, and he was not reported as a prisoner of war. His remains were not recovered after U.S. forces managed to re-take the area in late September, and his remains were not identified among those returned to U.S. custody at the end of hostilities. Today, Sergeant Douglas 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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Schroeder, Gordon Thomas
Army Private

Gordon Thomas Schroeder, age 20, from Wisconsin, Milwaukee county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Sunday, September 3, 1950
Death details: On September 3, 1950, the 8th Cavalry Regiment and the 2nd Engineer Battalion, both elements of the 1st Cavalry Division, were holding a defensive line between Tabu-dong and Taegu at the upper end of the Naktong Perimeter. Company F of the 8th Cavalry, defending Hill 448, was attacked by elements of North Korea’s 13th Infantry Division and forced to retreat to Hill 449, defended by Company G of the 8th Cavalry. The 8th Cavalry Regiment found itself cut off from its supply train and withdrew from the area to keep from being surrounded by the enemy. Upon reaching the village of Tabu-dong, members of Companies D and E of the 8th Cavalry became involved in hut-to-hut fighting before they could retreat. Meanwhile, elements of the 2nd Engineer Battalion, which had been ordered to take and hold Hill 755, were also forced to withdraw. United States forces did not re-take this territory until September 21, 1950. Private First Class Gordon Thomas Schroeder, who joined the U.S. Army from Wisconsin, served with G Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. Private Schroeder went missing in action on September 3, 1950, near Igok-dong, South Korea, as his unit defended its position on Hill 742. When last seen, PFC Schroeder was wounded and was walking downhill to an aid station. He never reached the aid station, and was never reported as a prisoner of war. When U.S. forces reclaimed the area on September 21, a thorough search failed to locate him or his remains. After the war, continued efforts to recover his remains were unsuccessful, and he is still unaccounted-for. Today, Private First Class Schroeder 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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Short, Marvin Eugene
Army Private 1st class

Marvin Eugene Short, age 26, from Virginia, Roanoke county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Sunday, September 3, 1950
Death details: On September 3, 1950, the 8th Cavalry Regiment and the 2nd Engineer Battalion, both elements of the 1st Cavalry Division, were holding a defensive line between Tabu-dong and Taegu at the upper end of the Naktong Perimeter. Company F of the 8th Cavalry, defending Hill 448, was attacked by elements of North Korea’s 13th Infantry Division and forced to retreat to Hill 449, defended by Company G of the 8th Cavalry. The 8th Cavalry Regiment found itself cut off from its supply train and withdrew from the area to keep from being surrounded by the enemy. Upon reaching the village of Tabu-dong, members of Companies D and E of the 8th Cavalry became involved in hut-to-hut fighting before they could retreat. Meanwhile, elements of the 2nd Engineer Battalion, which had been ordered to take and hold Hill 755, were also forced to withdraw. United States forces did not re-take this territory until September 21, 1950. Private First Class Marvin Eugene Short, who joined the U.S. Army from Virginia, served with F Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was reported killed in action on September 3, northeast of Tabu-dong, as his unit withdrew from Hill 448 during a concentrated attack by the 13th Division of the North Korean People’s Army (NKPA). When U.S. forces re-took the area on September 21, an unsuccessful search was conducted for PFC Short’s remains. His remains have not been recovered to date. Today, Private First Class Short 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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Williams, John Jacob
Army Private 1st class

John Jacob Williams from Alabama, Houston county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Sunday, September 3, 1950
Death details: On September 3, 1950, the 8th Cavalry Regiment and the 2nd Engineer Battalion, both elements of the 1st Cavalry Division, were holding a defensive line between Tabu-dong and Taegu at the upper end of the Naktong Perimeter. Company F of the 8th Cavalry, defending Hill 448, was attacked by elements of North Korea’s 13th Infantry Division and forced to retreat to Hill 449, defended by Company G of the 8th Cavalry. The 8th Cavalry Regiment found itself cut off from its supply train and withdrew from the area to keep from being surrounded by the enemy. Upon reaching the village of Tabu-dong, members of Companies D and E of the 8th Cavalry became involved in hut-to-hut fighting before they could retreat. Meanwhile, elements of the 2nd Engineer Battalion, which had been ordered to take and hold Hill 755, were also forced to withdraw. United States forces did not re-take this territory until September 21, 1950. Corporal John Jacob Williams, who joined the U.S. Army from Alabama, served with F Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He went missing on September 3, 1950, during his unit’s retreat to Hill 449. His fellow soldiers did not see him fall, and he was not listed as a prisoner of war. When U.S. forces gained control of the area on September 21, CPL Williams’ was not found, and he remains unaccounted-for. Today, Corporal Williams is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency