State of Maryland

Brown, George Jr.
Army Corporal

George Jr. Brown from Baltimore County Maryland.

Service era: Korea

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 George J. Brown Jr., who joined the U.S. Army from Maryland, served with Battery A, 503rd Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry. He went missing in action on December 1, 1950, as his unit fought through a series of CCF roadblocks during its withdrawal south from Kunu-ri to Sunchon. No one saw him fall, and he was not reported as a prisoner of war. Although he went missing in North Korea, his remains were not identified among those returned to U.S. custody after the war. Sergeant Brown 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

Crowell, Leroy
Army Private 1st class

Leroy Crowell, age 21, from Baltimore County Maryland.

Spouse: Delores C. Crowell

Service era: Korea

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. Corporal Leroy Crowell joined the U.S. Army from Maryland and was a member of Battery B, 503rd Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. On December 1, 1950, he went missing in action near Somindong, North Korea, during his unit’s fighting withdrawal from the Ch’ongch’on River area. His remains were not identified among those returned to U.S. custody after the war and he is still unaccounted-for. Today, Corporal Crowell 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, Baltimore Sun (1951)

English, Leonard Jr.
Army Corporal

Leonard Jr. English, age 20, from Baltimore County Baltimore, Maryland .

Parents: Ozie English

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Thursday, November 30, 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 Leonard English Jr., who joined the U.S. Army from Maryland, served with Battery C, 503rd Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He was killed in action on November 30, 1950, near Kunu-ri as he and his fellow artillerymen provided supporting fire to the soldiers of the 38th Infantry Regiment during their withdrawal to Sunchon. Due to conditions on the battlefield, Sergeant English’s body could not be recovered, and his remains have not been identified among those returned to U.S. custody by North Korea. Sergeant English 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, Associated Press (1954)

Gilmore, John Robert
Army Corporal

John Robert Gilmore, age 20, from Baltimore County Maryland.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Thursday, November 30, 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 John Robert Gilmore, who joined the U.S. Army from Maryland, served with Battery C, 503rd Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He was killed in action on November 30, 1950, at a CCF roadblock near Kunu-ri, as his unit made a fighting withdrawal from Kunu-ri south to Sunchon. Although his death was witnessed by members of his unit, the confusion of the battlefield prevented the immediate recovery of his body, and his remains were not identified among those later returned to U.S. custody by North Korea. Today, Sergeant Gilmore 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

Jones, Jack Eugene
Army Private 1st class

Jack Eugene Jones, age 22, from Baltimore City County Maryland.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Wednesday, November 29, 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. Corporal Jack E. Jones, who joined the U.S. Army from Maryland, served with the Headquarters, Headquarters and Service Company of the 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He went missing in action during his unit’s withdrawal from Kunu-ri to Sunchon. No one saw him fall, and he was not reported to be a prisoner of war. He was not associated with any of the remains recovered following the war. Corporal Jones is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Jerome, Richard
Army Private

Richard Jerome, age 18, from Baltimore City County Maryland.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Sunday, July 30, 1950
Death details: On July 26, 1950, the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, and 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, were defending a section of the Poun-Hwanggan Highway from North Korean People’s Army (NKPA) elements advancing toward Kumch’on. On July 30-31, supported by tanks, the NKPA launched heavy attacks against the American battalions. After a hard-fought delaying action, the 7th Cavalry Regiment received orders to withdraw to support other units at Kumch’on, and the 8th Cavalry Regiment provided cover as they withdrew. Soon after, the 8th Cavalry Regiment withdrew to new positions as well. Though the action was largely successful in delaying the NKPA advance, the area still fell under North Korean control and prevented the recovery of any American remains until U.S. forces retook the area in mid-September. Private First Class Richard Jerome entered the U.S. Army from Maryland and served in H Company of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He went missing during the fighting on July 31, 1950, and reports indicate he was taken as a prisoner and marched north to Seoul, where his last name appears on a blackboard inside an abandoned schoolhouse that was used to hold prisoners. Surviving prisoners of war (POWs) who were interned with PFC Jerome reported that he had died en route to P’yöngyang. Attempts to recover his remains have been unsuccessful, and he was not identified among the remains returned to the U.S. following the war. Today, Private First Class Jerome is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Hackman, Earl Drissel Jr.
Navy Lieutenant

Earl Drissel Jr. Hackman, age 25, from Baltimore County Baltimore, Maryland .

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Monday, August 6, 1945
Death details: Killed aboard USS Bullhead SS-332 when it was sunk by air attack near the Lombok Strait.

Source: On Eternal Patrol, Philadelphia Inquirer (1945)

Reider, Leo
Army Staff sergeant

Leo Reider from Baltimore County Baltimore, Maryland .

Parents: William T. and Elizabeth Lynch Ward

Service era: World War II

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. Staff Sergeant Leo Reider entered the U.S. Army from Maryland and served with the Medical Department at General Hospital No. 1 in the Philippines during the defense of Bataan. He was captured by enemy forces and interned in the Philippines until December 1944, when he was put aboard the ship Oryoku Maru for transport to Japan. SSG Reider 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. SSG Reider’s remains could not be identified following the war, and he is still unaccounted-for. Today, Staff Sergeant Reider is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Baltimore Sun (1945)

Lindemuth, Richard P.
Army Chief warrant officer

Richard P. Lindemuth, age 27, from Baltimore County Maryland.

Parents: Willis Lindemuth

Service era: World War II
Schools: Maytown High

Date of death: Friday, December 15, 1944
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. Chief Warrant Officer Richard P. Lindemuth joined the U.S. Army Air Forces from Maryland and was serving with the Headquarters Squadron, 5th Fighter Command, in the Philippine Islands during World War II. He was taken as a POW following the Japanese invasion and interned in the islands until December 1944, when he was put aboard the Oryoku Maru for transport to Japan. Records indicate CWO Lindemuth 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. Chief Warrant Officer Lindemuth’s remains could not be identified following the war, and he is still unaccounted for. Today, Chief Warrant Officer Lindemuth is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Lancaster New Era (1945)

Swann, Thomas E.
Army Staff sergeant

Thomas E. Swann from Charles County Issue, Maryland .

Parents: Thomas D. Swann

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Friday, December 15, 1944
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. Staff Sergeant Thomas E. Swann, who joined the U.S. Army Air Forces from Maryland, was a member of the 19th Squadron, 20th Air Base Group. He was taken as a POW following the Japanese invasion and was interned in the islands until December 1944, when he was put aboard the Oryoku Maru for transport to Japan. Records indicate SSG Swann 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. He was not identified among remains recovered from the area after the war, and he is still unaccounted-for. Today, Staff Sergeant Swann is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

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