AR Wildon Carey East, 18, Corporal, US Army, MIA Korean War, 1 September 1950

[Richard]

Corp Wildon Carey East, US Army
BIRTH 8 Nov 1931
DEATH 1 Sep 1950 (aged 18)
South Korea
MEMORIAL SITE Honolulu Memorial Honolulu, Honolulu County, Hawaii, USA
* A structure erected in honor of someone whose remains lie elsewhere.
PLOT Courts of the Missing, Court 4

Wildon was living in Spadra, AR when he enlisted and was a member of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division.

He was listed as Missing in Action while fighting the enemy along the Naktong River Line in South Korea on September 1, 1950 and was declared presumed dead on December 31, 1953.

His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.

Corporal East was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.

LINKS:

Corp Wildon Carey East (1931-1950) - Find a Grave...

Wildon was living in Spadra, AR when he enlisted and was a member of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was listed as Missing in Action while fighting the enemy along the Naktong River Line in South Korea on September 1, 1950 and was presumed dead on...

www.findagrave.com

Korean Honor Roll Certificate

 

[Richard]

As indicated in my original post, Wildon C. East was an 18 year old Corporal in the US Army serving in Korea in the early days of the Korean War. He was a rifleman in the 38th Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Division.

He was declared Missing in Action (MIA) as of 1 September 1950. This was his official Army classification, although other members of his unit were taken Prisoner of War (POW) on that same day. In 1953, following the exchange and release of most US Prisoners of War held by the Communists in North Korea, Wildon did not come home. The US government subsequently declared him "Presumed Dead".

On 1 July 1992, a postcard inside an envelope addressed to "Honorable Mayor and the People of the Great City of Spadra (Arkansas)" Attached to the post card was a photo of Wildon East. Written on the card was this message: "People of Spadra, Arkansas, I was born in Spadra. I enlisted in the US Army in September 1949. I am still alive. I am sick and still a P.O.W. in North Korea". It was signed Pvt. W. C. East. Also printed on the card was East's army serial number.

A month later, another letter, also allegedly from Wildon East was sent to the office of Senator John Kerry. That was the last anyone heard from him. The US Army and the FBI did some investigation, but other than telling Wildon's family that the FBI thought it might be a hoax, nothing further was heard.

Source:
(Book) Last Seen Alive: Searching for Missing POW's from the Korean War (1995) by Laurence Jolidon

 

[Richard]

The following information regarding Korean War POW's and MIA's is available at the Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Website. You can sort or search by each separate Armed service (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force), by state of residence, and by whether accounted for or unaccounted for.​

Korean War POW/MIA List​

Accounted-For: This report includes the U.S. personnel who have been accounted for (including POW returnees and POW escapees) and all personnel whose remains have been recovered and identified since the end of the war.

Unaccounted-For: This report includes the U.S. personnel who are still unaccounted for.

MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT: We are improving the user experience on our website and created a new, dynamic way to search for both Accounted-For and Unaccounted-For service members by home state and service. This means you will soon see a new look as we leave this page and redirect users to an improved Korean War page. However, it also means the lists on this page will no longer be updated. To get the most up-to-date information on the Korean War and to find our new service member search, you will need to go to: DPAA Famweb Korean Conflict Home Page

LINK:

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency > Our Missing > Korean War > Korean War POW/MIA List

 

[Richard]

The Korean War began in June 1950 and continued through the Armistice in July 1953. Prisoners of War (POW) were exchanged/released beginning in September of 1953.

Only those Americans known to have been taken Prisoner of War were released alive, with some sets of remains returned.

Many were declared "Missing in Action" (MIA) by US authorities during the war. This classification was due to not knowing the fate of a serviceman. After the Armistice and the return of POW's, each individual MIA case was reviewed and all were eventually changed to either Presumed Dead or Presumed Killed in Action (PKIA).

For an interesting comparison, go to the previously posted website, choose any state and compare the lists of "Acccounted for" cases with those listed as "Unaccounted for". Unaccounted for means that the service man or his remains have not yet been returned to the US.

 

[Richard]

LINK:

Corp Wildon Carey East (1931-1950) - Find a Grave...

Wildon was living in Spadra, AR when he enlisted and was a member of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was listed as Missing in Action while fighting the enemy along the Naktong River Line in South Korea on September 1, 1950 and was presumed dead on...

www.findagrave.com

 

[Quoththeraven]

It would be interesting to see if the signature on the 1 July 1992 postcard matched up with his signature on his WWII Draft Registration card. It would also be interesting to see who's actually buried in Honolulu, Hawaii. Or, is this just a memorial and not an actual burial?

Wildon Carey east - Ancestry.com

U.S., Headstone and Interment Records for U.S., Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil, 1942-1949 Military	Name: Wildon C. East Rank: Corporal Service Number: 18281800 Military Branch: U.S. Army War: Korean War Cemetery: Honolulu Memorial Burial Place: Honolulu, Hawaii

 

[Richard]

It would be interesting to see if the signature on the 1 July 1992 postcard matched up with his signature on his WWII Draft Registration card. It would also be interesting to see who's actually buried in Honolulu, Hawaii. Or, is this just a memorial and not an actual burial?

Wildon Carey east - Ancestry.com

U.S., Headstone and Interment Records for U.S., Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil, 1942-1949 Military	Name: Wildon C. East Rank: Corporal Service Number: 18281800 Military Branch: U.S. Army War: Korean War Cemetery: Honolulu Memorial Burial Place: Honolulu, Hawaii

There are a number of marble memorial monuments in overseas (including Hawaii) US Military cemeteries which are engraved with the names of service men and women who are Missing in Action (MIA) and/or Declared Dead but body not identified or recovered.

 

[Quoththeraven]

There are a number of marble memorial monuments in overseas (including Hawaii) US Military cemeteries which are engraved with the names of service men and women who are Missing in Action (MIA) and/or Declared Dead but body not identified or recovered.

So, you're saying his body isn't in the place where the government says he's buried?

 

[dalsglen]

So, you're saying his body isn't in the place where the government says he's buried?

Well no, because he's still missing presumed dead. It's a memorial rather than grave.