[Buffalo Jim]

My Dad`s oldest brother [ Uncle Don ] joined the Army in July of 1949 just after graduating from high school . He had hoped to eventually attend college on the GI Bill and to become a teacher and a Coach .

He was assigned to the artillery after Basic and was based in Okinawa when the Korean War broke out in the summer of 1950 . He saw a great deal of combat . In Feb. of 1951 his Unit of about 200 was over-run by Communist Chinese soldiers . They held out for 3 days but eventually the survivors including my Uncle were taken as POWs in what became known as " The Hoengsong Massacre ".

On Christmas Day 1951 a list of POWs who had " escaped " was read over Radio Peking as a " good will gesture " by the Chinese Gvt . My Uncle`s name was included in this list .
A few months after the official Armistice in June 1953 , my Uncle was declared
" Presumed Dead ". That was the last our family ever heard about what happened to my Uncle Don .

It was always a great mystery . While I had just turned age 1 the week that he was captured , as I grew up I came to understand just how much my Uncle Don was missed and how his siblings held onto the faint hope for many years that somehow , someday he might be found alive . There were many rumors of POWs still being held in North Korea .
Growing up in the same small town of my parents and having been taught in school by many of the same teachers I learned that my Uncle Don was a kind , polite young man a stand-out high school athlete and a good student .

Following the sudden and untimely passing of my own Dad , I decided with the age of the internet to try to learn more about the capture and death of my Uncle . After my Dad passed I was going through some old papers he had saved and found a letter to him from my Uncle which would have been his last letter home .

I began my research in the year 2000 and had managed through a great deal of patience and persistence to piece together the capture of the survivors of the
and their movement from POW Camp to Camp .

On the morning of Christmas Eve 2000 , I for some reason reread that final letter . In it my Uncle shared that his unit had been seeing a lot of action and was living basically outside in sub-zero weather .
He mentioned that they had not received winter gear and had been shooting stray cattle for food .
He mentioned that on Christmas Eve they had gathered in an old barn for Mid-night Mass and that when he looked across the faces of those present he spotted a fellow named " John H. ' [ last name left out on purpose ]. He said to my Dad : " You remember him Jim he was the Center for Massena [ meaning basketball ].
He went on to say as soon as we spotted each other they started shelling us so we had to scatter but he ran with me for a few steps and shook my hand and said " good luck see you at home ".
As I read the letter I realized that it was 50 years to the day that this had taken place and that John H. would have been the last person we had knowledge of who would have seen my Uncle alive .
I then decided to try to track John H. down . Was he still alive ? Did he make it home from the War ?
I broke out an old phonebook from my home town area and looked up people with the same last name as John H. My first phone call turned out to be his brother and yes, John was still alive , retired and spending the winter at Flagler Beach , Fl. I now had John`s phone number . His brother who it turned out also had known my Dad encouraged me to call him .
I called the number but had to leave a message .It was now about Noon . Later we went to Mass and then on to my IN-laws for a large family gathering .
When we returned home about 10Pm there was a message for me from John .
He said " no matter what time you get this message please call me . I don`t care if it is 3AM. Please call ".

I took a deep breath and dialed . On the other end of the line was John . I introduced myself and he said " your message gave me chills because this morning I had been thinking of that Christmas Eve exactly 50 years ago and getting attacked while we were trying to hold Christmas Mass ".
He went on to say " yes , I remember seeing your Uncle in that barn and us wishing each other good luck " . " It was a hellish place to be . Not enough food , no warm gear . We were just young kids ". " I was in until the end and thought that I was a gonner a few times myself but I made it and still thank God every day that I got home ".
I shared with John the results of my research on my Uncle and actually met him the following summer . We stayed in touch . John passed away about 3 years ago but I will always recall sharing his memories of that cold, scary
Christmas Eve of 1950 .
I continued my dogged research efforts which in the summer of 2003 found me in the home of a man from West Virginia who had actually witnessed my Uncle`s death at the hands of his captors . His body left beside the road along the Yalu River 1 day out from their eventual interment at what has become known as Camp 1 .
My Uncle was just age 19 .

[quirky3]

Thanks for sharing such a touching story of persistence, love and honor.

[Gulfhills]

What a hauntingly beautiful story. Thank you so much for sharing with us.

[ettojr]

Great story, beautifully told. Thank you for sharing.

[OBXNana]

I just love to read such personal experiences that can bring a tear to your eye. As I'm running around like an idiot, doing things so meaningless today, this really put life into perspective for me. Thank you and Merry Christmas!

[obxgal]

Thank you Jim, for sharing your story with us. I know I will be saying a special prayer for those in harms way tonight. Including my 2 nephews.

God Bless those that have served our country and those that are serving today.

[lpkshop]

Beautiful story, I'm glad your family was able to get the answers to your uncle death. What an amazing Christmas Eve .thank you

[schmitty]

Thank You for sharing the story Jim. I hope you have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy 2014.
On a side note, what an unusual way for the Buffalo Sabres to win a hockey game. But hey, a win is a win.
Pat