Just Want To Share This Information Just Received On My Uncle

[HARDCORE]

MELVIN H. MORGAN
Corporal, United States Army

Personal Information: CPL Melvin H. Morgan; L Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th infantry Division. Prisoner of War (POW) on 11 July 1950, Date of Death cited as 6 December 1950. Appears on both the Johnnie Johnson List? and in the Missing in Action, Captivity? report compiled from returning POWS.

General Military Situation and Circumstances of Loss: CPL Morgan was captured during a series of delaying actions between Pyongraek and Chochiwon. South Korea, conducted by the 24th Infantry Division from 5 to 13 July 1950, during the initial North Korean invasion. These first attempts at blocking were essential to stemming the flow of incoming enemy forces, and gave the EIGHTH Army time to establish a defensive perimeter from which to launch its Own counter offensive. The attack on CPL Morgan?s unit was especially dangerous. The North Koreans had temporarily occupied the battalion?s positions before being driven from them shortly after midnight on 11 July. So, when the enemy launched their attack at 0630 hours the following rooming, they had detailed and accurate information of the 3rd Battalion?s defensive positions and even the location of its command post. The attack disorganized the battalion and destroyed its communications before it had time to begin to fight back. Enemy roadblocks behind the battalion prevented the evacuation of the wounded, or the re-supply of this battalion. The battalion fought back desperately, but after several hours of intense combat, the North Koreans simply overran them.

As a POW, CPL Morgan worked his way north to temporary holding points at Seoul then Pyongyang. From here, in a movement of 750 POWs and civilian internees, he took train for Manpo on the south bank of the YaIu River. At the end of October 1950, he began the infamous Tiger March to the remote ?Apex Camps,? farther up the Yalu River. The so-called Tiger Group stayed in succession at three villages. We know that CPL Morgan survived the march, and his initial stay at Chunggang-jin. But as the winter deepened at the second village. Hanjang-ni, good men, exhausted and with greatly weakened immune systems, began to die in large numbers. Dysentery and pneumonia were among the most frequent causes. Here, CPL Morgan died on 6 December 1950. Over 500 of these original 750 POWs did not survive the war.

Continuing efforts: In an effort to achieve a full accounting of missing U.S. servicemen, Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) has negotiated with the government of North Korea for access to crash sites, battlefields, and prison camp cemeteries. DPMO and Central Identification Laboratory-Hawaii (CILHI) excavations in North Korea, 1996 through 2001, have resulted in the recovery and repatriation of remains of over 150 U.S. servicemen and that effort expanded in 2001 to Kaechon City and the Chosin Reservoir Joint Recovery Operations for 2002 will take place in Unsan County and the Chosin Reservoir. We have also gained United access to their main military museum and national library in Pyoogyang for POW/MJA related research. U.S. researchers did not locate any information on CPL Morgan during these archival research visits in 1997, 998 and 1999. We will continue to actively seek information about the loss of CPL Morgan and we will forward new discoveries to family members through the U.S. Army Casualty Office if they become available.
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Corporal Morgan was a member of Company L, 21st Infantry Regiment 24th Infantry Division He was taken Prisoner of War while fighting the enemy near Chochiwon, South Korea On July 11, 1950 and died of starvation while a prisoner on December 6, 1950.

Corporal Morgan was awarded the Combat Infantryman?s Badge,
the Prisoner of War Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nation?s Service Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal.
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Mrs. Hardcore

[Boats]

Mrs. Hardcore,

I regret having to see you in such pain. I do hope for you and all the other's that they find everyone some day. War is not the answer that we all think it is. I tend to overload my ass with some of my comments but a life that's gone is - forever.

I want to send you my prayer's in hope that this ordeal doesn't cause you too much more pain. Not knowing is the worst but as long as we don't forget they will still live in our memories for all our days.

He's with his patriot's who like him have moved on to a better place. His loss affects us all as we all know how much to could have contributed had they been with us.

Best Respects:

[HARDCORE]

Thanks Boats! Beautiful Sentiment!

Mrs. Hardcore

[BLUEHAWK]

Mrs. HC -

I'm sorry...

Boats said it best.

I pray, too, for useful results from the opening up of Korean sites and archives.

[HARDCORE]

Thanks Bluehawk!

Mrs. H