Norfolk County Massachusetts

Morrill, Martin G.
Army Private 1st Class

Martin G. Morrill, age 19, from Massachusetts, Norfolk county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Monday, July 6, 1953
Death details: On July 6, 1953, a large Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) unit attacked and overran the U.S. Army outposts on Pork Chop Hill in an attempt to seize whatever territory possible before the impending armistice agreement. After fighting for the position for four days, on July 10, the 7th Infantry Division Commander determined that the CCF disregard for casualties and desire to hold the outpost outweighed the position’s tactical value, and ordered a withdrawal that was eventually completed on July 11. The U.S. never again controlled Pork Chop Hill, preventing thorough recovery efforts for those who were killed or went missing during the fighting. Corporal Martin George Morrill Jr., who joined the U.S. Army from Massachusetts, served with Company A, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He went missing on July 6 when his company’s outpost on Pork Chop Hill was attacked and overrun by Chinese troops. He was not seen to fall in battle and he was not reported to be a prisoner of war. His remains were not identified among those returned to U.S. custody after the ceasefire. Today, Corporal Morrill is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Hudson, Robert Edward
Air Force 1st Lieutenant

Robert Edward Hudson, age 39, from South Weymouth, Massachusetts, Norfolk county.

Spouse: Jean Hudson
Children: Robert Jr., Priscilla, James

Service era: Korea
Military history: Served in World War II and was recalled to acive duty in 1951.

Date of death: Tuesday, June 10, 1952
Death details: On the evening of June 10, 1952, a B-29 Superfortress (tail number 44-62183A, call sign “Saloon 47”) departed Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, with thirteen crew members on a night bombing operation targeting railroad bridges near Kwaksan, Korea. This Superfortress was part of a multiple-flight strike force that included twelve B-29s. As “Saloon 47” began its bomb run, it was illuminated by enemy searchlights and attacked by MiG-15 fighters. “Saloon 47” exploded and then fell to the ground in flames. Aerial searches failed to locate the aircraft or its crew, and circumstances surrounding their loss were unknown at the time. However, on August 30, 1953, during Operation Big Switch, one crew member from this loss was repatriated. He reported that the sudden explosion blew aboard the hit aircraft blew him outside midair and he lost consciousness but during his freefall, he regained consciousness, opened his parachute and landed in a rice paddy and was captured. Signs of the other twelve crew members were not reported or found following the incident. First Lieutenant Robert Edward Hudson entered the U.S. Air Force from Massachusetts and was assigned to the 28th Bombardment Squadron, 19th Bombardment Group. He was the copilot of “Saloon 47” when it crashed. No returning POWs mentioned contact with 1st Lt Hudson, nor was he seen at any know holding point, interrogation center, hospital, or permanent POW camp, and he remains unaccounted-for. Today, First Lieutenant Hudson is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Boston Globe (1952)

Drysdale, Archibald Bruce
Army Corporal

Archibald Bruce Drysdale, age 31, from Norfolk County Dorchester, Massachusetts .

Parents: Thomas Drysdale

Service era: Korea
Schools: Dorchester High graduate

Date of death: Friday, December 1, 1950
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. Sergeant Archibald Bruce Drysdale joined the U.S. Army from Massachusetts and served with Battery D, 82nd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He went missing in action on December 1, 1950, as his unit provided cover for 2nd Infantry Division troops withdrawing from Kunu-ri south to Sunchon, North Korea. Sergeant Drysdale was last seen at a CCF roadblock near Kunu-ri, though circumstances surrounding his loss are unknown. He was not reported as a prisoner of war. The area where he went missing never reverted to Allied control, which precluded searches for his remains, and his remains were not identified among those returned to U.S. custody after the war. Today, Sergeant Drysdale is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. His name is also inscribed on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC, which was updated in 2022 to include the names of the fallen.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Boston Globe (1951)

Slater, James A.
Army Private 1st Class

James A. Slater from Massachusetts, Norfolk 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 James Arthur Slater entered the U.S. Army from Massachusetts and served with Company G, 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He went missing on July 16, 1950, during the Battle of Kum River, while attempting to break through an enemy road block south of Taejon. Specific circumstances surrounding his loss, however, are unknown. He was never 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 Slater is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Morton, Victor
Army Corporal

