In Memoriam

[cassiesmom]

Sailor Missing From Korean War Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

U.S. Navy Ensign Robert W. Langwell, of Columbus, Ind., will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery on July 12. On Oct. 1, 1950, Langwell was serving on the minesweeper USS Magpie when it sank after striking an enemy mine off the coast of Chuksan-ri, South Korea. Twelve crewmen were rescued, but Langwell was one of 20 men lost at sea.

In June 2008, personnel from the Republic of South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense Agency for Killed in Action Recovery and Identification (MAKRI) canvassed towns in South Korea in an effort to gather information regarding South Korean soldiers unaccounted-for from the Korean War. An elderly fisherman, interviewed in the village of Chuksan-ri, reported that he and other villagers had buried an American serviceman in 1950 when his body was caught in the man’s fishing net.

The MAKRI located the burial site on April 28, 2009, where they excavated human remains and military artifacts. The burial site was approximately three miles west of where the USS Magpie sank in 1950. The team turned the remains and artifacts over to U.S. Forces Korea, which sent them to Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command for analysis.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, JPAC scientists used dental comparisons in the identification of Langwell’s remains.

With Langwell’s accounting, 8,025 service members still remain missing from the Korean War.

Wow, over eight thousand people. That is very sad. How kind of the elderly man to share where this soldier was buried for so many years.

My dad was in the infantry in Korea. We watched the Memorial Day concert with Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna on PBS and he was very teary through most of it. The only person he has talked at length with about what happened there (besides my mom) is my nephew. Whatever happened there made a big impression on him.

P.S., Grace, re: post #744, I agree with you one thousand percent.

[Grace]

27 June 2010

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

They died June 27 in Konar, Afghanistan of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with small arms fire. They were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

Killed were:

Staff Sgt. Eric B. Shaw, 31, of Exeter, Maine; and

Spc. David W. Thomas, 40, of St. Petersburg, Fla.

[Bonny]

It is not US that should be ashamed but the stupid idiots that promised to end this war our so called President & Congress! We are the ones that are sending our family members over there. It must be the RICH MANS GREED in this country the USA for oil, minerals, & whatever Afghanistan has of value to be taken using our family members to get it. Thank you Grace for posting the casualties it is a big eye opener & sad so sad.

[Grace]

It is not US that should be ashamed but the stupid idiots that promised to end this war our so called President & Congress! We are the ones that are sending our family members over there. It must be the RICH MANS GREED in this country the USA for oil, minerals, & whatever Afghanistan has of value to be taken using our family members to get it. Thank you Grace for posting the casualties it is a big eye opener & sad so sad.

Bonny - I did mean we as in the USA - the entire country, including those in Washington, not just the general population.

But we, the general population, do share blame. Where did all the war protesters go? They were all over the place during Vietnam - even drove President Johnson out of office.

Are we so complacent about life right now? Because there is no draft, we don't necessarily have to worry that our son, daughter, grandson, etc might have to go to war.

I'm so angry with those in power. We elected those who said they would end the war - yeah, right

[phesina]

Grace, thank you so much for keeping this memorial going. I look at it every day and get saddened again.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Are we so complacent about life right now? Because there is no draft, we don't necessarily have to worry that our son, daughter, grandson, etc might have to go to war.

I'm so angry with those in power. We elected those who said they would end the war - yeah, right

I agree completely with you Grace - both on disappointment with those elected to end the war and why we are so complacent. I think bring back the draft - for young men and young women and you would see a different attitude.

One doesn't have to be a "military expert" to see a difference in wars. What would a "win" look like in Iraq or Afghanistan? The same with Vietnam. In WWII - victory - the objective was clearly defined - end the Nazi regime and defeat Japan. We knew where we were going and so could know how to get there.

When the "victory" is ill-defined or undefined - how do you get there?

War, business, education - you name it. You have to know the destination.

We don't.