WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that U.S. Army Cpl. Lester William Bauer, 20, killed during the Korean War, was accounted for March 4, 2025.
In the summer of 1950, Cpl. Bauer was assigned to I Company, 3rd Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, 8th U.S. Army. He was reported missing in action on July 27 near the Hadong Pass, northwest Jinju, Republic of Korea. He was not reported as a prisoner of war and his remains were not recovered after the war. With no evidence of his continued survival, the U.S. Army issued a presumptive finding of death of Dec. 31, 1953.
This is an initial release. The complete accounting of Bauer's case will be published once the family receives their full briefing.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving their country, visit the DPAA website at or on social media at , , , or .