Vernon County Wisconsin

John O. Skaug from Wisconsin, Vernon county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Thursday, July 9, 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.

Private First Class John Ole Skaug, who joined the U.S. Army from Wisconsin, served with Company I, 3rd Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He went missing in action on July 9 as his unit fought Chinese troops for control of Pork Chop Hill. No one saw him fall in battle and he was never reported to be a prisoner of war. Tactical conditions precluded a search for him at the time, and the area of his loss became part of the Demilitarized Zone after the ceasefire. Today, Private First Class Skaug is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency