Not long after Thanksgiving of 1950, a group of soldiers and the 1st Marine division battled for two weeks. They fought through droves of Chinese soldiers to make it to the Korean coast.
The Chinese were not the only thing they had to fight. They also had to deal with severe cold with daytime temperatures below zero and nighttime temps reaching -20 or lower, causing many deaths on both sides.
End of the War
When the Korean War ended in 1953, many of the remains of soldiers who died in battle did not come home. In 2018, 55 sets of remains were brought back to Hawaii.
The U.S. Military believed that the remains were servicemen from the U.S. and likely service members from the United Nations. Then-Vice President Mike Pence was there to greet the caskets and speak at a ceremony before they were taken off the plane.
"Whosoever emerges from these aircraft today begins a new season of hope for the families of our missing fallen. Hope that those who are lost will yet be found. Hope that after so many years of questions, they will have closure."
Vice President Mike Pence
The military arranged for each casket to be carried by one Marine, one sailor, one soldier, and one airman. The containers were all set on risers in a hangar.
Identifying The Remains
Many family members of service members who never made it home hoped that the remains of their loved ones were in one of the containers. There are around 7,700 soldiers who are MIA from the Korean War, and the U.S. believed around 5,300 are still in North Korea.
It is the task of the U.S. military's Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency to identify soldiers' remains with DNA samples provided by their family members. They use bones, teeth, dog tags, and personal effects to make positive IDs.
However, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says this is a step in the right direction, but there is no guarantee that American remains in the boxes. It takes years to sift through remains and find matches.
For one Illinois family, the news came sooner rather than later. The department identified U.S. Army Cpl. Asa E Vance, handing his remains over to his niece so that he could receive a proper burial with full military honors.
Hopefully, many more families will get the opportunity to lay their soldiers to rest as the identification process continues.
Source: Military Times & Army Times
The POW/MIA recovery effort remains an ongoing project; let US pray all are, eventually, recovered and brought home to "rest in peace and glory". May all families of our lost treasure finally be able to find closure and comfort.
We must give all the Honor and GRATOTUDES to those SOULS through our prayers for their souls as well as for their families who are now living or are dead! Imaging the HORROS they lived through and how their family members longed for them.....
My husband was in that war and came out alive but suffered night mares the rest of his life. He was fine during the day but at night it would catch up with him over and over again.
He has PTSD and deserves considerable compensation. It took me6o plus years before I realized it. The VA treats me very well.
God bless HIS SOUL! Go bless all of them! God bless YOU!!!
Thank YOU too Cozy for being there for your husband...I expect you were ...and it has been hard on you too...please tell him we DO HONOR him for what he did for us!!! God Bless you both!!!
So much given by few, for so many.
I HAD 14 MONTHS THERE 51/53, 40 DEGREE BELOW WITH CHILL FACTORS ON TOP OF THE HILLS 80 DEGREES BELOW IN THE WINTER, IT IS NOT NICE TO SEE DEAD BODIES THAT IS NOTING BUT BONES, AND ONES THAT IS SWOLLEN UP AS BIG AS A 50 GALLON TRUM READY TO BURST. WAR IS HELL AND IT SEEMS THAT OUR PRESENT ADMINSTRATION IS LEADING UP INTO ONE NOW.
Dems aren't happy unless they are sending our yoyng men and women into bayyle. Much like what they are doing here in America with BLM/ANTIFA.
GOD BLESS YOU sir and thank you for your service
IF FACE BOOKS DONT LIKE WHAT YOU SAY, THEY CAN BLOCK YOU WHERE NO ONE CAN SEE IT BUT YOU. IF YOU TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT THIS ADMINSTRATION AND SOMETHING GOOD ABOUT TRUMP THEY BLOCK YOU OUT WHERE ONLY YOU CAN READ WHAT YOU WROTE. THIS COMPANY HAS TO BE BROKEN UP AND NOW.
has happened to me several times
My father and I both served in Korean War - he, as a senior Army commander; I, as a young enlisted sailor on a heavy cruiser, shelling the ChiComs from offshore. My mother used to send me letters (which took weeks to get to me) admonishing me 'don't shoot at your father'! Dad retired in '68, I retired in '78.
Thank you BOTH and GOD BLESS you for what you went through and in some instances still are...we, that never went (women were tasked with home front-which was difficult without fathers around) but our hearts were certainly with ALL of the men over there and all the back up men - - even the dentists and garbage collectors were needed!!!
Too many of our youth do not respect their freedoms that were bought by the blood and suffering that these heroes gave for them!!!
Because they are not taught History anymore and life has been too soft on them. They play their games and think they are hero's.
Larry, THAT problem is that their PARENTS haven't taught them RESPECT of our freedoms and how to show appreciation...THAT is the responsibility of PARENTS - it doesn't stop with creation and changing diapers!!!
No words can express only the heart can break. How little value we place on life
I’m amazed, I must say. Rarely do I come across a blog that’s both educative and amusing, and without a doubt, you've hit the nail on the head. The problem is something which too few men and women are speaking intelligently about. I am very happy I found this during my hunt for something concerning this.
Nice i really enjoyed reading your blogs. Keep on posting. Thanks
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God Bless him .He is home now. May be Rest in Peace.
it is such a shame when most in this discussion are concerned about honoring the dead from wars to protect us...these people are more concerned on smoking and "vaping"...SHOWS their concept of respect and thankfulness for those who died for them...
I would MUCH rather my tax dollars be used for this effort rather than the ILLEGALS housing & food & jobs that our tax dollars are now being used for...SPEND THE ILLEGALS "SUPPORT WELFARE" ON IDENTIFYING AND GETTING OUR MEN BACK TO THEIR FAMILIES...MANY, MANY MORE FEEL THIS WAY AND NOT JUST ME...LET THEM - YOUR CONGRESS PEOPLE - HEAR FROM YOU!!!!
WOW, DO I EVER AGREE ALI & i WILL WRITE!!!
I will not go into the complete story of the young man I met. The only things I remember were that his entire platoon was killed by the enemy in Korea except his Captain and himself.
When his Captain was hit he picked him up and started running for our lines. As I recall it was about five miles. There were Chinese soldiers running right along with him.
When he finally reached relative safety, his burden was given to medics and he found that his Captain had been killed instantly. He had carried a dead man all that way.
Is it no wonder that some of our men have mental problems?