Servicemen Returned
8 Servicement Returned
12/1/2006. The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel (DPMO) announced today that the remains of eight U.S. Servicemen, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and returned to their families for burial with full military honors: They are MSgt Alfred H. Alonzo Sr. of Tampa, FL; Sgt. 1st Class Robert C. Bucheit of Hamilton, OH; Sgt Francis E. Lindsey of Esther, MO; Cpl Joseph Gregori of West Pittston, PA; Cpl. Darrell W. Scarbrough of Fayetteville, W.VA.; Cpl. Homor L. Sisk Jr. of Ducor, CA.; Cpl Charles E. Sizemore of Rushville, IN; and Cpl. William E. Wood of Moorhead, MN.; all U.S. Army. Gregori was buried in August; Bucheit was buried in September; Scarbrough, Sisk and Sizemore were buried in October; Alonzo was buried in November; and Lindsey and Woodˆ€ˆ¢s burial dates are being set by their families.
The soldiers were assigned to the U.S. 8th Cavalry Regiment and attached units (1st Cavalry Division), when their unit came under attack by Chinese forces near Unsan, North Korean on the night of Nov. 1-2, 1950. During the battle, these eight and nearly 400 others from the 8th Cavalry Regiment were declared missing or killed in action.
In 2000, a joint U.S. and Democratic Peopleˆ€ˆ¢s Republic of Korean Team, led by the Joint POW/MIA (JPAC) interviewed a farmer living in the vicinity of Unsan who told the team that while doing land reclamation work, he uncovered remains he believed were those of U.S. soldiers. The team excavated the burial site and uncovered the remains of at least 10 different individuals. They also recovered other items and identification tags belonging to these men. Some of the remains could not be identified and will be held for further research and analysis.
MSGT Robert V. Layton
11/28/2006 DPMO announced today that the remains of MSgt Layton, of Cincinnati, OH have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors. MSgt Layton was assigned to Company A, 32nd Infantry, 7 Div.
Between 2002 and 2004, joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, Peopleˆ€ˆ¢s Republic of North Korea teams, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, seven times excavated a mass burial site associated with the 31st RCT, along the eastern shore of the Chosin Reservior. The team found human remains and other material, including Laytonˆ€ˆ¢s identification tag and part of his billfold containing a newspaper clipping reporting on a Bronze Star being award to Sgt Layton, circa 1944.
PFC Allen L. Mettler
10/6/2006: PFC Mettler fought and died for our country over half a century ago. Mettler died in a Korean War POW camp, but it took decades for his body to be returned. The after effects of war are always present, but today the Mettler family and friends were finally able to close a painful chapter in their lives.
CPL Edward F. Blazejewski
8/10/2006: Blazejewski was assigned Medical Company, 8th Cavalry Regiment, when his unit came under heavy artillery attack by the Chinese forces near Unsan, North Korea, on November 1, 1950. A U.S. Soldier who had been held as a prisoner of war by the North Korean told debriefers that Blazejewski and others had been killed by a grenade explosion. Blazejewski was listed as MIA. He was returned to his family and buried with full military honors.
Back to TopSamsung Donates $1 Million to National Infantry Museum and Heritage Park
COLUMBUS, Georgia – September 14, 2006: Korea-based Samsung announced today it will donate $1 million for construction of the Korean War Gallery at the new National Infantry Museum and Heritage Park in Columbus, Georgia.
The museum is being built on 200 acres just outside the gates of Fort Benning, the home of the Infantry and one the U.S. Army's largest training posts. Completion is expected in early 2008.
The 160,000-square-foot museum will honor the 231-year history of the American Infantryman, including his mid-century role in preserving the republic of Korea, halting Communist aggression and stabilizing the region.
"We decided to support the construction of the Korean War Gallery to honor the U.S. soldiers who fought for Korea's liberty, those who sacrificed their lives, and to build a stronger friendship between the two countries," a spokesman for Samsung said.
Retired Major General Jerry A. White, chairman for the National Infantry Foundation said the gift is especially meaningful. "Samsung Group's generous sponsorship of the Korean War Gallery is not only a major donation for the new National Infantry Museum project but also represents international support for Soldiers and the sacrifices they have made for the freedoms our countries now enjoy," he said.
MG (Ret.) White and General (Ret.) Edwin H. Burba, Jr., chairman of the National Infantry Foundation's National Advisory Board, will personally thank Samsung for its donation during an award ceremony hosted by the Korea Society in New York on September 19. At that ceremony, Samsung chairman Lee Kun-Hee is to receive the Korea Society's Van Fleet Award for his contribution to strengthening relations between the U.S. and Korea.
The new National Infantry Museum will tell the Infantry story from Revolutionary times to the present. It will include interactive exhibits, simulator activities and a 3-D IMAX theater.
Heritage Park will feature an authentic World War II company street, a memorial walk of honor and a 5-acre parade field for Infantry school graduations, change-of-command ceremonies and public events.
The mission of the museum is to honor the Infantry's legacy of valor and sacrifice, to preserve the artifacts that document that legacy, and to teach Americans about the true cost of freedom.
Reposted with permission from National Infantry Foundation.
Back to TopKorean War Hero Returned to Family
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – After more than 50 years of waiting, hoping and praying, the family of a Korean War hero can rest easier knowing their Soldier is finally home.
The remains of Pfc. Francis Crater Jr. were buried in the family plot in Akron, Ohio, Oct. 21 – nearly 56 years after his death.
Read the full story at Military.com.
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