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FORT KNOX, Ky. – The remains of Army Cpl. John A. Spruell, a Soldier killed during the Korean War, will be interred Sept. 3 at Cortez Cemetery, Cortez Colorado. Ertel Funeral Home & Crematory will perform graveside services preceding the interment.
A native of Cortez, Spruell was a member of Battery B, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division. He went missing in action Dec. 6, 1950, at age 19, after his unit engaged in intensive combat actions in the vicinity of Hagaru-ri, South Korea, during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir.
Spruell was accounted for by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Aug. 11, 2023, after the remains of Korean War unknowns were exhumed in July 2018 from the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific - also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, Hawaii - for identification.
The Past Conflict Repatriations Branch, under the Army Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Division at U.S. Army Human Resources Command, Fort Knox, Kentucky, plays a key role in the process of locating Family members of missing Soldiers from World War II, the Korean and Vietnam wars.
The process begins with locating the Family member most closely related to the missing Soldier, known as the primary next of kin, followed by a request for Family reference samples or DNA, which are used as a main source in identifying remains.
Once a Soldier has been identified by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, the PCRB notifies and briefs the Family about the results of historical, forensic and DNA reports, benefits and the mortuary process including burial with full military honors.
For additional information about Cpl. Spruell, go to: https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Press-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/3765767/soldier-accounted-for-from-korean-war-spruell-j/
Media interested in covering the funeral/interment, and/or obtaining more information, should contact the Army Casualty Office at 800-892-2490 or Ertel Funeral Home & Crematory, 970-565-3468.
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| Date Taken: | 08.20.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.20.2024 11:45 |
| Story ID: | 479037 |
| Location: | FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY, US |
| Hometown: | ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, US |
| Hometown: | CORTEZ, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 45 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Remains of Korean War Soldier to be buried in Cortez, Colorado, by Fonda Bock, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
