WHITE SHIELD, N.D. - More than 60 years after being declared missing in action by the U.S. Department of Defense, a Soldier who served in the Korean War will be honored for his military service. The family of Cpl. Elmer Bear will be presented his Purple Heart and additional military awards during a ceremony at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 30 at the Ralph Wells Memorial Complex in White Shield, North Dakota. Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, North Dakota adjutant general, will join the family during the awards presentation, which will follow a memorial ceremony being held at the Old Scouts Cemetery at 12 p.m., four miles west of White Shield.
Bear, who was from the Fort Berthold Reservation, was born June 13, 1927, in Elbowoods, North Dakota, which now is covered by Lake Sakakawea. He served during World War II and was a member of the U.S. Army Reserve. He was recalled in August 1950 and later served with E Company, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division during the Korean War.
"It is important for us to formally honor and appreciate Cpl. Bear's service and sacrifice," Sprynczynatyk said. "We will never forget any of our fallen heroes or missing military members."
According to the U.S. Army, Bear's unit came under attack on Nov. 25, 1950, while holding the 2nd Division's center line about 60 miles south of the Yalu River, which is the international boundary between the Koreas and China. An army of about 180,000 Communist Chinese Forces forced the division back after an intense four-day battle. It is believed that Bear was lost on Nov. 26, 1950, to enemy action.
According to the Department of Defense's Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency, Bear is among more than 7,800 Americans who remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; 27 of them are from North Dakota.
Bear's family will be presented with the following awards and decorations this weekend: The Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal (Army), World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal with three Bronze Service Stars, Korean War Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Combat Infantryman Badge and Honorable Service Lapel Button.
Preceding the awards presentation, the memorial ceremony at the Old Scouts Cemetery will include a rifle volley, the playing of "Taps," as well as a performance by a ceremonial drum group.
Bear is survived by his siblings, Loretta Meridith, Roberta Bear, Robert Bear Jr. and Grayden Bear. At the time he went missing, Bear was married and had one child, both of whom now are deceased. His parents, Robert and Dora, also deceased, received a telegram from the Department of Defense in 1951 officially declaring Bear missing in action.
| Date Taken: | 05.28.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 05.28.2015 12:39 |
| Story ID: | 164792 |
| Location: | WHITE SHIELD, ND, US |
| Web Views: | 100 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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