Korean War Vet ID'd, Laid To Rest After 68 Years In Orange County

CYPRESS, CA — Over 68 years ago, young Army Sgt. 1st Class Richard G. Cushman went missing in North Korea and was presumed dead. Following an extensive search conducted by the Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Cushman has been returned to his family. Originally from Utah, he will be laid to rest in Cypress, Calif. with full military honors, in the presence of his family.

His funeral: Sat. Feb. 3, 10:30 a.m. at Forest Lawn Cemetery: 4471 Lincoln Ave., Cypress.

"This is an opportunity to honor a returning POW/MIA from the Korean War whose remains were recently returned for burial on American soil," Bill Fortier told Patch. "We want as many attendees as possible to honor our returned vet, and his family."

Gone, but never forgotten...

In November of 1950, Harry S. Truman was president. Snippets of the war could be seen as news reels that ran before the latest James Stewart movie. Across the ocean, Cushman was assigned to Company A, 72nd Medium tank Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, on the western side of the Korean Peninsula, when the Division encountered waves of attacks by the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces (CPVF.)

The attack caused the Division to withdraw to the village of Kunu-ri. While in the village, a task force comprised of Cushman’s company and an infantry platoon were ordered to destroy a roadblock and eliminate enemy troops. The CPVF overwhelmingly attacked the unit and by the end of battle, Cushman could not be accounted for. He was reported missing in action as of Dec. 5, 1950.

"Following the war, no lists provided by the CPVF or Korean People’s Army listed Cushman as a prisoner of war, however two returning American prisoners reported that Cushman had died while being held by the CPVF," a spokesperson from the DPAA said. "Based on this information, the U.S. Army declared him deceased as of March 31, 1951."

A Rosette, to mark him accounted for...

Cushman’s name was recorded at the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, along with the others who are missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

It wasn't until the late summer of 2002 that the U.S. and KPA recovery teams conducted a Joint Recovery Operation at a site, designated KN-0874, in Ung Bong Village, North Korea.

Based on information provided by Korean witnesses, Mr. Man Hyon Ho, and Mr. Anh Il Chang, the site was excavated and possible human remains were recovered, along with personal effects and material evidence, all of which was sent to the DPAA laboratory for processing.

"To identify Cushman’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, which matched his family, as well as anthropological analysis and circumstantial evidence, which matched his records," the DPAA spokesperson said. "DPAA is grateful to Mr. Man Hyon Ho and Mr. Anh Il Chang for their assistance in this mission."

Today, 7,712 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Using advances in technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials or recovered by American teams.

His funeral: Sat. Feb. 3, 10:30 a.m. at Forest Lawn Cemetery: 4471 Lincoln Ave., Cypress.

Photo, courtesy DPAA