Korean War MIAs

Deep Web Diver · #1 (**permalink**) May 25th, 2004, 01:53 AM

United States Department of Defense: Remains of U.S. Servicemen Found in North Korea, May 24, 2004

Quote:

Nineteen sets of remains believed to be those of American soldiers missing in action from the Korean War were recovered by two teams of U.S. specialists and will be repatriated to U.S. control at Yongsan Military Compound in Seoul May 27.

The joint remains recovery work is the result of negotiations with North Korea led by the Defense Department's POW/Missing Personnel Office. The remains will be returned overland across the demilitarized zone for the first time since 1999. Jerry D. Jennings, who led the negotiations with North Korea, will be the ranking Department of Defense official participating in the repatriation.

A joint team operating near the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea recovered 12 sets of remains believed to be those of U.S. Army soldiers from the 7th Infantry Division who fought against Chinese forces from November-December 1950. Approximately 1,000 Americans are estimated to have been lost in battles of the Chosin campaign.

Additionally, a second team recovered seven sets of remains in Unsan County, about 60 miles north of Pyongyang. This area was the site of battles between communist forces and the U.S. Army's 1st Cavalry and 25th Infantry Divisions in November 1950.

The 28-person U.S. contingent was composed primarily of specialists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, where the remains will be flown to begin the forensic identification process.

Since 1996, 28 individual joint operations have been conducted in North Korea, during which more than 200 sets of remains believed to be those of U.S. soldiers have been recovered. Of the 88,000 U.S. servicemembers missing in action from all conflicts, more than 8,100 are from the Korean War.

For additional information about POW/MIA recoveries, visit http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo ...

[ 24. March 2005, 09:10 PM: Message edited by: Deep Web Diver ]

TA152 · #2 (**permalink**) May 25th, 2004, 07:44 AM

Thanks for posting the information Crapgame. It is good to know these guys got found and returned home after 54 years. It is really sad that there are still 88,000 left to find.

Have you ever read anything on the psychology of North Koreans ? It puzzles me how a country can be so weird for so long and the same people across an artifcial border are "normal".

Deep Web Diver · #3 (**permalink**) May 26th, 2004, 02:03 AM

You're welcome TA152.

Regarding the North Koreans, it seems many are quite desperate to escape: Congressional Committee Hears Testimony About North Korean Human Rights Issues

Quote:

Legislation in the House of Representatives called the "North Korea Human Rights Act" was recently approved a key House committee.

It calls, among other things, for a ban on assistance if Pyongyang does not certify aid is used only for humanitarian purposes. It also urges China to guarantee humane treatment of North Koreans fleeing their country.

Tim Peters, director of "Helping Hands/Korea", presented a list of Chinese, South Koreans and Japanese jailed by Chinese authorities in connection with helping North Korean asylum-seekers. He referred to a recent incident in which a North Korean was reported shot and killed. ...

The House committee also heard from survivors of North Korean prison camps, as well as a former prison camp guard, Dong Chul Choi, who detailed torture and inhumane treatment, and executions of those attempting to escape.

In often emotional testimony, all called on Congress to take an even more intense interest in human rights violations in the north.

Stevin · #4 (**permalink**) May 26th, 2004, 12:21 PM

Once again an excellent post, DWD. It is good to know the US is still 'at it' when it comes to finding and ID-ing the MIA's. And that they are succesful. Finding as many as 19 is amazing.

I hade no idea that so many were still missing!

Thanks for posting this post and the ones like it! I very much appreciate them.

Stevin

Deep Web Diver · #5 (**permalink**) May 27th, 2004, 04:56 AM

You're welcome Stevin.

Hopefully these 19 soldiers will be identified and returned to their familes, who have waited for them for so long.

[ 27. May 2004, 01:07 AM: Message edited by: Deep Web Diver ]

Deep Web Diver · #6 (**permalink**) September 10th, 2004, 02:42 AM

U.S. Department of Defense: Remains of American MIAs Found in North Korea, September 9, 2004

Quote:

Remains believed to be those of American soldiers missing in action from the Korean War have been recovered by two teams of U.S. specialists and are being repatriated to U.S. control at Yongsan Military Compound in Seoul today, Korea time.

The precise number of remains will be determined in follow-on forensic examinations.

