Tag: Texas Texas

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Brunette, Floyd Lee
Army Private 1st class

Floyd Lee Brunette, age 21, from Texas, Robertson county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Friday, July 10, 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 Floyd Lee Brunette entered the U.S. Army from Texas and was a member of Company K of the 3rd Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He went missing in action on July 10, during the withdrawal from Pork Chop Hill, though exact circumstances surrounding his loss are unknown. He was never reported to be a prisoner of war, and his remains were not identified among those returned to the U.S. following the ceasefire. He remains unaccounted for. Today, Corporal Brunette 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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Jobe, Lewis Earl
Army 2nd lieutenant

Lewis Earl Jobe, age 23, from Texas, Randall county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Wednesday, July 8, 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. Second Lieutenant Lewis Earl Jobe, who joined the U.S. Army from Texas, served with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He went missing on July 8, 1953 (later determined to have been killed in action) during the attack on Pork Chop Hill. His remains could not be recovered or identified following the battle and he is still unaccounted-for. Today, Second Lieutenant Jobe 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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Ancelet, Christopher Columbus
Army Private 1st class

Christopher Columbus Ancelet, age 23, from Texas, Jefferson 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. Corporal Christopher Columbus Ancelet, who joined the U.S. Army from Texas, served with Company C, 140th Medium Tank Battalion, 40th Infantry Division. He was killed in action on June 13, 1952, when his tank was hit by enemy bazooka fire. Corporal Ancelet died in the tank, and the chaos on the battlefield prevented the immediate recovery of his body. His remains were not identified among those retruned to U.S. custody after the ceasefire, and he is still unaccounted-for. Today, Corporal Ancelet 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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Koch, Kermit Karl
Army Private

Kermit Karl Koch from Texas, Gillespie county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Thursday, May 3, 1951
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 Kermit Karl Koch, who joined the U.S. Army from Texas, served with the Medical Company, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. Part of Task Force Smith, he was captured on July 5 and forced to march to the Apex prison camps in North Korea. He died of malnutrition at the camp at An-dong on May 3, 1951, and was buried by his companions nearby. His remains were not identified among those returned to U.S. custody after the ceasefire. Today, Private First Class Koch 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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Garza, Nicolas Contreras
Army Private

Nicolas Contreras Garza from Texas, Milam county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Wednesday, December 20, 1950
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 Nicolas Contreras Garza, who joined the U.S. Army from Texas, 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 and marched to the Apex prison camps in North Korea. He died of exhaustion and pneumonia at the camp at Hanjang-ni on December 20, and was buried on a hill immediately above the village. His remains were not identified among those returned to U.S. custody after the ceasefire, and he is still unaccounted for. Today, Private First Class Garza 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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Solis, Adelaido M.
Army Private

Adelaido M. Solis, age 19, from Texas, Victoria county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Friday, December 1, 1950
Death details: Army Pfc. Adelaido M. Solis, 19, who died as a prisoner of war during the Korean War, was accounted for Aug. 15, 2022. In late 1950, Solis was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 1, 1950, after his unit’s withdrawal from Kunu-ri, North Korea, following the Battle of Ch’ongch’on. In 1953, a POW returned during Operation Big Switch reported Solis had been a prisoner of war and died in April 1951 at Prisoner of War Camp #5.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

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Solis, Adelaido M.
Army Private

Adelaido M. Solis, age 19, from Texas, Victoria county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Friday, December 1, 1950
Death details: Army Pfc. Adelaido M. Solis, 19, who died as a prisoner of war during the Korean War, was accounted for Aug. 15, 2022. In late 1950, Solis was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 1, 1950, after his unit’s withdrawal from Kunu-ri, North Korea, following the Battle of Ch’ongch’on. In 1953, a POW returned during Operation Big Switch reported Solis had been a prisoner of war and died in April 1951 at Prisoner of War Camp #5.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

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Frescas, Ramon Mendosa
Army Private 1st class

Ramon Mendosa Frescas, age 21, from Texas, El Paso county.

Service era: Korea
Military history: 35th Infantry Regiment

Date of death: Monday, November 27, 1950
Death details: On June 6, 2001, the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory-Hawaii (CILHI, now DPAA) identified the remains of Corporal Ramon Mendoza Frescas, missing from the Korean War. Corporal Frescas entered the U.S. Army from Texas and served in Company B, 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on November 27, 1950, while fighting in North Korea. CPL Frescas died at some point following his disappearance, but the details of his loss are unknown. His remains were recovered in 1998, and identified in 2001.
Cemetery: Buried in Texas in 2001

Source: National Archives, 35th Infantry Regiment Association, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

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Holtzclaw, Charles Emmett
Army Private 1st class

Charles Emmett Holtzclaw, age 18, from Texas, Tarrant county.

Parents: Walter S. Holtzclaw

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. Corporal Charles Emmett Holtzclaw, who joined the U.S. Army from Texas, was a member of Company L, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. By midnight on November 1, 1950, the 8th Cavalry Regiment was forced to withdraw from the Unsan area to avoid encirclement by the enemy. The 3rd Battalion was the last to withdraw, and was surrounded and cut off by the CCF. They formed a defensive perimeter, and withstood attacks for the next few days before survivors either broke out to avoid capture or surrendered. Corporal Holtzclaw went missing in action during this battle. He was never reported as a prisoner of war, and he remains unaccounted for. Today, Corporal Holtzclaw is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Fort Worth Star Telegram (1953)