Victor Morton from Massachusetts, Norfolk county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Tuesday, July 11, 1950
Death details: On July 11, 1950, the U.S. Army’s 21st Infantry Regiment, which had arrived in Korea six days earlier, was placed in defensive positions near the town of Chochiwon, South Korea. The regiment was not at full strength and lacked artillery and anti-tank weapons. That day, they were attacked by North Korean forces and were forced to withdraw to avoid being surrounded, as well as to buy time until they could be reinforced and resupplied. Sergeant Victor Morton, who joined the U.S. Army from Massachusetts, served with L Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on July 11, 1950, near Chochiwon, though the circumstances surrounding his disappearance are unknown. He was not seen to fall in battle and he was never reported to be a prisoner of war. After the UN regained control of the area around Chochiwon, repeated efforts were made to locate his remains but were unsuccessful, and SGT Morton remains unaccounted-for. Today, Sergeant Morton is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Blythe, Ralph M.
Army 1st lieutenant

Ralph M. Blythe, age 31, from Norfolk County Massachusetts.

Service era: World War II
Military history: Silver Star

Date of death: Tuesday, January 9, 1945
Death details: On December 13, 1944, Japanese forces in the Philippines began the transfer of 1,621 Allied prisoners of war (POWs) to Japan. The POWs were to make the journey aboard transport ships whose harsh conditions and extreme overcrowding led survivors to refer to them as “Hell Ships.” The ships also lacked markings that would distinguish them from any other military target, causing some of them to be attacked by Allied forces who could not identify them as POW transports. On December 14, 1944, Allied aircraft attacked the first ship, the Oryoku Maru, in Subic Bay in the Philippines, killing many Allied POWs who became lost in the water, sank with the ship, or were washed ashore. Survivors of the bombing were put aboard two other ships, the Enoura Maru and the Brazil Maru, to continue on to Japan. During the journey, while anchored in Takao Harbor, Formosa (present-day Taiwan), the Enoura Maru was attacked by Allied aircraft from the USS Hornet (CV-8), killing Allied POWs who were lost in the water, on board the ship, or on the nearby shore. Survivors of the Enoura Maru bombing were loaded onto the Brazil Maru, and reached Japan on January 30, 1945. As a result of these incidents, Allied POWs were lost in the Philippines, at sea between the Philippines and Taiwan, while anchored in Taiwan, at sea between Taiwan and Japan, and in Japan. The attacks on these POW transports ultimately resulted in a series of death notifications from the Japanese government through the International Red Cross (IRC), and some casualties were given up to five different dates of death at various locations during the transfer. Witness accounts from surviving POWs offer detailed information for a handful of casualties, but the specific dates of loss and/or last-known locations for many of these POWs are based on the most recent reported date of death. First Lieutenant Ralph M. Blythe, who joined the U.S. Army from Massachusetts, served with the Corps of Engineers in the Philippines. He was captured by enemy forces during the Japanese invasion of the islands and was interned in the Philippines until December 1944, when he was placed aboard the Oryoku Maru for transport to Japan. Records indicate 1LT Blythe was killed several weeks later in the attack on the Enoura Maru; however, these reports often involve information solely furnished by enemy governments, with some casualties given multiple dates of death. Future research may determine that these reports were inaccurate. First Lieutenant Blythe’s remains could not be identified following the war, and he is still unaccounted-for. Today, First Lieutenant Blythe is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
Cemetery: Manila American Cemetery

Source: National Archives, American Battle Monuments Commission, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Boston Globe (1945)

Langevin, Alfred T.
Army Private

Alfred T. Langevin from Weymouth, Massachusetts, Norfolk county.

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Tuesday, November 7, 1944
Death details: Killed at sea
Cemetery: Body not recovered

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Fitzpatrick, John J.
Marines Reserves Private 1st class

John J. Fitzpatrick, age 22, from Wellesley, Massachusetts, Norfolk county.