The joint remains recovery work resulted from negotiations with North Korea led by the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office. The remains were repatriated overland across the demilitarized zone as was done for the first three recovery operations in 2004.

Specialists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) comprised the 28-man U.S. element of the recovery teams. The first team operated near the Chosin Reservoir where the 7th Infantry Division fought Chinese forces November-December 1950. Approximately 1,000 Americans are missing in action from battles of the Chosin campaign.

The second team recovered remains in Unsan County about 60 miles north of Pyongyang. This area was the site of battles between communist forces and the U.S. Army?s 1st Cavalry Division and 25th Infantry Division in November 1950.

The remains will be flown to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, where the forensic identification process will take place in the JPAC laboratory.

Since 1996, 31 joint operations have been conducted in North Korea, during which remains believed to be those of more than 200 soldiers have been recovered. Of the 88,000 U.S. servicemembers missing in action from all conflicts, more than 8,100 are from the Korean War.

For additional information about POW/MIA recoveries, visit http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo ...

Deep Web Diver · #7 (**permalink**) October 9th, 2004, 01:09 PM

US Department of Defense: Remains of American MIA's Found in North Korea, October 8, 2004

Quote:

Remains believed to be those of American soldiers missing in action from the Korean War have been recovered by two teams of United States specialists and will be repatriated to U.S. control at Yongsan Military Compound in Seoul on Oct. 15.

A more precise number will be determined in follow-on forensic examinations.

The repatriation marks the fifth and final remains recovery operation in North Korea this year.

Since 1996, 32 joint operations have been conducted in North Korea, during which remains believed to be those of more than 200 soldiers have been recovered. Of the 88,000 U.S. service members missing in action from all conflicts, more than 8,100 are from the Korean War.

The joint remains recovery work resulted from negotiations with North Korea led by the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office. The remains are to be repatriated overland across the demilitarized zone, as was done for the first four recovery operations in 2004.

Specialists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) comprised the 27-man U.S. element of the recovery teams. The first team operated near the Chosin Reservoir where the 1st Marine Division and the Army's 7th Infantry Division fought Chinese forces November-December 1950. Approximately 1,000 Americans are missing in action from the Chosin campaign.

The second team recovered remains in Unsan County about 60 miles north of Pyongyang. This area was the site of battles between communist forces and the U.S. Army's 1st Cavalry and 25th Infantry divisions in November 1950.

The remains will be flown to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, where the forensic identification process will take place in the JPAC laboratory.

Deep Web Diver · #8 (**permalink**) March 25th, 2005, 02:07 AM

U.S. Department of Defense: Missing Korean War Serviceman Identified, February 25, 2005

Quote:

The Department of Defense announced today that the remains of a U. S. Air Force pilot, missing in action from the Korean War, has been identified and will soon be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Air Force Captain Troy “Gordie” Cope of Norfolk, Ark., will be buried in Plano, Texas, on May 31.

On Sept. 16, 1952, Cope and his wingman, both flying F-86 Saber Jets from Kimpo Air Base in South Korea, encountered six MiG-15s of the North Korean Air Force. Cope was flying near the Yalu River, separating North Korea from China, on combat air patrol in an area known as "MiG Alley." In the ensuing aerial dogfight, Cope lost contact with his wingman and was never seen again.

In 1995, an American businessman saw a metal dogtag belonging to Cope in the military museum in Dandong, China. He copied the data and reported it to U.S. authorities, yet inquiries to both the Chinese and North Korean governments yielded no further leads.

Then in 1999, during archival research by analysts of the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO), documents about Cope’s shootdown were discovered in Russian archives in Podolsk. These archives held documents that included statements and drawings by the Russian pilots who were flying the MiG-15s for the North Koreans. Also included were detailed reports on the ground search carried out by Russian and Chinese officials in Dandong where the crash site was located.

After DPMO's discussions with the Chinese government in 2003, a team of specialists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command excavated the site in May 2004 and found aircraft debris and human remains which were identified in October. Dandong citizens and officials assisted the team throughout the excavation, and were praised by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/Missing Personnel Affairs Jerry D. Jennings.

"Without the assistance of the people of Dandong, this would not have been possible. The family of Troy Cope and the American people express our appreciation to all those who helped us bring Troy Cope home again," said Jennings.

Of the 88,000 Americans missing from all conflicts, 8,100 are MIA from the Korean War.