Yancey county North Carolina

J. S. Silvers from North Carolina, Yancey county.

Service era: Korea

Date of death: Tuesday, July 7, 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 J.S. Silvers, who joined the U.S. Army from North Carolina, served with Company A, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on July 6 when Chinese troops overran his unit’s position on the slopes of Pork Chop Hill. He was not seen to fall in battle and was never reported as a prisoner of war. Tactical conditions precluded an immediate search for his remains and the area of his loss became part of the Demilitarized Zone after the ceasefire and was given a presumptive finding of death on July 7, 1954. Today, Private First Class Silvers is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives