Tag: Indiana Indiana

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Dunn, James Robert
Army Sergeant

James Robert Dunn, age 26, from Indiana, Knox 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 First Class James Robert Dunn, who joined the U.S. Army from Indiana, was a member of Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. By midnight on November 1, the 8th Cavalry Regiment was forced to withdraw from the Unsan area. The 3rd Battalion was the last to withdraw, and was surrounded and cut off by the CCF during their movement. They formed a defensive perimeter, and withstood attacks for the next few days before survivors either broke out to avoid capture or surrendered. Sergeant First Class Dunn was lost during the moving battle. He was never reported as a prisoner of war, and he remains unaccounted for. Today, Sergeant First Class Dunn 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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Phillips, Virgil Lee
Army Corporal

Virgil Lee Phillips, age 24, from Indiana, Martin county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Thursday, November 2, 1950
Death details: On January 23, 2008, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC, now DPAA) identified the remains of Sergeant Virgil Lee Phillips, missing from the Korean War. Sergeant Phillips entered the U.S. Army from Indiana and served with Company K of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 2, 1950, members of Battery C were supporting of the 1st Cavalry Division near Unsan, North Korea, north of a bend in the Kuryong River known as the “Camel’s Head Bend.” That day, Chinese Communist Forces struck the 1st Cavalry Division’s lines, collapsing the perimeter and forcing a withdrawal. SGT Phillips was killed during this action, and his body not recovered at the time of his loss. In 2003, a joint U.S./North Korean team excavated a burial site near Unsan and recovered human remains and other material evidence, and U.S. analysts eventually identified SGT Phillips from these remains.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

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Fluhr, Peter Paul Jr.
Army Private 1st class

Peter Paul Jr. Fluhr, age 18, from Indiana, Scott 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 Peter Paul Fluhr Jr., who joined the U.S. Army from Indiana, served with F Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He went missing in action on September 3, near Kushwa-Dong, approximately eleven miles north of Taegu. He was not reported to be a prisoner of war, and his remains were not identified among those returned to U.S. custody after the war. Today, Corporal Fluhr 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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Manion, Everett Dwight
Army Private 1st class

Everett Dwight Manion, age 19, from Indiana, Montgomery county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Saturday, July 22, 1950
Death details: On July 22, 1950, the 2nd Battalion of the U.S. Army’s 35th Infantry Regiment was holding defensive positions along the south bank of the rain-swollen Yong stream, south of Mun’gyong, South Korea. The battalion’s Company F was sent across the stream to reinforce a Republic of Korea (ROK) battalion on the north bank, but the ROK-U.S. position was immediately attacked by North Korean People’s Army (NKPA) forces, separating them from the rest of the 2nd Battalion and flanking Company F on both sides. Company F fell back to the stream’s edge under enemy fire, but the current was too powerful for them to cross and the enemy had seized the nearby bridge. U.S. combat engineers on the south bank attempted to launch rafts for the stranded men but were also pinned down by the NKPA until additional American tanks and infantry arrived to give them covering fire. This enabled the engineers to deploy their rafts and evacuate the men of Company F from the north bank. However, several soldiers were lost to enemy fire or while attempting to cross the swollen stream before the rafts could be launched. Corporal Everett Dwight Manion, who entered the U.S. Army from Indiana, served with F Company, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. He went missing while attempting to swim across the Yong stream during this action on July 22, 1950. He was not associated with any remains later recovered from the area, and he is still unaccounted-for. Today, Corporal Manion 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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Wagner, Gene Lewis
Army Private 1st class

Gene Lewis Wagner from Indiana, White 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 Gene Lewis Wagner joined the U.S. Army from Indiana and was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was captured by enemy forces during the fighting withdrawal from the Battle of Kum River on July 16. Corporal Wagner joined a group of prisoners who were marched to holding camps in North Korea. While marching near Kosan, North Korea, illness and exposure rendered CPL Wagner too weak to continue, and he was killed by a guard. He was not identified among remains returned to U.S. custody after the ceasefire, and he is still unaccounted-for. Today, Corporal Wagner 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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Titus, Robert Eli Titus
Army Private

