Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia. (December 29, 2023): It is America’s sacred promise to every servicemember, you will not be left behind. In this photo by Elizabeth Fraser, Soldiers assigned to the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as “The Old Guard,” and the U.S. Army Band, “Pershing’s Own," conduct full military honors Army Corporal Gordon D. McCarthy, an Army Soldier killed during the Korean War. His niece, Marilyn Stanton, received the U.S. flag from the honor guard along with the thanks of a grateful nation. The efforts to bring Corporal McCarthy home represent the determination of the United States to account for every servicemember killed or missing, no matter how long it takes.
McCarthy’s unit was attacked by enemy forces near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea, in one of the bloodiest battles of the war. After the battle, McCarthy's remains were not recovered and he was reported missing in action. He remained officially missing until he was officially accounted for on February 13, 2023, 73 years after his death.
According to Arlington National Cemetery Historian Kevin M. Hymel, Corporal McCarthy lived a hard life before he fell in battle. His mother died soon after he was born and he was raised by his grandparents while his father worked. His father later died in a workplace accident when he was just fifteen.
After graduating high school, McCarthy joined the Army’s 7th Infantry Division’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry and was deployed to Korea. At time of his death, McCarthy was participating in Task Force Faith, an ill-fated effort to rescue units about to be surrounded by Chinese forces.
McCarthy remained MIA until 55 boxes of purported American service member remains from the Korean War were given to the United States by the North Korean government in 2018. The remains arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii in 2018 and were subsequently sent to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency laboratory for identification. To identify McCarthy’s remains, scientists used anthropological examination, mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome DNA analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence.
Corporal McCarthy’s homecoming underscores America’s determination to never leave a servicemember behind.