List of Puerto Ricans missing in action in the Korean War explained

The United States Department of Defense has estimated that approximately 61,000 Puerto Ricans served in the military during the Korean War, most of them volunteers.[1] A total of 122 Puerto Rican soldiers were among the 8,200 people listed as missing in action (MIA). According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, there are 167 who are unaccounted for.[2] This list does not include non-Puerto Ricans who served in the 65th Infantry, nor those who were "POW" (Prisoners of War) or "KIA" (Killed in Action). Nor does the total of this list include people of Puerto Rican descent who were born in the mainland of the United States.[3]

Spain officially ceded Puerto Rico to the United States under the terms of the 1898 Treaty of Paris which concluded the Spanish–American War. It is a United States territory and upon the outbreak of World War I, the Congress enacted the Jones–Shafroth Act, which gave Puerto Ricans American citizenship with certain limitations (for example, Puerto Ricans are not allowed to vote in presidential elections).[4]

Thousands of Puerto Ricans participated in these conflicts.[1] Many lived and returned to their homeland, others either died or have been listed as missing in action.[1] The term "MIA" dates from 1946 and refers to a member of the armed services who is reported missing following a combat mission and whose status as to injury, capture, or death is unknown. The missing combatant must not have been otherwise accounted for as either killed in action or a prisoner of war.[5] The Korean War was one of two major conflicts which accounted for the most Puerto Ricans missing in action, the other being the Vietnam War.[6]

Korean War

According to the online archive "All POW-MIA Korean War Casualties," the total number of Puerto Rican casualties in the Korean War was 732. Out of the more than 700 casualties suffered in the war, a total of 122 Puerto Rican men were listed as Missing in Action.[7]

It was during the Korean War that Puerto Ricans suffered the most casualties as members of an all-Hispanic volunteer unit: the 65th Infantry Regiment. One of the problems the unit faced was the language difference; the common foot soldier spoke only Spanish, while the commanding officers were mostly English-speaking.[8] In September 1952, the 65th Infantry was holding onto a hill known as "Outpost Kelly" until the People's Volunteer Army which had joined the North Koreans, overran the position. This became known as the Battle for Outpost Kelly. Twice, the 65th Regiment was overwhelmed by Chinese artillery and driven off. The Battle of Outpost Kelly accounted for 73 of the men missing in action from the total of 122.[9] Out of the 73 MIAs suffered by the regiment in the month of September, 50 of them occurred on the same day: September 18.[10]

According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency seven Puerto Ricans who were members of the United States Marine Corps, with the exception of PFC Ramón Núñez-Juárez and PFC Manuel Perez-Pizarro who were Killed In Action. PFC Enrique Romero-Nieves and PFC Ramón Núñez-Juárez were awarded the Navy Cross, the second highest medal after the Medal of Honor that can be awarded by the Department of the Navy. Ramón Núñez-Juárez, who was listed as MIA, was posthumously awarded the medal. Núñez-Juárez's remains have never been recovered and a symbolic burial with full military honors was held on October 25, 1970.[11] There is a headstone with his name inscribed above an empty grave in the Puerto Rico National Cemetery, located in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.[12] His name and that of the others are inscribed in El Monumento de la Recordación, a monument dedicated to the Puerto Ricans who have fallen in combat, located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.[13] [14]

Puerto Ricans missing in action

The following is a list with the names, ranks and the date in which 122 Puerto Ricans were listed as missing in action in the Korean War.[15]

All of these men served within the ranks of the United States Army with the exception of Ramón Núñez-Juárez and Francisco González Matías, who served in the United States Marine Corps.[7]

