Considering that this soldiers remains were recovered in 1995, in makes me wonder how long it will take DPAA to identify the 52 remains recently returned by North Korea. Regardless welcome home PFC Joe Elmore:
In this undated photo released by the Department of Defense, Army Pfc. Joe S. Elmore is pictured in a Korean War-era photo. Elmore’s remains had been missing since a battle on the Korean peninsula in 1950 but were recently returned and identified in June. He will be buried with full military honors in Kentucky in August. (Department of Defense via AP)
The remains of a Kentucky soldier who disappeared after a 1950 Korean War battle with high casualties will be returned home for a burial with full military honors.
Army Pfc. Joe S. Elmore’s remains were originally thought to be of a British soldier when they were discovered in North Korea in 1995, but they could not be identified. The remains were later buried in South Korea.
Nearly 20 years later, the remains were disinterred and transported to The Defense Department’s POW/MIA Accounting Agency, which seeks to identify missing and unidentified American soldiers. The agency used DNA and anthropological analysis to match the remains to Elmore.
Elmore was 20 when he was killed during a battle on Dec. 2, 1950, in Hamgyeong Province, North Korea. He will be given a military funeral in Albany, Kentucky, on Aug. 18.
The POW/MIA Accounting Agency said in a release that Elmore was among about 2,500 U.S. soldiers that were attacked in late November by overwhelming Chinese forces near the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. [SF Gate]
“Considering that this soldiers remains were recovered in 1995, in makes me wonder how long it will take DPAA to identify the 52 remains recently returned by North Korea.”
They were originally discovered in 1995, reburied for 20 years, and then sent to DPAA three years ago. So really it wasn’t that long.
setnaffa
6 years ago
In late November, 1950, Elmore was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. Approximately 2,500 U.S. and 700 South Korean soldiers assembled into the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT), which was deployed east of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea, when it was attacked by overwhelming numbers of Chinese forces. As the Chinese attacks continued, American forces withdrew south. By December 6, the U.S. Army evacuated approximately 1,500 service members; the remaining soldiers had been either captured, killed or missing in enemy territory. Because Elmore could not be accounted for by his unit, he was reported missing in action as of Dec. 2, 1950.
“Out of the original 2,500 soldiers, about 1,050 managed to reach Hagaru-ri, and only 385 survivors were deemed able-bodied.”
Alexander, Bevin R. (1986). Korea: The First War We Lost. New York, New York: Hippocrene Books. p. 312. ISBN 9780870521355.
However, I just read about Halsey’s conduct of the Naval battles of Guadalcanal; and I realize hindsight can see a lot more clearly than the folks making choices at the time. I just hope we don’t have a need to repeat the bloodshed
2ID Doc
6 years ago
As a fellow Kentuckian, welcome home brother.
Smokes
6 years ago
Setnaffa see what happens when you got no Signal? 😉
setnaffa
6 years ago
Smokes, you’re right… You just have to wonder why the guy whose airplanes were destroyed on the ground THE DAY AFTER December 7th was given another command…
Not saying I could have done his job; but obviously in 1950 we had a lot of talented Generals…
BTW, Task Force Smith should have been a full RCT, not three under-strength rifle companies and 6 gun tubes. MacArthur had a habit of not reacting well to the unexpected.
“Considering that this soldiers remains were recovered in 1995, in makes me wonder how long it will take DPAA to identify the 52 remains recently returned by North Korea.”
They were originally discovered in 1995, reburied for 20 years, and then sent to DPAA three years ago. So really it wasn’t that long.
In late November, 1950, Elmore was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. Approximately 2,500 U.S. and 700 South Korean soldiers assembled into the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT), which was deployed east of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea, when it was attacked by overwhelming numbers of Chinese forces. As the Chinese attacks continued, American forces withdrew south. By December 6, the U.S. Army evacuated approximately 1,500 service members; the remaining soldiers had been either captured, killed or missing in enemy territory. Because Elmore could not be accounted for by his unit, he was reported missing in action as of Dec. 2, 1950.
Links:
http://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Recent-News-Stories/Article/1568522/soldier-killed-during-korean-war-accounted-for-elmore-j/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Task_Force_Faith
Read a book called “East of Chosin” Very sad what happended to the soldiers and how they were just left to die by the higher-ups in the army.
Not one of MacArthur’s brightest moments… His HQ had recently told 7ID to stop sending captured Chinese because they were only “volunteers”… 🙁
“Ignoring reports of contact with CCF troops, MacArthur ordered the Eighth Army and X Corps to push on to the Yalu.”
https://armyhistory.org/nightmare-at-the-chosin-reservoir/
“Out of the original 2,500 soldiers, about 1,050 managed to reach Hagaru-ri, and only 385 survivors were deemed able-bodied.”
Alexander, Bevin R. (1986). Korea: The First War We Lost. New York, New York: Hippocrene Books. p. 312. ISBN 9780870521355.
“MacArthur remained firmly convinced, despite evidence to the contrary, that the Chinese would not dare intervene in the Korean civil war.”
https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/bloodbath-at-the-chosin/
Et cetera, ad nauseum.
However, I just read about Halsey’s conduct of the Naval battles of Guadalcanal; and I realize hindsight can see a lot more clearly than the folks making choices at the time. I just hope we don’t have a need to repeat the bloodshed
As a fellow Kentuckian, welcome home brother.
Setnaffa see what happens when you got no Signal? 😉
Smokes, you’re right… You just have to wonder why the guy whose airplanes were destroyed on the ground THE DAY AFTER December 7th was given another command…
Not saying I could have done his job; but obviously in 1950 we had a lot of talented Generals…
BTW, Task Force Smith should have been a full RCT, not three under-strength rifle companies and 6 gun tubes. MacArthur had a habit of not reacting well to the unexpected.
http://www.historynet.com/rush-disaster-task-force-smith.htm
https://www.amazon.com/Task-Force-Smith-Lesson-Learned/dp/1288323840
We’re probably headed there again: http://www.aei.org/publication/the-lesson-of-task-force-smith/