Robert Eli Titus Titus from Indiana, Grant 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. Private First Class Robert Eli Titus entered the U.S. Army from Indiana and served with Company C, 1st Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was captured on July 16, as Company C attempted a withdrawal from positions outside Taejon during the Battle of Kum River. After being marched to various holding camps in North Korea, he was eventually interned at the Apex prisoner of war (POW) camp at Hanjang-ni, where he died of an unknown cause in late September or early November 1950. His burial location was not recorded, and his remains were not recovered or identified after the war. Today, Private First Class Titus 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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Jinks, Leonard William Elmer
Army Private 1st class

Leonard William Elmer Jinks from Indiana, Ripley 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 Leonard William Elmer Jinks entered the U.S. Army from Indiana and served with Company C, 1st Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He went missing on July 16, during the Battle of Kum River, while his unit was attempting to withdraw through and around an enemy roadblock outside Taejon. While CPL Jinks was never reported as a prisoner of war (POW), reliable records indicate that his name was referenced in a North Korean propaganda broadcast as being a POW. Additionally, men captured during this action were marched to various holding camps in North Korea, and as Allied forces subsequently retook territory, blackboards with prisoners’ names recorded onto them were found in abandoned school houses along the POW march routes. Corporal Jinks’ name, although somewhat garbled, was found on one of the blackboards. Additionally, one man who was captured but managed to escape reported seeing CPL Jinks among his fellow prisoners and still alive on October 14. He remains unaccounted for. Today, Corporal Jinks 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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Eggers, Herbert Phillip
Army Private

Herbert Phillip Eggers from Indiana, Marion 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. Private First Class Herbert Phillip Eggers entered the U.S. Army from Indiana and served with the Medical Company, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was attached to Company A of the regiment’s 1st Battalion as an aid man. He went missing in action on July 16, during the Battle of Kum River, following his unit’s attempt to withdraw around an enemy roadblock outside Taejon. PFC Eggers was never reported as a prisoner of war, and his remains were not recovered or identified following the conflict. Today, Private First Class Eggers 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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Walker, Gene F.
Army 2nd lieutenant

Gene F. Walker from Indiana, Wayne county.

Service era: World War II
Military history: 32 Regiment 3 Armored Division

Date of death: Friday, November 24, 1944
Death details: Killed in action
Cemetery: Unaccounted For

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

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Ward, Richard L.
Army Private

Richard L. Ward from Indiana, Carroll county.

Service era: World War II
Military history: 112 Infantry 28 Division

Date of death: Wednesday, November 8, 1944
Death details: The Battle of the Hürtgen Forest, one of the bloodiest conflicts of World War II, was fought between Allied and German forces from September 1944 to February 1945. As U.S. forces advanced eastward into Germany, the defending Germans manned “Siegfried Line” positions opposite the Belgian border. The battle grew to involve approximately 200,000 troops, with tens of thousands of casualties on both sides. American forces initially entered the area seeking to block German reinforcements from moving north toward the fighting around Aachen, the westernmost city of Germany, near the borders with Belgium and the Netherlands. In the battle’s second phase and as part of the Allied’s larger offense toward the Rhine River, U.S. troops attempted to push through the forest to the banks of Roer River. Aided by bad weather and rough terrain, German forces in the Hürtgen Forest put up unexpectedly strong resistance due to a well-prepared defense. American forces were unable to break through to the Rur before the German Ardennes offensive struck in December 1944, known as the Battle of the Bulge, which halted the eastward Allied advance until February 1945. Private Richard L. Ward entered the U.S. Army from Indiana and served in Company D, 112th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division. He was reported missing as of November 8, 1944, following fierce fighting at the village of Kommerscheidt, Germany. He was last seen guarding German prisoners at a command post in the town. Witnesses from his unit later reported that an enemy artillery shell struck that command post during a Germany attack on the town. Surviving members of his unit were forced to fall back and Private Ward’s body was unable to be evacuated at the time. After the war, American Graves Registration Service personnel attempted to associate Private Ward with unknown remains recovered from the Hürtgen Forest area, but were not successful. Today, Private Ward is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing at the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Belgium.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency