I was notified today that a family member MIA from the Korean War has had his remains identified and will be one of 448 out of 7,708 Korean War MIA's that have been repatriated and identified.
Overview
1. General Information
2. Military Situation and circumstances of loss
3. Intelligence
4. General Alexander Haig
1. General Information
This concerns a family member of ours and demonstrates how the lack of accurate intelligence costs lives. 1500 of 2500 men from a single Task Force at the Chosin Reservoir were KIA or captured.
The family has been waiting since 1951 to see Cpl. Dewey Rewis repatriated and identified. (I never thought that would happen to be honest). During the Clinton Administration, North Korea repatriated boxes of remains identified as K-208 and K-33. Dewey Rewis remains were in Box 15 of K-33. As of the last DPAA meeting my cousin attended, DPAA had no evidence his "loss site" had been exhumed. He was identified last October, but I am sure they want to make sure they are right, so the family was only notified in the last couple of days.
2. Military situation.
Dewey Rewis was with 31st Regimental Combat Team, D. Battery, 15th Anti-Aircraft Artillery- Automatic Weapons Battalion. DPAA historians build a detailed history, circumstance of United States MIA's to assist in locating our MIA's. This is the short version, but I have attached the DPAA report (One of them) on the historical circumstances surrounding what happened.
The 31st RCT was moving up to replace the 5th Marine Regiment on the east side of the Chosin Reservoir. They stopped short and split the RCT into two mutually unsupported positions near the P'ungnyuri Inlet. Their two infantry regiments, 1/32 and 3/31 were 2 1/2 road miles apart in mutually unsupported positions. The 31st RCT Armor had not moved up at that time and was still back at the RCT Command Post at Hungnan-Ri. Their heaviest weapons forward were Quad 50's and Dual 40mm. Their artillery (57th FA) was co-located with the HQ element. Details of the battle are in the attached DPAA report.
They were first attacked, the two infantry regiments, on the night of the 28th (Early morning 29th). HQ moved the Quad 50's and 40mm into the two infantry regiments perimeters. The Chinese attacked with overwhelming firepower, breached the perimeter, and a Chinese Division blocked the road between Hunan-Ri and the RCT Command Post while another Division focused their effort on D Battery, which was putting out enormous firepower. DPAA describes the casualty rate for the 31st RCT as "tremendous" forcing them to consolidate.
3 and 4. Intelligence and General Haig.
I have read quite a bit on the intelligence of this particular battle. There is also some intel in earlier DPAA reports sent to me by a family member, the reason they moved in the configuration they did, non-mutually supporting infantry regiments, heavy weapons not with the infantry and their Armor and Artillery behind was due to intelligence reporting minimal enemy activity up to the 5th Marines perimeter.
They had been receiving sporadic smaller attacks. Less than 24 hours prior to the initial attack, General Alonzo P. Fox, Deputy to General MacArthur, flew out to the 31st to go over their defensive plans and to assess their situation. His Aide was with him, a young Lt. Alexander Haig. After they flew out to the 31st Command Post, General Fox and Lt. Haig drove the defensive positions. With Aerial and Ground Reconnaissance they were still unaware that two full Chinese Divisions, supported by Armor and Artillery had moved into position on three sides, the attacks were advanced element probing attacks in preparation to attack the defensive positions of both Infantry Regiments, and a third Division was moving around to cut off their escape route.
Dewey Rewis is recorded on the American Battle Monuments Commission Court's of the Missing at the National memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu with others still missing from the Korean War. The Army will place a Rosette next to his name to note he has been accounted for.
To see the most up to date information on the United States POW/MIA's visit https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaFamWebKorean
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