Parents: Mary E. Fitzpatrick

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Monday, November 22, 1943
Death details: From November 20 through 23, 1943, the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy conducted a large-scale amphibious assault on the Japanese-held atoll of Tarawa as part of Operation Galvanic, the Allied capture of the Gilbert Islands. Located 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii, Tarawa was a crucial stepping stone in the planned U.S. offensive across the central Pacific toward Japan. The Japanese garrison on Tarawa’s main island of Betio was well-entrenched with hundreds of bunkers and gun positions behind formidable beach obstacles. The first wave of Marines approaching the shore encountered lower-than-expected tides, forcing them to leave their landing craft on the reef and wade the hundreds of yards to the beach under intense enemy fire. The heaviest number of U.S. casualties were suffered during this phase of the landing. Eventually, rising tides allowed U.S. warships to maneuver closer to shore and support the troops with effective naval gunfire. More Marines landed on the second day, launching attacks inland from the beaches and seizing the Japanese airfield on the island. However, the enemy launched vicious counterattacks and two more days of intense fighting were needed to secure Betio. The last enemy strongpoints were taken on the morning of November 23. The fighting on Betio cost the Marines nearly 3,000 casualties but enabled U.S. forces to press further across the Pacific and yielded valuable tactical lessons that reduced U.S. losses in future amphibious landings. Corporal John J. Fitzpatrick, who entered the U.S. Marine Corps from Massachusetts, served with Company A, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. He was killed in action during the Battle of Tarawa on November 22, 1943, and buried at Betio Island. His remains were not recovered in post-war searches of Tarawa. Today, Corporal Fitzpatrick is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Twomey, Francis
Army Warrant officer (junior grade)

Francis Twomey from Massachusetts, Norfolk county.

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Saturday, November 14, 1942
Death details: Following the Allied surrender on the Bataan Peninsula on April 9, 1942, the Japanese began the forcible transfer of American and Filipino prisoners of war to various prison camps in central Luzon, at the northern end of the Philippines. The largest of these camps was the notorious Cabanatuan Prison Camp. At its peak, Cabanatuan held approximately 8,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war that were captured during and after the Fall of Bataan. Camp overcrowding worsened with the arrival of Allied prisoners who had surrendered from Corregidor on May 6, 1942. Conditions at the camp were poor, with food and water extremely limited, leading to widespread malnutrition and outbreaks of malaria and dysentery. By the time the camp was liberated in early 1945, approximately 2,800 Americans had died at Cabanatuan. Prisoners were forced to bury the dead in makeshift communal graves, often completed without records or markers. As a result, identifying and recovering remains interred at Cabanatuan was difficult in the years after the war. Warrant Officer Junior Grade Francis Twomey joined the U.S. Army from Massachusetts and was a member of the Army Medical Department stationed on the Philippines during World War II. He was captured in Bataan following the American surrender and died of beriberi on November 14, 1942, at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp in Nueva Ecija Province. He was buried in a communal grave in the camp cemetery along with other deceased American POWs; however, his remains could not be associated with any remains recovered from Cabanatuan after the war. Today, Warrant Officer Junior Grade Twomey is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Carpenter, Alva J.
Army Private

Alva J. Carpenter from Weymouth, Massachusetts, Norfolk county.

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Sunday, July 26, 1942
Death details: Following the Allied surrender on the Bataan Peninsula on April 9, 1942, the Japanese began the forcible transfer of American and Filipino prisoners of war to various prison camps in central Luzon, at the northern end of the Philippines. The largest of these camps was the notorious Cabanatuan Prison Camp. At its peak, Cabanatuan held approximately 8,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war that were captured during and after the Fall of Bataan. Camp overcrowding worsened with the arrival of Allied prisoners who had surrendered from Corregidor on May 6, 1942. Conditions at the camp were poor, with food and water extremely limited, leading to widespread malnutrition and outbreaks of malaria and dysentery. By the time the camp was liberated in early 1945, approximately 2,800 Americans had died at Cabanatuan. Prisoners were forced to bury the dead in makeshift communal graves, often completed without records or markers. As a result, identifying and recovering remains interred at Cabanatuan was difficult in the years after the war. Private Alva J. Carpenter entered the U.S. Army from Massachusetts and served with the 698th Ordnance Company in the Philippines during World War II. He was captured in Bataan following the American surrender on April 9, 1942, and died of dysentery on July 26, 1942, at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp in Nueva Ecija Province. He was buried in a communal grave in the camp cemetery along with other deceased American POWs; however, his remains could not be associated with any remains recovered from Cabanatuan after the war. Today, Private Carpenter is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

Source: National Archives, local historical website waheyboys.com, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

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