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Memorial to honor fallen Korean war soldier |
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Thursday, 11 June 2009 |
 By MICHELLE ZLOMKE
Chief Managing Editor
Area residents will join family members to honor a fallen Korean war hero during a memorial Sunday in Broken Bow.
A ceremony for Patrick Arthur will begin at 2 p.m. in the City Square.
“Broken Bow is a nice town,” Francis Arthur said, “so it really didn’t surprise me. But to have a town remember you after that much time, that’s really something.”
Francis’ father was Patrick Arthur’s oldest brother. Most of the family lived in the Broken Bow area when Patrick went missing in Korea in 1951.
The Department of Defense announced in March that Sgt. 1st Class Patrick J. Arthur's remains had been identified and would be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Arthur’s remains were buried May 1 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
Organizer Alan Iverson said he thought it was important to give the local community an opportunity to honor Patrick.
“I just thought we should do something locally,” Iverson said. “I’ve been amazed at how many people knew one or more members of the family.”
Iverson said the memorial service will help younger people honor the sacrifice made by someone from another generation, as well as understand the significance of his sacrifice.
“Maybe it will bring some patriotic spirit,” he said.
The memorial service will be conducted by Father Jim Hunt and will include participation by the local Legion Riders, as well as Patriot Guard members from across the state.
According to the 1951 article in the Chief, Arthur's sister, Alice Trotter, received a telegram in mid-June 1951 that Sgt. Arthur was missing in Korea.
"Pat Arthur Missing In Korea" read the headline at the top left the Chief's June 18, 1951, front page.
The family later learned that Arthur died of malnutrition and disease in July, and he was buried at the Suan Mining POW Camp near Pyongyang.
Family documents list Arthur’s date of death as July 19, 1951. He was 36 years old.
“For a lot of years, we didn’t know anything,” Francis said. “Then, in 1953, when the two fellow POWs came out (of captivity), they told their story.”
Those two POWs, Fred Liddell and Obie Wickersham, were at the service at Arlington in May.
“It was a great thing to have them there to tell their story,” Francis said. “It was an emotional time.”
The Department of Defense reports Arthur was a member of Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 38th Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division.
In mid May 1951, elements of the 2nd ID were securing their positions on the No Name Line south of the Soyang River, South Korea, when the Chinese Army launched a major counter-offensive.
The 2nd ID was forced to withdraw south to a more defensible position north and east of the Hongch'on River.
During the withdrawal, Arthur was captured by enemy forces on May 18, 195, and was marched north into North Korea where he later died.
Arthur was on furlough in Broken Bow in June 1950 when he received notice to report to Ft. Lewis, Wash. because of the Korean conflict, according to the Chief.
He was wounded in Korea in November 1950, suffering wounds to his feet and legs, but returned to duty three weeks later.
He was promoted from corporal to sergeant while in Korea, was a squad leader and led a group of Korean soldiers.
The Korean tour was Arthur's fourth overseas assignment, the Chief article states.
Francis said he remembers driving his uncle Patrick into Broken Bow from his family’s farm near Berwyn just before he departed for a fourth tour of duty in 1950. Francis was 22 at the time.
“When he left, well, you just think you’re going to see them again,” he said. “That was the last time I saw him.”
The military recognized Alice as Patrick’s closest next of kin. Before her death in 2004, Francis became the official next of kin so he could be the family’s legal contact for the government.
According to the Department of Defense, between 1991-94, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. servicemen.
Accompanying some of the remains were Arthur's military identification tag and a denture fragment bearing his identification.
“All these remains were mixed in big boxes and Uncle Pat’s dog tags were in there,” Francis said. “The assumption was his remains were there.”
Initially, Francis said, tests did not identify any remains belonging to Patrick.
“That kind of took the wind out of our sails,” Francis said.
In December last year, the family learned that further testing did indicate some remains were Patrick’s.
“It was kind of shocking when they called me from Virginia and said ‘we’ve got your uncle,’” Francis said.
Patrick also served in Guadalcanal and Germany in World War II, and served in Germany again after the war.
He won the Silver Star for gallantry on Guadalcanal.
Francis said he compiled a list of all the medals his uncle should have qualified for and received.
He spent several years trying to get the United States government to honor those awards.
Finally, after Patrick’s remains were identified, Francis enlisted the help of Nebraska Congressman Jeff Fortenberry. Within two weeks of Fortenberry’s involvement, the medals were posthumously awarded.
Francis said he will bring the medals and his uncle’s dog tags to the service in Broken Bow Sunday. |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 15 June 2009 )
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