Until They Are Home
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Posted on 04/03/2009 4:51:40 PM PDT by Stonewall Jackson
SOLDIERS MISSING IN ACTION FROM THE KOREAN WAR ARE IDENTIFIED
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of four U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
They are Cpl. Samuel C. Harris, Jr., of Rogersville, Tenn; Cpl. Lloyd D. Stidham, of Beattyville, Ky.; Cpl. Robert G. Schoening, of Blaine, Wash; and one serviceman whose name is being withheld pending a briefing to his family. All men were U.S. Army. Harris will be buried April 10 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C., Stidham will be buried April 13 in Nicholasville, Ky., and Schoening will be buried June 19 in Arlington. Representatives from the Army’s Mortuary Office met with these servicemembers’ next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.
These Soldiers were assigned to Company C, 65th Combat Engineer Battalion, 25th Infantry Division. On Nov. 25, 1950, Company C came under intense enemy attack when it was occupying a position near Hill 222 situated south of the Kuryong River east of the “Camel’s Head” bend, North Korea. The men were reported missing in action on November 27.
In 2000, a joint U.S./Democratic People’s Republic of Korea team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), excavated a site overlooking the Kuryong River in P’yongan-Pukto Province where U.S. soldiers were believed to be buried. The team recovered human remains and non-biological evidence. One soldier who was also recovered there with this group, 1st Lt. Dixie Parker, was previously identified and buried in December 2007 in Arlington.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in the identification of these soldiers’ remains. Remains that could not be individually identified will be buried as a group in Arlington on a date to be determined.
Until They Are Home
If you want on or off my POW/MIA Ping List, please FReep Mail or Ping me.
Cpl. Samuel C. Harris, Jr., of Rogersville, Tenn;
Cpl. Lloyd D. Stidham, of Beattyville, Ky.;
Cpl. Robert G. Schoening, of Blaine, Wash;
and one serviceman whose name is being withheld pending a briefing to his family.
Welcome home and thank you.
They’re on a roll. Prayers they stay busy.
Ping for the fallen
Welcome home faithful servants.
Thank God.
Imagine if you will this was your son.
The last full measure for a grateful nation.
They’ve been in Heaven longer than I’ve been alive and I’m 52 years old. God has always known where they were. Now their families do too.
RIP
Cpl Samuel C Harris Jr - Rogersville TN
Cpl Lloyd D Stidham - Beattyville KY
Cpl Robert G Schoening - Blaine WA
Name withheld pending family briefing
We worked with the DPRK on this?
Thank you for your sacrifices and God bless you all.
GOD Bless... 
Cpl. Samuel C. Harris, Jr.,Cpl. Lloyd D. Stidham,Cpl. Robert G. Schoening,and Un-named Serviceman. welcome home sons, may you rest in peace. Thank you for your ultimate sacrifice.
mrs
Welcome home, men. We've been waiting too long for you.
prayers
May they rest in peace.
Above is a picture I took in Oct 2008 at Chipyong-ni, Republic of Korea. This view is taken from the foot of the hill in front of G Co. positions, in a former minefield, looking SW. In the middle of the picture you can see the utility poles that run along the road taken by Task Force Crombez as they broke in to relieve the encirclement in Feb. 1951.
The Chinese held the hills in the background of the photo. Every night, thousands of Chi-com troops came down off the hills and charged across the rice fields in the photo, only to be mown down by the brave men of the 2nd ID dug in along the inner perimeter that the U.S. troops (and the valiant French brigade)held around the village of Chipyong-ni. Our troops held out for three days at 10:1 odds and handed the Chinese their first major defeat of the war.
Lest you think Korea looks like it does on MASH, think again. I'd equate it to the Adirondacks or the Green Mountains of Vermont. Very rugged terrain and the hills are quite steep.
Glad to hear that our MIA's continue to be repatriated to the U.S.
My visit to Chipyong-ni was wonderful. The people there were very friendly and were quite impressed that I was interested in the Korean War and the battle that was fought around their village. South Korea is a vibrant country and the sacrifices of our miltary were well-rewarded.
Prayers for their eternal rest...
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