Closure: War Veteran Locates Brother’s Killed in Action Coordinates
89th Airlift Wing
Date: 02.04.2019
Posted: 02.04.2019 11:55
News ID: 309404
JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md.--Nearly 37 thousand American military members died while serving in the line of duty during the Korean War, Pvt. Allen Schreiner was one of them.
Schreiner was one year older than his brother, Senior Master Sgt. Ralph Schreiner (Ret.), As children the two were very close. They lived and played together, but by the ages of eight and nine their parents divorced - leaving their mother to raise them on her own.
“This led Allen to not do very well in school,” said Ralph. “Mom was struggling to make ends meetso Allen quit school and joined the Army to help her out.”
At only 17 years old Allen abruptly dropped out of school and enlisted in the United States Army where he would become an infantry rifleman as a private, the Army’s lowest enlisted rank. He attended basic military training at Scofield Barracks, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Around this time North Korean troops were beginning to push into South Korea kicking off what would be known as The Korean War, which spanned from 1950 to 1953.
“Upon completion of basic training Allen was sent to Korea where a short time later he was on a patrol,” explained Ralph.
Allen’s unit had been tasked to deploy and engage in the Korean War effort. As a lower ranking infantry rifleman, Allen was tasked to walk point during a routine patrol.
Often times the member who walks point or is the point man assumes the lead position, thus making him or her the most exposed and vulnerable member of the unit while infiltrating unknown and hostile enemy territory.
“Being point man on this patrol he stepped on a landmine. Sadly, he lost his life at only 17 years old,” said Ralph.“I don’t think he ever thought about war in general, he just wanted to help mom.”
Time marched on without Ralph or his mother ever receiving actual confirmation of the location of Allen’s death.
A short time later Ralph enlisted in the Air Force and eventually went on to serve in Korea from 1956 to 1957 after the war.
“I also served in Korea,” explained Ralph. “I felt he was there with me as well.”
Ralph went on to explain how hard it was to be so close to the location were his brother had fought and died but not be able to visit the exact spot.
Closure was something Ralph had to live without for several years until attending a recent Special Air Mission Foreign reunion.
Ralph served for 22 years in the Air Force as an airborne radio operator. During his time in service one of his tours of duty included an assignment with the 89th AW.
“Mr. Schreiner is a veteran of the 89th Airlift Wing. He once flew as a Navigator here,” explained 1st Lt. Adam Bilyeu, 89thOperations Support Squadron, intelligence training chief.
Seeking long due closure of his brothers combat death, Ralph asked Col. Rebecca Sonkiss, 89th AW, commander if there was any way she could help him find the location on a map where his brother was Killed in Action.
“The documents he was provided listed the town Chohanggol in North Korea, which does not show up readily in Google maps or Google Earth,” said Bilyeu. “The 89 OSS Intel flight contacted a few Korean War subject matter experts and historians across the country and got a response from a historian working at the Wilson Center here in DC.”
After a bit of tedious coordinating and working with experts, Bilyeu and his team were able to put together a small binder of maps pin pointing the location where Ralph’s brother was KIA.
They went on to contact Ralph and notified him of their findings finally giving him the much sought after finality he had been seeking for so many years.
“The fondest memory I have of my brother is his utmost devotion to our mom, to go into the army to help her out,” said Ralph. “I was inspired by Allen and wanted to sign up. My sights though were to serve in the Air Force. If I could say one thing to my brother today, it would be, ‘Thank you for being my brother. You are the best.’”
Ralph retired from the Air Force in 1977. During his 22 years of service he did three tours of duty in Vietnam, between 1965 and 1969 where he completed 112 Combat Missions over North Vietnam, totaling 738 combat hours. He rescued five pilots, one deceased under intense enemy fire, earning him two Distinguished Flying Crosses, six air medals and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star.
Ralph’s last assignment was with the men and women of SAM Fox at the 89th AW; a team who helped their brother, Senior Master Sgt. Ralph Schreiner (Ret.) find closure for the combat death of his brother.