IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                  No. 575-08
July 09, 2008

Soldier Missing In Action From Korean War Is Identified

                The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

                He is Cpl. Steven Lucas, U.S. Army, of Johnson City, N.Y. He will be buried July 11 in laceName w:st="on">ArlingtonlaceName> laceName w:st="on">NationallaceName> laceType w:st="on">CemeterylaceType> near Washington, D.C. 

Representatives from the Army met with Lucas’ next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process, and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.

                In late November 1950, Lucas was assigned to the Heavy Mortar Company, 31^st Infantry Regiment making up part of the 31^st Regimental Combat Team (RCT), then engaging enemy forces east of the Chosin Reservoir near Kaljon-ri, South Hamgyong Province, North Korea. On Nov. 29, remnants of the RCT began a fighting withdrawal to more defensible positions near Hagaru-ri, south of the reservoir. Lucas never made it to the lines at Hagaru-ri and was last seen on Nov. 30.

Between 1991-94, North Korea turned over to the U.S. 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. servicemen.  North Korean documents turned over with one of several boxes in 1993 indicated that the remains from that box were exhumed near Kaljon-ri. This location correlates with Lucas’ last known location.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in the identification of Lucas’ remains.

Welcome home Soldier and RIP.

We hope this will bring closure to your family and friends.

Thank you for all that you did for us.

 

"American Parachutists...devils in baggy pants...are less than 100 meters from my outpost line. I can't sleep at night; they pop up from nowhere and we never know when or how they will strike next. Seems like the black-hearted devils are everywhere..."
(An entry in a German officer's diary found after the Battle of Anzio)

I'm Surprised Panama's still sea level, after all the Push Ups I did down there.

All the way, sir!!!