Several thousand Citadel alumni were on duty when the Korean War broke out. Of these, we know of 25 that sacrificed their lives on or near the field of battle as a result of hostile action, with two of the 25 still listed as missing-in-action/presumed dead (MIA). During the battle 1/Lt Richard Smock was awarded the nations second highest combat medal, the Distinguished Service Cross, for “extraordinary heroism,” and one alumnus became a jet “Ace” by recording more than five victories over enemy aircraft. Captain William Mauldin, class of 1944, was shot down in 1951 and listed for 56 years as MIA until his crash site and remains were ID’d and returned home in 2008 to re-join The Citadel’s “Long Gray Line.” Additional information on the sacrifice of Citadel alumni during the Korean War is welcome as this list may not be a full accounting.
Credits to Mike Stannard,’65 for his research on this page.
| Class | Rank, Name, Unit | Battle | Death Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | (opens in a new tab)LTC Julius Elliot O’Neal (USAF) | KIA/MIA, MIA over Inchon, South Korea, still MIA | October 23, 1951 |
| 1942 | (opens in a new tab)PFC Gordon Ackly Littlefield (USMC) | KIA, South Korea | March 17, 1951 |
| 1943 | (opens in a new tab)CPT Molten Ancrum Shuler, Jr. (USA) | KIA, Chorwon, North Korea WIA 6/16/52 | August 24, 1952 |
| 1944 | (opens in a new tab)CPT William Kennedy Mauldin (USAF) | KIA, over Sinan-ri, North Korea | February 21, 1952 |
| 1946 | (opens in a new tab)2LT John Eugene Pound (USAF) | KIA, over Tsu Bu, South Korea | February 22, 1952 |
| 1947 | (opens in a new tab)2LT Solomon Lee Van Meter, III (USMC) | KIA, South Korea | July 9, 1953 |
| 1948 | (opens in a new tab)1LT Wesley Hartwell Johnson (USA) | KIA, Hadong, South Korea | July 27, 1950 |
| 1949 | (opens in a new tab)2LT Frank Elwood Bloomenshine (USA) | KIA, South Korea | August 25, 1950 |
| 1949 | (opens in a new tab)1LT James Futrell Exley (USA) | KIA, North Korea | April 5, 1951 |
| 1949 | (opens in a new tab)1LT William Calvin Hall (USA) | KIA, Uijonbu, South Korea | April 25, 1951 |
| 1949 | (opens in a new tab)1LT John William Hill, Jr. (USMC) | KIA, over Pohang, South Korea | September 10, 1952 |
| 1949 | (opens in a new tab)1LT Edmund Jones Lilly, III (USA) | KIA, South Korea | September 3, 1950 |
| 1949 | (opens in a new tab)2LT Edward Rutledge Ravenel, III (USA) | KIA, Hill 303, South Korea | September 5, 1950 |
| 1950 | (opens in a new tab)1LT Herman Louis Falk, Jr. (USA) | KIA/POW, Died while POW (2/12/51) | May 31, 1951 |
| 1950 | (opens in a new tab)1LT William Henry McLellan (USA) | KIA, North Korea | September 19, 1951 |
| 1950 | (opens in a new tab)2LT William Kendrick Mordecai (USA) | KIA, Wonsan Harbor, South Korea | November 15, 1950 |
| 1950 | (opens in a new tab)1LT Clyde P. Padgett, Jr. (USA) | KIA, Seoul, South Korea | January 3, 1951 |
| 1950 | (opens in a new tab)1LT Richard Tarlton Smock (USA) | KIA, Chollyon-Dong North Korea DSC | June 6, 1951 |
| 1951 | (opens in a new tab)1LT Bob Pearce Cannon (USAF) | KIA, over Suwon AF, South Korea | December 4, 1952 |
| 1951 | (opens in a new tab)1LT James Franklin Davis (USAF) | KIA/MIA, over South Korea | May 10, 1953 |
| 1951 | (opens in a new tab)PVT William Clyde Fowler (USA) | KIA, South Korea | January 30, 1951 |
| 1951 | (opens in a new tab)1LT Myrth Jimmie Killingsworth (USA) | KIA, North Korea | October 14, 1952 |
| 1951 | (opens in a new tab)2LT Thomas Preston Pearce (USA) | KIA, North Korea | August 12, 1952 |
| 1951 | (opens in a new tab)SGT Desmond K. Wilkerson (USAF) | KIA, over Sinanjo AF, North Korea | November 28, 1950 |