Tag: Task Force Smith

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Niemann, Robert Clarence
Army 2nd lieutenant

Robert Clarence Niemann from Iowa, Bremer county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Unknown
Death details: On July 5, 1950, Task Force Smith, the first U.S. ground element to engage North Korean People’s Army (NKPA) troops, was defending a position north of Osan, South Korea. The Task Force’s goal was to delay enemy forces by blocking their movement down the road south from Suwon to Taejon, which was a major avenue of advance for the NKPA. That morning, the Task Force was engaged by a column of enemy tanks. The anti-tank weapons that the infantrymen employed were ineffective, and a large number of tanks broke through their position. Task Force Smith was forced to withdraw to the south, suffering heavy casualties in the process. First Lieutenant Robert Clarence Niemann, who joined the U.S. Army from Iowa, served with C Company, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. His unit was part of Task Force Smith, and he was captured by enemy forces on July 5. He was marched north to a temporary prison in a schoolhouse in Pyongyang, where he died of dysentery on an unspecified day in mid-August. When U.S. forces gained control of Pyongyang in October, they buried 1LT Niemann in a temporary United Nations cemetery there; however, Pyongyang was retaken by enemy forces in December, and U.S. forces did not gain control the city again. After the ceasefire, 1LT Niemann’s remains were not identified among those returned to U.S. custody. Today, First Lieutenant Niemann 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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McGill, William Reuben
Army Private

William Reuben McGill from Pennsylvania, Clinton county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Unknown
Death details: On July 5, 1950, Task Force Smith, the first U.S. ground element to engage North Korean People’s Army (NKPA) troops, was defending a position north of Osan, South Korea. The Task Force’s goal was to delay enemy forces by blocking their movement down the road south from Suwon to Taejon, which was a major avenue of advance for the NKPA. That morning, the Task Force was engaged by a column of enemy tanks. The anti-tank weapons that the infantrymen employed were ineffective, and a large number of tanks broke through their position. Task Force Smith was forced to withdraw to the south, suffering heavy casualties in the process. Private First Class William Reuben McGill, who joined the U.S. Army from Pennsylvania, served with B Company, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. His unit was part of Task Force Smith and he was captured by enemy forces two miles north of Osan. He was marched to the Apex prison camps in North Korea, and died of malnutrition and dysentery at one of the Apex camps in late December 1950. Although he was buried near the camp, his remains were not identified among those returned to U.S. custody after the ceasefire. Today, Private First Class McGill 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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Mann, William Cornett
Army Private 1st class

William Cornett Mann from Indian Mound, Tennessee, Stewart county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Unknown
Death details: On July 5, 1950, Task Force Smith, the first U.S. ground element to engage North Korean People’s Army (NKPA) troops, was defending a position north of Osan, South Korea. The Task Force’s goal was to delay enemy forces by blocking their movement down the road south from Suwon to Taejon, which was a major avenue of advance for the NKPA. That morning, the Task Force was engaged by a column of enemy tanks. The anti-tank weapons that the infantrymen employed were ineffective, and a large number of tanks broke through their position. Task Force Smith was forced to withdraw to the south, suffering heavy casualties in the process. Corporal William Cornett Mann, who joined the U.S. Army from Tennessee, served with the Headquarters Battery, 52nd Field Artillery Battalion, 24th Infantry Division. His unit was part of Task Force Smith, and he was captured by enemy forces on July 5 and forced to march to the Apex prison camps in North Korea. He died of exhaustion, exposure and malnutrition at the camp at Chunggang-jin on an unspecified day in February 1951. He was buried near the camp; however his remains were not identified among those returned to U.S. custody after the ceasefire. Today, Corporal Mann 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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Connick, Karl Francis
Army Private 1st Class

Karl Francis Connick from New York, Clinton county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Unknown
Death details: On July 5, 1950, Task Force Smith, the first U.S. ground element to engage North Korean People’s Army (NKPA) troops, was defending a position north of Osan, South Korea. The Task Force’s goal was to delay enemy forces by blocking their movement down the road south from Suwon to Taejon, which was a major avenue of advance for the NKPA. That morning, the Task Force was engaged by a column of enemy tanks. The anti-tank weapons that the infantrymen employed were ineffective, and a large number of tanks broke through their position. Task Force Smith was forced to withdraw to the south, suffering heavy casualties in the process. Corporal Karl Francis Connick, who joined the U.S. Army from New York, served with Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. His unit was part of Task Force Smith, and he was captured by enemy forces on July 5 and forced to march to the Apex prison camps in North Korea. He died of malnutrition at the camp near An-dong on an unspecified day in May, 1951. His remains were not identified among those returned to U.S. custody after the ceasefire. Today, Corporal Connick 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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Cox, Jansen Calvin
Army 1st lieutenant

