James L Calkins from Monterey County Seaside, California .
Service era: Korea
Date of death: Monday, July 24, 1950
Death details: In late July 1950, elements of the 27th Infantry Regiment, 8th Cavalry Regiment, and other units in the 25th Infantry and 1st Cavalry Divisions were tasked with blocking a North Korean People’s Army (NKPA) advance down the Poun-Hwanggan Highway, toward Kumch’on, roughly thirty-five miles west of Taegu. On July 23 and 24, U.S. units fought a series of engagements against the advancing NKPA forces. Heavy enemy artillery fire barrages forced the U.S. units back slowly until they began to withdraw to new positions on July 26. Over the next three days, the units withdrew and consolidated in Kumch’on, though many American soldiers died, were captured, or went missing during this action.
Private First Class James Luther Calkins, who entered the U.S. Army from Oregon, served with A Company, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. On July 23, 1950, he was part of a patrol sent forward by A Company to make contact with NKPA forces advancing on the village of Sangyangni. The patrol penetrated enemy lines but then came into contact with a large enemy force crossing a bridge early on the morning of July 24. An intense firefight ensued and the Americans were eventually forced to withdraw back to friendly positions. Private First Class Calkins went missing in action during this withdrawal. He was never reported as a prisoner of war, and subsequent searches of the battle area failed to recover his remains. He is still unaccounted for. Today, Private First Class Calkins 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, Los Angeles Times (1950)