Name Rank MIA date
E41952-09-18September 18, 1952
E1Private1952-09-24September 24, 1952
E41951-06-05June 5, 1951
E31952-09-18September 18, 1952
E31952-02-06February 6, 1952
E11952-09-24September 24, 1952
E11952-09-24September 24, 1952
E11952-09-18September 18, 1952
E11952-09-24 September 24, 1952
E3Private first class1954-04-01April 1953
E3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E1Private1951-12-11December 11, 1951
E1Private1952-09-24September 24, 1952
E1PrivateUnknownUnknown
E3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E1Private1952-07-31July 31, 1952
E1Private1952-09-24September 24, 1952
E3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
O3Captain1950-12-01December 1, 1950
E1Private1952-09-24September 24, 1952
E1Private1952-09-24September 24, 1952
E3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E1Private1951-06-04June 4, 1951
E4Corporal1953-06-10June 10, 1953
E3Private first class1953-06-09June 9, 1953
E3Private first class1952-11-25November 25, 1952
E3Private first class1952-09-10September 10, 1952
E1Private1952-09-14September 14, 1952
E1Private1952-10-19October 19, 1952
E1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E3Private first class1952-12-15December 15, 1952
E1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E1Private1952-10-15October 15, 1952
E1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E3Private first class1952-09-25September 25, 1952
E1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E1Private1952-07-17July 17, 1952
E1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E4Corporal1952-09-21September 21, 1952
E1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E3Private first class1952-08-12August 12, 1952
E1Private1951-12-16December 16, 1951
E4Corporal1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E3Private first class1953-07-09July 9, 1953
E4Corporal1950-12-03December 3, 1950
E4Corporal1952-02-16February 16, 1952
E1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E1Private first class1952-12-09December 9, 1952
E7Sergeant first class1952-12-10December 10, 1952
E3Private first class1952-10-27October 27, 1952
E1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E1Private1952-09-21September 21, 1952
E1Private1952-11-06November 6, 1952
E4Corporal1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E3Private first class1952-10-23October 23, 1952
E4Corporal1952-09-24September 24, 1952
E4Corporal1952-07-19July 19, 1952
E3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E3Private first class1952-09-21September 21, 1952
E4Corporal1952-02-06February 6, 1952
E3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E4Corporal1952-08-14August 14, 1952
E4Corporal1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E4Corporal1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E4Corporal1952-09-24September 24, 1952
E3Private first class1952-09-08September 8, 1952
E1Private1952-01-08January 8, 1952
E3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E3Private first class1952-01-08January 8, 1952
E3Private first class1952-08-12August 12, 1952
E4Corporal1952-07-20July 20, 1952
E1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E1Private1952-09-21September 21, 1952
E4Corporal1952-09-24September 24, 1952
E1Private1951-12-16December 16, 1951
E1Private1952-10-27October 27, 1952
E1Private1951-06-05June 5, 1951
E3Private first class1952-10-28October 28, 1952
E1Private1952-10-01October, 1952
E3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E3Private first class1952-09-26September 26, 1952
E3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E1Private1952-09-24September 24, 1952
E1Private1953-07-08July 8, 1953
E7Sergeant first class1951-06-04June 4, 1951
E3Private first class1952-01-11January 11, 1952
E3Private first class1952-09-20September 20, 1952
E3Private first class1952-10-16October 16, 1952
E3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E1Private1952-01-08January 8, 1952
E3Private first class1952-01-28January 28, 1952
E3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E1Private1951-06-03June 3, 1951
E3Private first class1952-10-14October 14, 1952
E5Sergeant1952-02-06February 6, 1952
E4Corporal1951-06-04June 4, 1951
E3Private first class1951-12-11December 11, 1951
O2First lieutenant1950-09-29September 29, 1950
E1Private1952-07-19July 19, 1952
E3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E5Sergeant1952-02-06February 6, 1952
E3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
E1Private1951-12-23December 23, 1951
E3Private first class1952-02-06February 6, 1952

Their names are inscribed in El Monumento de la Recordación (The Wall of Remembrance) located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.[14]

See also

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Historic Review on the 65 Infantry Regiment. May 29, 2011. September 29, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110929115829/http://www.warfoto.com/042804Aviles65th%20report.pdf. dead.
  2. https://www.dpaa.mil/portals/85/KoreaAccounting/pmkor_una_PUERTO%20RICO_20200710.pdf.Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
  3. Web site: Korean War–Cold War. Advocacy & Intelligence Index For POWs–MIAs Archives. https://web.archive.org/web/20070624032905/http://www.aiipowmia.com/koreacw/. 2007-06-24. 2007-09-07.
  4. Web site: Jones-Shafroth Act. The Library of Congress. 2007-09-07. 2019-05-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20190508110821/http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/jonesact.html. live.
  5. Web site: Definition of MIA. Merriam-Webster Dictionary. 2007-09-07. 2007-09-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20070926223845/http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/MIA. live.
  6. Web site: CNN . 2015-09-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150905035933/http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-485498 . 2015-09-05 .
  7. Web site: All POW-MIA Korean War Casualties: Puerto Rico . Advocacy & Intelligence Index For POWs-MIAs Archives . 2007-09-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070609215932/http://www.aiipowmia.com/koreacw/kwkia_puertorico.html . 2007-06-09 .
  8. Web site: History of the 65th infantry regiment – Korean War. Valeros.com. 2007-09-07. 2007-09-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20070928011648/http://www.valerosos.com/Honorpg1.htm. live.
  9. Outpost Kelly: A Tanker's Story, by Jack R. Siewert, Publisher: Fire Ant Books,
  10. Web site: The 65th Infantry Regiment on Kelly in September 1952. Mervino.com. 2007-09-07. 2006-06-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20060623083601/http://mervino.com/window/IBB/map65th.html. live.
  11. The Outpost War: US Marines in Korea Vol. 1 1952, By Lee Ballenger, Published 2000Brassey's, p. 107,
  12. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/26679130 Image of Núñez-Juárez's headstone
  13. Web site: Puerto Rico National Cemetery. Interment.net. 2007-07-09. 2007-09-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20070927014649/http://www.interment.net/data/us/pr/nat/prnat_nelny.htm. live.
  14. Web site: Monumento de la Recordación . Rootsweb.com . 2007-09-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070818170803/http://www.rootsweb.com/~prsanjua/mil-003.htm . 2007-08-18 .
  15. Source of data: the Korean War Extract Data File, as of April 29, 2008, of the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Files, part of Record Group 330: Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense.You can view the full DCAS record for an individual named in the list via the Access to Archival Databases resource, or AAD. The link to the AAD main page is as follows: www.archives.gov/aad

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