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In memory of James C. Bowman

World War II and Korean Conflict Veterans Interred Overseas

James C Bowman
Inducted From: West Virginia
Rank: Private First Class
Combat Organization: 31st Infantry 7th Division
Death Date: Nov 28 1950
Monument: Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Last Known Status: Missing
U.S. Awards: Purple Heart Medal

Korean War Casualties, 1950-1957

Name: James C Bowman
Birth Date: 1930
Gender: Male
Race: Caucasian
Home City: Marion
Home State: West Virginia
Citizen Status: US Citizen
Death Date: 28 Nov 1950
Processed Date: Nov 1979
Casualty Country: Korea
Casualty Type: Hostile - Killed
Casualty Cause: US Army - No Information Available
Casualty Air: US Army - No Information Available
Service Branch: US Army
Component: Reserve (USAR, USNR, USAFR, USMCR, USCGR)
Rank: Private First Class

U.S. Veterans Cemeteries, ca.1800-2006
Name: James Charles Bowman
Service Info.: PFC US ARMY
Birth Date: 6 Nov 1932
Death Date: 28 Nov 1950
Service Start Date: 1 Aug 1947

(Am I right in thinking that this means, if he was born in Nov of 1932, he began serving when he was less than 15 years old?)

Service End Date: 11 Nov 1950
Interment Date: 28 Nov 1950
Cemetery: West Virginia National Cemetery
Cemetery Address: Route 2 Box 127 Grafton, WV 26354
Buried At: Section MA Site 36

James Charles Bowman
Birth Date: 1930
Birth City: Marion
State Registered: West Virginia

Death Date: 28 Nov 1950
Death Country: Korea
Death Description: Killed in Action

War: Korean War
Title: Private First Class, U.S. Army
Rank: Private First Class
Service: U.S. Army
Service ID: [deleted by syriacus]
Notes: Private First Class Bowman was a member of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy at the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea on November 28, 1950. His remains were not recovered. Private First Class Bowman was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
Data Source: Korean War Veterans Honor Roll

November 30, 1950 front page of Mansfield News-Journal

Truman hints use of A-bombs
Chinese Reds cut off Marine Division
Foe Opens Two-Way Assault	Declares U.N. Won't Give Up Korea Mission
Northwest Front Strangely Quiet Tokyo -- (UP)-- Communist China suddenly shifted its offensive, to northeast Korea today and cut off the entire U.S. First Marine division and part of an Army division in a furious ne two-way assault. The Chinese Reds sliced across supply roads behind the Marines and two regiments of the U.S. Seventh division and at the same time launched a heavy fronal attack against the northernmost Leathernecks on the west side of the Chosin reservoir.	Washington - (AP) - President Truman said today active consideration is being given to use of the atomic bomb against the Chinese communists if that step is necessary. The President spoke of this possibility at a news conference in which he also expresssed continued hope a third world war can be averted.

Thanks for your research. I was totally unaware that there was a grave site for him at Grafton WV which was right down the road from my home in Fairmont. It still looks like he is MIA. He apparently is known to be KIA so maybe his dogtags got picked up or his death witnessed or whatever the procedure is but his body remains at Chosin. There may be nothing to recover.

I'm a few miles from the Army History Center in Carlisle, PA. They have quite a lot of information there but not official records. I spent a couple of days up there trying to find more information on the 31sts fight at the Chosin. There are personal letters, photos and stuff there at Carlisle and the unit was reconstituted but there wasn't much continuity. I wonder if any of the survivors were in good enough shape to form the nucleus of a new unit.