The Killed In Action (KIA) Page
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How will the people of this nation and the world
know about your loss unless you tell them?
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| The Korean War was responsible for 36,568 American casualties in-theater. This page of The
Korean War Educator is devoted to the memory of those young men and women whose lives were sacrificed in the
name of freedom during the course of the Korean War. Relatives and friends of these Korean War battle and
non-battle casualties are invited to post information and a photograph pertaining to a Korean War veteran who
lost his or her life in the Korean combat zone. Send your information and pictures to: Lynnita Brown, 111 E.
Houghton Street, Tuscola, IL 61953. E-mail:
lynnita@koreanwar-educator.org. |
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HOLLAND, LT. RANDY
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(Click photo for a larger view) |
Randy Holland was KIA in Korea at 5:10 a.m., October 8, 1952. He was from Belton, Texas, which is in Bell
County.
We were with Fox Company of the 17th Infantry Regiment, which was part of the 7th Infantry Division on
October 8, 1952. Randy was a second lieutenant, and relatively new to the company. I had been with the company
for ten months at the time. Randy was the platoon leader of the first platoon, and I was the squad leader of the
first squad of that same platoon. On this date we were given orders to take a Chinese Outpost in Kumwha Valley,
North Korea. I still remember Randy drawing in the dirt with a stick and giving each of the squad leaders our
assigned objective.
We started the attack about 5:00 a.m. It was just a short time into the attack that all hell broke loose. I
mean it literally rained mortar rounds, grenades, and other small arms fire. Shortly into the attack, I was
seriously wounded. I don’t remember if I yelled out or if Randy saw me go down. The last thing I remember was
this dear man screaming to me and encouraging me to hold on as he was coming to help me. He barely got the words
out of his mouth when an incoming round silenced his voice. Thanks, Randy—if for no more than your attempt. "You
were my hero." – Jack L. Reynolds, RA 14-333-802 |
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SARRAIL, HENRY
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(Click photo for a larger view) |
Henry Sarrail was from Los Angeles, California. The picture and text given below was supplied by Donald G.
McMillar, who was a platoon leader in H Company of the 17th Regiment. He was attached to Sarrail's G Company
when the picture was taken.
First Lieutenant Henry B. Sarrail was a rifle platoon leader in G Company, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th
Infantry Division in the fall of 1952, when the outpost battles were heating up. I got to know Hank, as he liked
to be called, when I assigned myself and a section of machine guns to G Company when we went online on September
1, 1952. I was the machine gun platoon leader from H Company and I had a section of machine guns with each of
the rifle companies of the battalion. We had our hot meals where this picture was taken and it was the site of a
Korean grave that had been dug out of the side of a hill.
We had moved over to the Triangle Hill area in mid-October to join in that battle. In leading his platoon up
a hill in that area his troops were pinned down by blistering fire from one primary position-a small bunker.
Hank told me that he got real mad at this situation so he jumped up and charged the bunker single handedly. He
figured there was only one Chinese in the bunker. When he jumped in the bunker, he found there were three
Chinese but he somehow killed all three before they could get him. He used his carbine, bayonet, and pistol to
do the job. I had heard this account shortly after it happened from other sources so I looked up Hank when I got
the chance and he spelled it out just as I have related it. The word was that he was to be recommended for the
DSC but before that rumor had even cooled, Hank was killed by a direct hit by a mortar round. He was from Los
Angeles, California. |
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