Body of missing Korean War Soldier comes home under Pa. Guard care

Photo By Maj. Travis Mueller | U.S. Soldiers with the Pennsylvania National Guard’s funeral honors team support the memorial service and burial of Pfc. Donald M. Born whose remains were recently identified and given a proper burial after going missing in action during the Korean War in 1950.  

ANNVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATES

08.30.2022

Story by Capt. Travis Mueller 

Joint Force Headquarters - Pennsylvania National Guard

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. -- The body of Pfc. Donald M. Born, a U.S. Soldier from Lancaster who was missing in action during the Korean War, was laid to rest 72 years later at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery Aug. 30, 2022, under the care of Soldiers with the Pennsylvania National Guard.

“This shows our commitment to truly never forgetting those who came before us,” said 1st Sgt. Regina Miller, who was the Casualty Assistance Officer for Born’s family. “All these years later we are remembering our fallen, ensuring he receives a proper burial and honoring his family.”

As a CAO, Miller’s duties typically include casualty notification to next-of-kin, organizing funerals and memorial services and ensuring surviving family members receive benefits they are entitled to.

Though the Army issued a presumptive finding of Born’s death on Dec. 31, 1953, remains that are recently identified are given the same respect due to those who are killed in action and the Army assigns CAOs to help family members.

“It’s very rare that I deliver good news,” said Miller. “Obviously we remember and honor Pfc. Born for his sacrifice, but I think it brought some comfort to his family that his body was identified and that he could be given a proper burial and memorial.”

Before Born’s burial service at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, a funeral service was held in Lititz. During the funeral, Born was posthumously awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Korean Service Medal with bronze star, United Nations Service Medal, Army Occupation Service Medal, Republic of Korea Service Medal and Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation.

The awards were presented to Born’s family by Col. Francis Montgomery, the Pennsylvania National Guard’s Director of Military Support.

During the burial service at IGNC, the American flag was presented by the PA NG Funeral Honors team to Amber Hogan, Born’s great niece.

Maj. Gen. Mark Schindler, the Adjutant General of Pennsylvania, was present for the burial service and was joined by Brig. Gen. Laura McHugh, Deputy Adjutant General-Army, and Command Sgt. Maj. Jon Worley, Senior Enlisted Leader of the PA NG.

According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Born was a member of Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division in July 1950. His unit took part in defensive action near Chinju at the southern end of the Korean peninsula. Early in the morning of July 30, the North Korean People’s Army launched a probing attack against Born’s unit, which then withdrew to a new position. He went missing during the attack but was not reported as officially missing in action until a month later. Born was never listed as a prisoner of war, and the Army issued a presumptive finding of death on Dec. 31, 1953.

Though his remains were recovered in 1951, they could not be definitively identified and he was buried as an Unknown at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.

In March 2019, his remains were disinterred as part of the DPAA’s Korean War Disinterment Project. To identify Born’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis.

For more information, visit https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/3078243/soldier-accounted-for-from-korean-war-born-d/

• Date Taken: 08.30.2022
• Date Posted: 08.30.2022 18:15
• Story ID: 428348
• Location: ANNVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, US