Tag: Yalu River 1950

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McClatchey, Herman Lohse
Army Private

Herman Lohse McClatchey, age 40, from Fulton County Atlanta, Georgia .

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Tuesday, February 27, 1951
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. Private First Class Herman Lohse McClatchey, who joined the U.S. Army from Georgia, served in A Company, 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He was captured by enemy forces on December 1, 1950, as his unit withdrew from Kunu-ri to Sunchon. He was marched with other prisoners to Pukchin-Tarigol Valley, North Korea, where he died of malnutrition on February 27, 1951. His remains have not been recovered. Private First Class McClatchey is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Atlanta Constitution (1951)

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Williams, Charles Othern
Army Private 1st class

Charles Othern Williams, age 19, from Pittsburg County Eufaula, Oklahoma .

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Thursday, February 22, 1951
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 Charles Othern Williams, who joined the U.S. Army from Oklahoma, served with D Company, 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He was captured by enemy forces on December 1, 1950, as his unit was withdrawing from Kunu-ri to Sunchon. He and a large group of other prisoners were marched to Camp 5, Pyoktong, North Korea, where soon after his arrival, he died of malnutrition on February 22, 1951. He was buried at Camp 5, however, his remains have not been identified among any returned to U.S. custody after the war. Corporal Williams is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, M’Alester News Capital (1951)

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Barra, Michael James
Army Corporal

Michael James Barra, age 19, from Tompkins County New York.

Parents: Lena C. Barra

Service era: Korea
Schools: Ithaca High (1949)

Date of death: Tuesday, February 20, 1951
Death details: On October 23, 2014, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC, now DPAA) identified the remains of Sergeant Michael James Barra, missing from the Korean War. Sergeant Barra, who joined the U.S. Army from New York, was a member of C Company, 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. On December 1, 1950, he was captured while fighting through a series of Chinese Communist Forces roadblocks near Kunu-ri, North Korea. He died of unknown causes on February 20, 1951, while at POW Camp 5 in Pyokdong, North Korea. He was buried at the camp, and his remains were not returned to the U.S. immediately following the conflict’s ceasefire. Between 1991 and 1994, the North Korean government turned over to the United States boxes of human remains, including some recovered from the vicinity where SGT Barra died. U.S. analysts used modern forensic techniques to eventually identify SGT Barra from among these remains. Sergeant Barra is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Cemetery: Burial November 22, 2014 at the Calvary Cemetery

Source: National Archives, Ithaca Journal (1954)

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Long, Charles Maurice
Army Corporal

Charles Maurice Long, age 19, from Saint Louis County Saint Louis, Missouri .

Parents: William C. Long

Service era: Korea
Schools: Blewett and Soldan-Blewett high schools

Date of death: Saturday, February 17, 1951
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 Charles Maurice Long, who joined the U.S. Army from Missouri, served in D Company, 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He was captured by enemy forces on December 1, 1950, during his unit’s withdrawal from Kunu-ri to Sunchon, North Korea. He was marched with a large group of prisoners northward to the Pukchin-Tarigol Valley, where he died of pneumonia on February 17, 1951. Sergeant Long is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Saint Louis Post Dispatch (1951)

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Carpenter, Robert Evans
Army Corporal

Robert Evans Carpenter, age 20, from Garfield County Oklahoma.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Thursday, February 15, 1951
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 Robert Evans Carpenter, who joined the U.S. Army from Oklahoma, served with A Company, 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He went missing in action on December 1, 1950, as he and his unit withdrew from Kunu-ri to Sunchon while under attack by the CCF. A former prisoner of war remembers seeing SGT Carpenter at Camp 5, Pyoktong, North Korea, and reports that SGT Carpenter died there on February 15, 1951; however, it is possible the account may have been about another prisoner with the last name of Carpenter. SGT Carpenter’s fate remains uncertain, and his remains have not been recovered. Today, Sergeant Carpenter 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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Encinas, Richard Caballero
Army Corporal

Richard Caballero Encinas, age 22, from Cochise County Arizona.

Parents: Nellie R. Cabellero

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Thursday, February 15, 1951
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 Richard Caballero Encinas, who joined the U.S. Army from Arizona, served with A Company, 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He was captured by enemy forces on an unknown date during the 2nd Engineer’s withdrawal to Sunchon. Surviving prisoners who were interned with him reported SGT Encinas died of dysentery and malnutrition at Camp 5, Pyoktong, North Korea, on February 15, 1951. His remains have not been recovered, and he was not identified among the remains returned to the U.S. following the war. Today, Sergeant Encinas is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, The Californian (1954)

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Newton, William Aaron
Army Private 1st class

William Aaron Newton, age 21, from Scott County Missouri.

Parents: William Newton

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Wednesday, February 7, 1951
Death details: On November 20, 2013, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC, now DPAA) identified the remains of Corporal William Aaron Newton, missing from the Korean War. Corporal Newton joined the U.S. Army from Missouri and was a member of the Headquarters Service Company, 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He was taken Prisoner of War while fighting Chinese Communist Forces near Kunu-ri, North Korea on November 30, 1950. CPL Newton was taken to Prisoner of War Camp 5 in Pyoktong, North Korea, where he died on February 7, 1951. His remains were returned to U.S. custody during Operation Glory in September 1954; however, they could not be individually identified at the time and were buried as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii. In 2012, advances in forensic techniques prompted the reexamination and eventual identification of CPL Newton’s remains.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Saint Louis Globe Democrat (1951)

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Overend, James Edward
Army Master sergeant

James Edward Overend, age 43, from Kings County Brooklyn, New York .

Spouse: Teresa Overend
Children: Dennis, infant

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Wednesday, February 7, 1951
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. Master Sergeant James Edward Overend, who joined the U.S. Army from New Jersey, served with A Company, 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He was captured by enemy forces on December 1, 1950, as his unit was withdrawing from Kunu-ri to Sunchon. He was marched with a large group of prisoners to the Pukchin-Tarigol Valley in North Korea, where he died of malnutrition and cardiac failure on February 7, 1951. He was under the care of a captured Army doctor at the time of his death, but no mention is made of his burial. His remains have not been recovered. Master Sergeant Overend is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Jersey Journal (1953)

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Blanchfield, Robert Wayne
Army Private 1st class

Robert Wayne Blanchfield, age 23, from Pierce County Tacoma, Washington .

Parents: Amy Louise Blanchfield (1899-1996)

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Wednesday, January 31, 1951
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 Robert Wayne Blanchfield, who joined the U.S. Army from Washington, served in the Headquarters, Headquarters and Service Company, 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He was taken prisoner of war on November 30, 1950, during his unit’s withdrawal to Sunchon, North Korea. After his capture, he was marched to a holding camp in the Pukchin-Tarigol Valley where he died from malnutrition on or before January 31, 1951. His remains have not been recovered or identified since the ceasefire. Today, Corporal Blanchfield is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, News Tribune (1996)

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Graham, David Leroy
Army Corporal

David Leroy Graham, age 27, from Boundary County Bonners Ferry, Idaho .

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Wednesday, January 31, 1951
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 David Leroy Graham, who joined the U.S. Army from Idaho, served with B Company, 2nd Engineer Cambat Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. He was captured by enemy forces on December 1, 1950, as his unit withdrew from Kuni-ri to Sunchon, and marched with a large group of other prisoners to the Pukchin-Tarigol Valley. He died of pneumonia at Pukchin-Tarigol on January 31 1951, while under the care of a captured Army doctor. His remains were never recovered. Today, Sergeant Graham is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, The Times News (1951)