News-Info-Alerts

Re: Korea-Families Sought

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci

(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Date: October 09, 2002

"Families of missing soldiers sought

Effort could identify remains of those who fought in Korean War

By Justin Willis Messenger-Inquirer

Daviess County Coroner Bob Howe typically investigates unusual deaths, but two of the cases on his desk this week represent a 50-year-old mystery halfway around the globe.

Howe, a Korean War veteran, is hoping to contact the relatives of two
Daviess County men who were killed in action in Korea during the war between 1950 and 1953.

The remains of the two soldiers -- Sgt. William E. "Gene" Brashear and Sgt. Homer Marvin McDaniel -- have never been found, but Howe hopes to notify the relatives about a national effort to create a DNA database in the event remains are located in Korea, Howe said.

"Whenever they find somebody, if they ever do, they can check it in the database," Howe said. "They've been going over there, and occasionally they will find some remains. They may never find them. It's just a shot in the dark in case they ever do."

The Korean War is known by many people as the forgotten war because it was sandwiched between more well-known conflicts of World War II and the Vietnam War, Howe said.

The United States recorded 54,246 Americans killed in the conflict and still records 8,142 soldiers missing in action. The two Daviess County men are among a list of 50 Kentuckians who are considered missing and whose relatives have not been located.

Howe said when he was a child he lived close to Brashear's family home at 15th and Pearl streets. Brashear was also a World War II veteran, Howe said. Howe did not know McDaniel's family, he said.

Howe served as a U.S. Navy corpsman in Korea in 1950 and 1951. Howe falsified his age and joined the Navy at age 16 in 1947, he said.

If someone has information about either of the two Korean War soldiers he should contact Howe at the coroner's office at 685-8428. Howe will instruct the relatives how to contact the program.

Relatives of the men may likely have married into a family or have a different last name, he said.

For more information about the Korean War and the national DNA database project visit http://www.kdvamerica.org

©2002 Messenger-Inquirer