Jansen Calvin Cox from Woodlawn, Virginia, Carroll county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Unknown
Death details: On July 5, 1950, Task Force Smith, the first U.S. ground element to engage North Korean People’s Army (NKPA) troops, was defending a position north of Osan, South Korea. The Task Force’s goal was to delay enemy forces by blocking their movement down the road south from Suwon to Taejon, which was a major avenue of advance for the NKPA. That morning, the Task Force was engaged by a column of enemy tanks. The anti-tank weapons that the infantrymen employed were ineffective, and a large number of tanks broke through their position. Task Force Smith was forced to withdraw to the south, suffering heavy casualties in the process. First Lieutenant Jansen Calvin Cox joined the U.S. Army from Virginia and was a member of Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was captured by enemy forces during Task Force Smith’s fighting withdrawal from Osan. He was marched to the “Apex” prisoner of war camps in northern North Korea, near the Yalu River, where he died of illness in December 1950. His remains have not been recovered, and he was not identified among remains returned to U.S. custody after the conflict’s ceasefire. Today, First Lieutenant Cox 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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Davis, George Parker
Army Private 1st class

George Parker Davis from Oklahoma, Payne county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Unknown
Death details: On July 5, 1950, Task Force Smith, the first U.S. ground element to engage North Korean People’s Army (NKPA) troops, was defending a position north of Osan, South Korea. The Task Force’s goal was to delay enemy forces by blocking their movement down the road south from Suwon to Taejon, which was a major avenue of advance for the NKPA. That morning, the Task Force was engaged by a column of enemy tanks. The anti-tank weapons that the infantrymen employed were ineffective, and a large number of tanks broke through their position. Task Force Smith was forced to withdraw to the south, suffering heavy casualties in the process. Corporal George Parker Davis, who joined the U.S. Army from Oklahoma, served with C Company, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. His unit was part of Task Force Smith, and he was captured by enemy forces on July 5. He was marched to the Apex prison camps in North Korea, and died of malnutrition at the camp at Chunggang-jin on an unspecified date in June 1951. His remains were not identified among those returned to U.S. custody after the ceasefire, and he is still unaccounted for. Today, Corporal Davis 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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Diekmann, Lester Henry
Army Corporal

Lester Henry Diekmann from Iowa, Bremer county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Unknown
Death details: On July 5, 1950, Task Force Smith, the first U.S. ground element to engage North Korean People’s Army (NKPA) troops, was defending a position north of Osan, South Korea. The Task Force’s goal was to delay enemy forces by blocking their movement down the road south from Suwon to Taejon, which was a major avenue of advance for the NKPA. That morning, the Task Force was engaged by a column of enemy tanks. The anti-tank weapons that the infantrymen employed were ineffective, and a large number of tanks broke through their position. Task Force Smith was forced to withdraw to the south, suffering heavy casualties in the process. Corporal Lester Henry Diekmann, who joined the U.S. Army from Iowa, served with Headquarters Battery, 52nd Field Artillery Battalion, 24th Infantry Division. His unit was assigned to Task Force Smith, which attempted to stop the NKPA’s advance into South Korea. He was captured by enemy forces during the battle on July 5, and forced on a months-long march north to the Apex Camps on the Yalu River. He died of exhaustion and malnutrition on an unspecified day in December, 1950, at the prison camp at Hanjang-ni, and was buried near the camp. After the war, his remains were not identified among those returned to U.S. custody. Today, Corporal Diekmann 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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Dubose, Clyatt Rudolph
Army Private 1st class

Clyatt Rudolph Dubose from Florida, Hillsborough county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Unknown
Death details: On July 5, 1950, Task Force Smith, the first U.S. ground element to engage North Korean People’s Army (NKPA) troops, was defending a position north of Osan, South Korea. The Task Force’s goal was to delay enemy forces by blocking their movement down the road south from Suwon to Taejon, which was a major avenue of advance for the NKPA. That morning, the Task Force was engaged by a column of enemy tanks. The anti-tank weapons that the infantrymen employed were ineffective, and a large number of tanks broke through their position. Task Force Smith was forced to withdraw to the south, suffering heavy casualties in the process. Corporal Clyatt Rudolph Dubose, who joined the U.S. Army from Florida, served with Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. His unit was part of Task Force Smith, and he was captured by enemy forces on July 5. He was forced to march to the Apex prison camps in North Korea, and died at the camp near An-dong of malnutrition on an unspecified date in July, 1951. Although he was buried at the edge of the compound, his remains were not identified among those returned to U.S. custody after the ceasefire. Today, Corporal Dubose 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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Gross, Myron Earl
Army Private

Myron Earl Gross from Pennsylvania, Beaver county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Unknown
Death details: On July 5, 1950, Task Force Smith, the first U.S. ground element to engage North Korean People’s Army (NKPA) troops, was defending a position north of Osan, South Korea. The Task Force’s goal was to delay enemy forces by blocking their movement down the road south from Suwon to Taejon, which was a major avenue of advance for the NKPA. That morning, the Task Force was engaged by a column of enemy tanks. The anti-tank weapons that the infantrymen employed were ineffective, and a large number of tanks broke through their position. Task Force Smith was forced to withdraw to the south, suffering heavy casualties in the process. Private First Class Myron Earl Gross, who joined the U.S. Army from Pennsylvania, served with B Company, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. His unit was part of Task Force Smith, and he was captured by enemy forces on July 5. He was forced to march to the Apex prison camps in North Korea, and died of dysentery and malnutrition at the camp at Chunggang-jin on an unspecified date in February 1951. His remains were not identified among those returned to U.S. custody after the ceasefire. Today, Private First Class Gross is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency