Re: Remains from North Korea Returned

Date: May 25, 2004

"Remains of US Soldiers Returned
By Jeffrey Miller Feature Writer

YONGSAN GARRISON, Seoul _ A repatriation ceremony was held here on Thursday for 19 sets of remains believed to be those of American soldiers missing in action from the Korean War.

``Today begins your long journey home,’’ said Jerry D. Jennings, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/Missing Personnel Affairs. ``Your wives, your parents, your children, your comrades and your nation await your return.’’

The repatriation of these remains, which were recovered by two teams of U.S. specialists, was made possible through negotiations with North Korea led by the Defense Department’s POW/Missing Personnel Office. This is the first time since 1999 that the remains have been repatriated overland through the truce village of Panmunjom instead of being flown directly from Pyongyang to Yokota Air Base in Japan.

The repatriation ceremony was held in conjunction with the annual Memorial Day celebration at the Yongsan Garrison in which the United States remembers the sacrifices of service members and celebrates the lives of those patriots who chose to stand and defend freedom.

``It is significant today that we should mark this ceremony with the repatriation of those who fell more than 50 years ago,’’ Lt. Gen. Charles Campbell, Commanding General, Eighth United States Army and Chief of Staff, United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command said. ``We should thank God that they lived and thank God that they served our countries so well and gave the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that freedom would endure and prevail on this peninsula.’’

Jennings, who led the negotiations with North Korea, was the ranking Department of Defense official who participated in the repatriation.

``The people of America, the Republic of Korea and their comrades in the United Nations Command will never forget the courage of these men, the selflessness, their accomplishments or their sacrifices,’’ Jennings said. ``The very ground we stand on today is free because of their sacrifices. It is fitting that they begin their journey home in the land they made free. They will never be forgotten.’’

According to a U.S. Department of Defense press release, a joint team operating near the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea recovered 12 sets of remains believed to be those of U.S. Army soldiers from the 7th Infantry Division who fought against Chinese forces from November-December 1950. Approximately 1,000 Americans are estimated to have been lost during the fierce battles of the Chosin campaign.

Additionally, a second team recovered seven sets of remains in Unsan County, about 60 miles north of Pyongyang. This area was the site of battles between communist forces and the U.S. Army’s 1st Cavalry and 25th Infantry Divisions in November 1950.

The 28-person U.S. contingent was composed primarily of specialists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, where the remains will be flown to begin the forensic identification process.

``The process can take a few months or as long as a few years,’’ Lt. Col. Jerry Ohara, a spokesperson for the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command said. ``It depends on the analysis of the remains.’’

Since 1996, 28 individual joint operations have been conducted in North Korea, during which more than 200 sets of remains believed to be those of U.S. soldiers have been recovered. Of the 88,000 U.S. service members missing in action from all conflicts, more than 8,100 are from the Korean War, the press release said.

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