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Remains of Korean War soldiers from Va. are home
Military unit's search, DNA tests identify two killed in N. Korea in 1950
By BILL GEROUX
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
NORFOLK -- The remains of two Virginia soldiers lost more than 57 years ago in one of the bloodiest battles of the Korean War have been recovered and returned to their families, the Department of Defense said yesterday.
Army Capt. Edward B. Scullion of Norfolk and Pfc. Elwood D. Reynolds of Schoolfield at Danville were killed in late November 1950 in intense fighting with Chinese troops who attacked the Americans near Chosin Reservoir in North Korea, the Army said.
Despite America's continuing strained relations with North Korea, a small U.S. military unit that searches for long-lost troops was allowed to excavate parts of old North Korean battlegrounds from 2002 to 2005.
The remains of Scullion and Reynolds were found during an archaeological dig of a defensive position of the 31st Regimental Combat Team of the 7th Infantry Division during the Chinese attack. Both men were members of A Company, 32nd Infantry Regiment, which was attached to the 31st at the time.
The remains of several soldiers were unearthed and taken to the Hawaii-based laboratory where the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command coordinates searches and scientific tests.
Tests using mitochondrial DNA and dental records identified the remains of 10 U.S. service members, including Scullion and Reynolds, the Army said.
Reynolds will be buried April 18 in Danville. Scullion will be buried this summer in Arlington National Cemetery. Neither family could be reached yesterday for comment.
The United States is the only country that actively scours old and far-flung battlefields for its lost troops.
In recent years, advances in DNA testing have enabled scientists to identify people from small bone fragments by comparing their mitochondrial DNA to DNA samples from their maternal relatives. Conclusive tests can take years.
The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command suspended searches in North Korea in 2005 after disputes with the North Koreans over communications equipment. But teams from the unit continue to search for other missing soldiers, including World War II casualties, in other parts of the world, particularly Southeast Asia.
©Virginia Beach Times Dispatch