Marine City Michigan

Dodge, Laverne Henry
Army Sergeant 1st class

Laverne Henry Dodge, age 27, from Marine City, Michigan, Saint Clair county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Friday, June 13, 1952
Death details: On June 13, 1952, a platoon of twenty-two tanks from the 140th Tank Battalion, 40th Infantry Division, engaged the enemy near Kumsong, North Korea. Enemy fire destroyed several of the tanks. Some soldiers were killed inside the burning tanks, while others managed to escape. Many of those who were able to get out of their vehicles were picked up by withdrawing tanks, but others were killed by enemy fire before they could be rescued. Master Sergeant Laverne Henry Dodge, who joined the U.S. Army from Michigan, served with Company C, 140th Medium Tank Battalion, 40th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on June 13, 1952, after he was shot by enemy troops while attempting to rescue a soldier from a burning tank. Master Sergeant Dodge could not be recovered at the time of his loss due to the chaos on the battlefield, and he was never reported to be a prisoner of war. His remains were not identified among those returned to U.S. custody after the ceasefire. Today, Master Sergeant Dodge is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

McComb, Ronald Jack
Army Private

Ronald Jack McComb, age 20, from Marine City, Michigan, Saint Clair county.

Parents: Ruby Gail McComb

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. Private First Class Ronald Jack McComb joined the U.S. Army from Michigan and was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On November 1, 1950, Company C was near Unsan with the 1st Battalion when it was hit by a severe enemy attack and forced to withdraw. PFC McComb went missing during the withdrawal, and a witness stated that PFC McComb was last seen carrying his wounded squad leader to a tank for transport. PFC McComb was never reported to be a prisoner of war, and he was not identified among remains returned to the U.S. following the ceasefire. Today, Private First Class McComb is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Detroit Free Press (1950)

Back To Top